Lafayette Regional Tournament Central
Tuscaloosa Regional Tournament Central
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NEW ORLEANS – No. 9/10-ranked UL Lafayette and Texas State begin the road to the Women’s College World Series as the 2016 NCAA Softball Tournament begins Friday at 16 regional sites across the country. UL Lafayette hosts Boston University, No. 25-ranked Texas and No. 16/20-ranked Texas A&M at the Lafayette Regional at Lamson Park while Texas State travels to the Tuscaloosa Regional, hosted by the University of Alabama, along with California (RV) and Samford.

The bids were announced live on the NCAA Selection Show on ESPNU on Sunday night. It marks the seventh time in Sun Belt Conference history that multiple teams earned bids to the softball tournament.

For the third consecutive season, and fourth time in the past five seasons, the Ragin' Cajuns will host an NCAA Regional after securing the league’s automatic bid to the postseason with a 12-0 win over Texas State in the Sun Belt championship game. UL Lafayette has won the last three NCAA Regionals hosted at Lamson Park (2012, 2014, 2015). The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated Stanford to advance in 2012, and in 2014 they bested Texas to claim the regional title. Last season, it was a winner-take-all triumph over Baylor that sent the squad on to the Auburn Super Regional.

After finishing with a 39-20 overall record and runner-up finish at the conference tournament, Texas State earned a spot in the Tuscaloosa Regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The Bobcats will play Cal in their seventh NCAA Regional appearance in school history at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday afternoon. It marks the second time in school history the Bobcats received an at-large bid with five conference tournament championships sending them the other times. The last regional appearance for head coach Ricci Woodard and Texas State was in 2012.

Texas State most recently competed against Cal during the 2014 season. The Bobcats won the game, 4-3, in San Diego, Calif., with a walk-off home run. It will be the third meeting all-time against Alabama, fourth meeting against Cal, and second meeting against Samford. The Bobcats came into the Sun Belt Conference tournament as the No. 3 seed after winning their last 10 conference games including sweeps over South Alabama, Appalachian State, and UT Arlington. In the conference tournament, the Bobcats went 3-2 overall with a come from behind victory over Troy in the opening game, another win over South Alabama, and a victory in an elimination game against Georgia State.

The Ragin' Cajuns are set to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th consecutive season, a streak which dates back to 1999. They carry a four-year streak of advancing to at least the NCAA Super Regional round (2012-15). The last of the program's six NCAA Women's College World Series appearances came in 2014. The 26 NCAA Tournament appearances rank eighth (8th) in NCAA history (tied with Cal State Fullerton).

UL Lafayette is just one of nine schools to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000. The list includes: Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.

The Ragin’ Cajuns are 56-32 all-time in NCAA Regional play, including a 22-5 mark in claiming regional championships and advancing to the super regional round in six of the last eight appearances (2008-15).
Regional play begins on Friday at all 16 sites. Texas State plays California at 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN3 with games following the next day. Action in the Lafayette Regional begins Friday at 3:30 p.m. CT with Texas A&M and Texas on ESPN2 followed by UL Lafayette and Boston University at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

LAFAYETTE REGIONAL
Friday, May 20
G1: 3:30 p.m. CT – Texas A&M vs. Texas (ESPN2)
G2: 6:00 p.m. CT – Boston University vs. UL Lafayette (ESPNU)
 
Saturday, May 21
G3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
G4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
G5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
 
Sunday, May 22
G6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5
G7: (if game) Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6
 
TUSCALOOSA REGIONAL
Friday, May 20
G1: 1:30 p.m. CT - Texas State vs. California (ESPN3)
G2: 4:00 p.m. CT - Samford vs. Alabama (SEC Network)
 
Saturday, May 21
G3: 1:30 P.M. CT - Teams TBD
G4: 4:00 P.M. CT - Teams TBD
G5: 6:30 P.M. CT - Teams TBD
 
Sunday, May 22
G6: 1:30 P.M. CT - Teams TBD
G7: 6:00 P.M. CT - (if game) Teams TBD