NCAA Bracket
 
NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina will represent the Sun Belt Conference in the NCAA Softball Durham Regional beginning Friday, May 16 as announced during Sunday evening’s selection show on ESPN2.
 
Making its sixth NCAA Regional appearance in program history and first since 2012, Coastal Carolina (41-17) will make a short trip north to Durham, N.C., to face Georgia (31-20) on Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Sun Belt softball programs have now earned 22 NCAA berths over the past 11 seasons, as the Chanticleers join regional host and No. 14 national seed Duke (38-16) which takes on Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Howard (31-18) in its first-round matchup.
 
Led by head coach Kelley Green in her 16th season at the helm, Coastal Carolina won its first Sun Belt tournament championship in program history in Troy Ala., becoming the first No. 7 seed in league history to accomplish the feat.
 
The Chants won four games in four days in Troy to secure the crown behind timely hitting and a dominant effort in the circle by senior ace and Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year Nicolette Picone who was named Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player after throwing every pitch for the Chanticleers while compiling a 4-0 record with a 2.13 ERA across 28 innings of work in the team’s four games.
 
Coastal Carolina compiled a 6-2 overall record in 2025 against teams earning bids to an NCAA regional, including wins over No. 8 national seed South Carolina, Kentucky, UConn, Marist and two wins over Georgia Tech.
 
The winner of each double-elimination regional tournament will compete in NCAA Super Regionals from May 22-25, with the victors advancing to the 2025 College World Series which begins May 29 in Oklahoma City.