Reviewed by: Nathan Watson
Crimson Tide to host softball regional, again + where Tigers, Jags are headed
Reading time: 4 minutes
For the 19th consecutive tournament, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be hosting a softball regional.
Alabama players were on pins and needles going into the selection show Sunday night as their performance in the SEC Tournament put them right on the edge of hosting or traveling for the regional round.
But the watch party nerves turned into excitement by the end of the night as the Crimson Tide secured the #14 seed and will be one of 16 hosts for the regional round.
Keep reading to find out more about the Tide’s regional + where other in-state teams will be headed this weekend.
#14 Alabama, Clemson highlight Tuscaloosa Regional
While Alabama did still do enough to earn a home regional, the Crimson Tide could still be considered to have a down regular season.
- 33-17 record
- 10-14 in SEC (First ever losing record in conference play
Alabama is the #14 seed which is the program’s lowest since 2017 and its first double-digit seed since 2018.
But the conference remains the toughest in the country with all 13 teams making the NCAA Tournament—8 of them hosting a regional. That strength of schedule was enough for Alabama to get a spot in the top 16.
The Tuscaloosa Regional will include a four-team, double elimination tournament to be played over three days. All games will be played at Rhoads Stadium. Here’s the full schedule:
- Friday, May 17
- Clemson vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 2 p.m. | ACC Network
- No. 14 seed Alabama (host) vs. USC Upstate | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+
- Saturday, May 18
- Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 3 p.m.
- Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 | 5:30 p.m.
- Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | 8 p.m.
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | TBD
- Game 7 if necessary | TBD
The winner of the Tuscaloosa Regional will play the winner of the Knoxville Regional which means if both hosts advance, the Third Saturday in October rivalry will have a new May chapter on the diamond.
Alabama is searching for consecutive appearances in the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) for the first time since 2016. The Tide is still searching for its first national title since 2012.
Auburn just misses out on hosting, heads to Tallahassee
For the second straight year, Auburn fans may feel a little slighted by the selection committee. The Tigers finished just one or two wins from earning one of the hosting spots, instead being selected to travel to #15 Florida State’s regional.
Auburn finished the regular season with a 27-19 record, its lowest number of wins since 2021. The Tigers have not hosted a regional since 2016 under previous coach Clint Myers. The team’s last WCWS appearance came in 2015.
Here’s the full schedule for the Tallahassee Regional:
- Friday, May 17
- Auburn vs. UCF | 2 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 15 seed Florida State (host) vs. Chattanooga | 4:30 p.m. | ACC Network
- Saturday, May 18
- Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 3 p.m.
- Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 | 5:30 p.m.
- Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | 8 p.m.
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | TBD
- Game 7 if necessary | TBD
The winner of the Tallahassee Regional will advance to face the winner of the Norman Regional, which features 3-time defending champion Oklahoma.
South Alabama earns at-large bid
Despite falling short in the Sun Belt tournament, South Alabama has been rewarded after running through one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country.
The Jaguars will be playing in the regional round for the sixth time in program history and the first since 2021.
In order to advance to the super regional round for the first time ever, South will likely have to take down host and 4-seed Florida in the Gainesville Regional. Here’s the full schedule:
- Friday, May 17
- No. 4 seed Florida (host) vs. Florida Gulf Coast | Noon | SEC Network
- South Alabama vs. Florida Atlantic | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
- Saturday, May 18
- Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 | 1 p.m.
- Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 | 3:30 p.m.
- Game 5: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 | 6 p.m.
- Sunday, May 19
- Game 6 | TBD
- Game 7 if necessary | TBD
You can check out the full bracket below.
Which in-state team do you think wins the most games in the tournament? Join the conversation and let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
