Michigan headed to Orlando for regionals

Michigan softball is again within the NCAA event and headed to Orlando for the regionals.

The Wolverines discovered Sunday night time their task for the 64-team event cut up into 16 regionals. U-M was the final group introduced, although the bid was hardly doubtful. 

Michigan (36-16) will tackle South Dakota State (40-11), champions of the Summit League this season at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Central Florida, the No. 16 seed within the event and the AAC champs, is the host group for this regional and can face Villanova (32-22), which gained the Massive East, at 6 p.m. Friday. 

The regional spherical is double-elimination, with most wrapping up by subsequent Sunday. The tremendous regionals might be Could 26-29 and the Girls’s Faculty World Collection might be June 2-9 or 10 in Oklahoma Metropolis.

Oklahoma, the defending nationwide champion, is the No. 1 general seed, adopted by Florida State, Virginia Tech and Arkansas. There are seven Massive Ten groups within the subject. 

The Wolverines opened the season with a 20-7 nonconference document that included a win over Northern Kentucky to return coach Carol Hutchins to her spot as the game’s winningest coach, then went 14-8 in regular-season Massive Ten play earlier than going 2-1 within the B1G tourney this week. 3-1 in eight innings. 

U-M fell within the league event ultimate to Nebraska on Saturday in East Lansing. 

The Wolverines have been a 2-seed in final 12 months’s event, wherein they have been despatched to Seattle in a regional hosted by Washington. The Wolverines have been 4 innings from advancing to the tremendous regional earlier than collapsing with a seven-run fourth inning by the Huskies. Michigan is on the lookout for its first journey to the Girls’s Faculty World Collection since 2016. The Wolverines have been runners-up in 2015 and gained all of it in 2005.

Oakland (26-15), after profitable the Horizon League event in come-from-behind style Saturday, will tackle Northwestern (40-10), the No. 9 general seed within the event and the Massive Ten event champions. 

The Golden Grizzlies scored three runs within the sixth inning to beat Robert Morris, 5-4, within the league event ultimate in Youngstown, Ohio, Oakland’s first Horizon League championship since 2016. And did so with head coach Lauren Karn away from the group whereas she’s anticipating. 

The opposite two groups on this four-team, double-elimination regional, to be performed in Evanston, Illinois, are McNeese State (38-19) and Notre Dame (39-10). All 4 groups will begin play Friday. 

Oakland has gained 4 straight, three of which within the Horizon League event in opposition to Inexperienced Bay (2-0), Northern Kentucky (3-1) and RMU. 

Free Press sports activities author Ryan Ford contributed. Contact Kirkland Crawford: kcrawford@freepress.com. Observe him on Twitter @HiKirkHere.