After a one-year absence, Michigan softball is back in the NCAA Tournament.

The Wolverines’ road to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the 2024 Women’s College World Series begins this week with a matchup against Kentucky at Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the tournament’s Stillwater Regional, hosted by Oklahoma State.

More: Watch select 2024 NCAA softball tournament games on Fubo (free trial)

Michigan is making its 30^th NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992 after going 41-16 in the regular season. The last of those victories came in the Big Ten championship game, where it defeated Indiana 3-1 to earn its 11^th all-time Big Ten Tournament title. This season is the Wolverines’ second under coach Bonnie Tholl, who was appointed to the role in August 2022 following the retirement of legendary Michigan coach Carol Hutchins, the winningest head coach in NCAA softball history.

Michigan is 88-23 all-time in the regional round of the tournament and has won 18 regional titles.

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Now in the NCAA Tournament, the Wolverines will face off against Kentucky in their opening game. The Wildcats went 30-22 during the regular season, including an 8-16 mark in SEC play. Each of the SEC’s 13 softball programs were selected for the tournament and the conference claimed eight of the event’s top 16 seeds.

In order to advance to the super regional stage, Michigan will likely have to get through No. 5 overall national seed Oklahoma State, which enters the tournament 44-10 and will play Northern Colorado in its opening game. The winner of that matchup will square off against the winner of the Wolverines’ game against Kentucky.

The regional round is a four-team, double-elimination tournament that will take place over the course of three days.

Here’s everything you need to know about Michigan softball’s 2024 NCAA Tournament opener, including time, date, TV and streaming info, and more:

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What channel is Michigan vs. Kentucky softball today?

The Wolverines’ matchup against the Wildcats will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Streaming options for the game include the ESPN App and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.

Michigan vs. Kentucky softball start time

• Date: Friday, May 17
• Time: 3 p.m. ET

The game between Michigan and Kentucky is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET on Friday from Cowgirl Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

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Michigan softball schedule 2024

Below is the Stillwater Regional schedule, including Michigan’s games. For the Wolverines’ full 2024 schedule, click here.

Friday, May 17

• Game 1: Kentucky vs. Michigan | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
• Game 2: (5) Oklahoma State vs. Northern Colorado | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Saturday, May 18

• Game 3: TBD vs. TBD | 1 p.m.
• Game 4: TBD vs. TBD | 3:30 p.m.
• Game 5: TBD vs. TBD | 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 19

• Game 6: TBD vs. TBD
• Game 7: TBD vs. TBD

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ryan Waldschmidt could not be contained and neither could No. 2 Kentucky as it defeated Vanderbilt 10-5 at Kentucky Proud Park on Thursday as it pulled ever so close to the second Southeastern Conference regular season championship in school history. In the meantime, UK’s 21st victory in league play set a new high-water mark in school history.

The Cats (38-11, 21-7) saw their magic number dwindle to one, meaning one victory in their final two games seals at least a share of the title.

Vanderbilt made the 4,384 fans hold their breath with a home run on the first pitch of the game but UK struck for three runs of its own in the first in a quintessential Wildcats inning that featured extra base hit, bunts, sacrifices, walks and the offensive pressure it has become known for in recent years.

Two innings later, Waldschmidt belted a two-out, three-run homer off the TV tower beyond centerfield to blow the game open and chase the Commodores’ starter. Nick Lopez later added a homer and birthday boy Mitchell Daly collected his 200th career collegiate hit as part of an active evening on both sides of the ball.

On Friday, UK will honor its graduates as well as go through Senior Night ceremonies before the game.

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT)—Kentucky has had its share of bad weather over the last several years, which is partially why homeowners insurance rates have been on the rise.

“It first started with COVID, and you know, the cost of supplies and demand on labor rates and that sort of thing, and then right after COVID, we started seeing these really bad wind and hail storms coming through Kentucky,” said Renee Jackson, a Lexington insurance agency owner.

Due to both the pandemic and bad weather, there is a new normal when it comes to insurance rates.

“We used to look at rates for clients being a little abnormal if they were 10 percent or higher of the increase renewal. Now, we are looking at if it’s 18 to 20 percent is really when we start looking at shopping our client’s rates and that sort of thing,” said Jackson.

Jackson says one way to prevent major rate increases is to file claims only on significant damage.

“A windstorm came through, and I have to replace my roof. A roof replacement is $20,000. That’s when you want to file a claim. Keep the small things to yourself and let the insurance company deal with the large things because when you file the small things, you’re going to see even higher insurance increases on your premium and you don’t want that to happen,” Jackson said.

Jackson thinks that hiking insurance rates should cool, but the weather will play a big role in that fate.

“I think the insurance companies have a good handle of what’s going on. As long as we don’t have any more storms come through Kentucky in the next year, I think you’re going to see your rates leveling off. You’re not going to see the increases like you did before,” Jackson said.

According to a study from Deloitte, Kentucky is among 21 US states at high risk of climate impacts.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.