The highway to Oklahoma Metropolis for 64 groups begins this Friday with the 2025 NCAA softball match set to get underway. The bracket for this 12 months’s area was unveiled Sunday night time and some issues about this 12 months’s match are clear.
For starters, the SEC is way and away one of the best convention on this sport as 14 of the league’s 16 groups made the sector.
Maybe extra importantly and impressively, seven of the highest eight seeds within the match went to groups within the SEC, with the lone outlier being No. 5 Florida State. The Seminoles have been one in all 9 ACC groups to make the sector, however simply one in all three that can host opening weekend video games, becoming a member of No. 14 Duke and No. 11 Clemson.
That signifies that ought to the regional spherical go chalk, seven of the eight Tremendous Regional websites will probably be performed on SEC campuses, which may result in an SEC-heavy Faculty World Collection.
Texas A&M was granted the No. 1 total seed regardless of by no means taking part in in opposition to No. 2 seed — and four-time reigning nationwide champs — Oklahoma this season. Softball followers have been robbed of what would’ve been a matchup between the Sooners and the Aggies this previous weekend in Athens, Ga. because the SEC Championship recreation was rained out. Texas A&M does have a powerful case for the No. 1 seed although, as they’ve 19 high 25 wins, which is essentially the most within the nation. The Aggies additionally notched victories over sturdy non-conference foes like Florida State and Texas Tech.
South Carolina grabbed the ultimate top-eight seed, securing Tremendous Regional internet hosting rights ought to the Gamecocks advance that far. South Carolina is having an extremely memorable season beneath first-year coach Ashley Chastain Woodard and received 40 video games regardless of being picked to complete final within the SEC this season. It’ll be the primary time since 2018 that the Gamecocks are internet hosting a regional, which was additionally the final time they superior to a Tremendous Regional.
“Whenever you take a look at South Carolina, they’ve 17 high 25 wins and that was key in that space,” NCAA softball committee chair Kurt McGuffin instructed ESPN. “They went and challenged themselves all 12 months. Six of these high 25 wins have been out of convention, so we prefer to see groups the place the nonconference and convention schedule is admittedly difficult.”
Ought to the Gamecocks get to the second weekend of the match, they might face a UCLA group with one thing to show. The Bruins have been handed the No. 9 seed after a 49-10 season, and this postseason marks the primary time since 2016 that UCLA hasn’t been a top-eight seed. The Bruins are a powerhouse in school softball, with eight World Collection bids since 2015.
Alabama was the ultimate SEC group to seize a nationwide seed, getting slotted fifteenth to host an opening-weekend regional. It’s the twentieth consecutive season the Crimson Tide have gotten a top-16 seed within the match. They’ve a difficult regional pod although that features a pair of 40-win groups in Virginia Tech and Belmont. The Hokies and Tide met in February, splitting two video games in Tuscaloosa.
In the meantime, Belmont is armed with one of many high pitchers within the nation in Maya Johnson, who leads the nation in strikeouts with 343. Belmont faces Virginia Tech at 3:30 p.m. ET on Friday on ESPN+.
Different intriguing regional matchups embody one between North Carolina and Ohio State in Knoxville, Tennessee. Within the NCAA Match for the primary time since 2019, the Tar Heels are led by the nation’s chief in RBIs in Kat Rodriguez, whereas the Buckeyes have arguably essentially the most explosive offense within the nation as they lead the game in residence runs with 137.
UNC and Ohio State will meet at 4 p.m. ET on Friday on ESPNU. The winner between the Tar Heels and the Buckeyes is more likely to face Tennessee and SEC Pitcher of the 12 months Karlyn Pickens, who’s second nationally in ERA with a 0.92 mark.
