NCAA Division I Softball Championship: Super Regionals Begin Thursday, Jennie Finch Joins Coverage

College Sports (Miscellaneous)

NCAA Division I Softball Championship: Super Regionals Begin Thursday, Jennie Finch Joins Coverage

ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship continues this week with exclusive coverage of the Super Regionals (May 22 – 25). ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU will televise up to 24 games (eight best-of-three series) from eight campus sites. Jennie Finch, national champion (2001 Arizona) and gold medal winner (2004 Olympics), joins ESPN’s elite roster of analysts to call the Lafayette Super Regional. ESPN will continue to offer multiplatform coverage on espnW.com and through @ESPNU and @espnW.

The top eight nationally seeded teams advanced from the Regional round to host a Super Regional, highlighted by No. 1 Oregon. Overall, 14 nationally seeded teams advanced, setting up six Super Regionals which feature nationally seeded teams versus one-another (No. 16 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Oregon, No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 3 UCLA, No. 13 Baylor vs. No. 4 Georgia, No. 12 Washington vs. No. 5 Florida, No. 11 Arizona vs. No.6 Louisiana-Lafayette and No.10 Tennessee vs. No.7 Oklahoma).  Nebraska and Michigan, the two unseeded teams in action this weekend, will be at No. 2 Alabama and at No. 8 Florida State, respectively.  A complete schedule is below and an interactive bracket can be found here.

ESPN’s coverage of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship began on Friday, May 16, with the Regional round.  ESPN will have exclusive coverage throughout the duration of the tournament, including televising every game from the Super Regionals and Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. (May 29 – June 5). Complete coverage information can be found here.

ESPN Super Regionals Television Schedule (May 22-25)
Please note: A day-by-day schedule can be found here: Day-by-Day
Region by Region Schedule

Tallahassee Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Thur, May 22 7 p.m. Game No. 1: Michigan vs. No. 8 Florida State
Pam Ward, Michele Smith
ESPN
Fri, May 23 4 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 8 Florida State vs. Michigan ESPNU
  7 p.m. Game  No. 3:  (if nec) ESPN

Tuscaloosa Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Thur, May 22 9 p.m. Game No. 1: Nebraska vs. No.2 Alabama
Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough
ESPN
Fri, May 23 6 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 2 Alabama vs. Nebraska ESPNU
  9 p.m. Game No. 3:  (if nec) ESPN

Athens Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 23 2 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 13 Baylor vs. No. 4 Georgia
Cara Capuano, Cheri Kempf
ESPNU
Sat, May 24 Noon Game No. 2: No. 4 Georgia vs. No. 13 Baylor ESPN
  3 p.m. Game No. 3: (if nec) ESPN

Norman Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 23 7 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 10 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Oklahoma
Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza 
ESPN2
Sat, May 24 5 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Tennessee ESPN
  8 p.m. Game No. 3:  (if nec) ESPN2

Lafayette Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 23 9 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 11 Arizona vs. No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette
Melissa Lee, Jennie Finch
ESPNU
Sat, May 24 3 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. No. 11 Arizona ESPNU
  6 p.m. Game No. 3: (if nec) ESPNU

Gainesville Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Sat, May 23 1 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 12 Washington vs. No. 5 FloridaMark Neely, Jenny Dalton-Hill ESPNU
Sun, May 24 Noon Game No. 2: No. 5 Florida vs. No. 12 Washington ESPN
  3 p.m. Game No. 3: (if nec) ESPN

Los Angeles Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Sat, May 23 8 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 14 Kentucky vs. No. 3 UCLA
Holly Rowe, Amanda Freed
ESPNU
Sun, May 24 3 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 14 Kentucky ESPNU
  6 p.m. Game No. 3:  (if nec) ESPNU

Eugene Super Regional

Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Sat, May 23 10 p.m. Game No. 1: No. 16 Minnesota vs. No. 1 Oregon
Joe Davis, Leah O’Brien-Amico
ESPN2
Sun, May 24 5 p.m. Game No. 2: No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 16 Minnesota ESPN
  8 p.m. Game No. 3:  (if nec) ESPN2

Networks and times are subject to change
The higher seed in each Super Regional has home/away choice in a decisive Game 3 (if nec)

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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [email protected] and @DerekVolner

Derek Volner

I currently lead ESPN’s NFL Communications, including Monday Night Football, NFL Draft and studio programming. Previously, I did the same for ESPN’s vast college football portfolio. I have been with ESPN since 2013.
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