ESPN's Record-Setting Regional Coverage Kicks Off 2015 NCAA Division I Softball Championship
· Up to 84 Games, from 12 Campus Sites in Regional Round
· Debut of Bases Loaded for Regional Round
· All Eight Super Regionals and Entire Women's College World Series Televised
· Defending National Champion and No. 1 Seed Florida Gators Host Regional
ESPN is the home of the 2015 NCAA Division I Softball Championship presented by Capital One beginning with record-setting Regional round coverage (May 15-17), continuing the Super Regionals (May 21-24) and concluding with the Women's College World Series (May 28 - June 3) in Oklahoma City, Okla. The 2015 NCAA Softball Championship is the 15th consecutive year ESPN has televised the entire Women's College World Series and the ninth consecutive year it has televised every game of the Super Regionals.
Record-Setting Regional Round Coverage
ESPN's NCAA Softball Championship Regional round coverage will total as many as 84 games from 12 campus sites - the most sites ESPN has ever originated from - across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3 and SEC Network +. The 2014 National Champion and No. 1 overall seed Florida Gators highlight the first weekend of the championship as the Gators host the Gainesville Regional. Overall, ESPN's Regional round coverage will feature 10 of the top 11 seeds including No. 3 Michigan (Ann Arbor Regional), No. 4 Auburn (Auburn Regional), No. 5 LSU (Baton Rouge Regional), No. 6 Alabama (Tuscaloosa Regional), No. 7 UCLA (Los Angeles Regional), No. 8 Tennessee (Knoxville Regional) , No. 9 Florida State (Tallahassee Regional), No. 10 Missouri (Columbia Regional), and No. 11 Oklahoma (Norman Regional). Additionally, No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette (Lafayette Regional), and No. 14 Georgia (Athens Regional) will also be covered.
Format: ESPN will carry every game (maximum of seven games) from the 12 regionals. Each regional is a four-team, double-elimination tournament, concluding with one team advancing to the Super Regionals. A full schedule is provided below.
Additional Regional Round Highlights
Debut of Bases Loaded
ESPN's 2015 NCAA Softball Championship Regional Round coverage will be supplemented by Bases Loaded for the first time, a concept which has been utilized during the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Bases Loaded will provide look-ins to multiple live games throughout the day while also recapping the entire tournament up to that moment. Matt Schick and Brendan Fitzgerald will host and Garland Cooper will provide the analysis.
Bases Loaded Programming Schedule
Date Time (ET) Network
Sat, May 16 2 p.m. through conclusion of day's action ESPN3
2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ESPN
4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. ESPN
6 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. ESPN2
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ESPNU
8:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. ESPN2
9 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ESPN
Sun, May 17 2 p.m. through conclusion of day's action ESPN3
3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. ESPN
5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. ESPNU
8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ESPNU
espnW.com
espnW will have wide-ranging coverage of the entire 2015 Softball Championship, led by its softball index. Other highlights include:
· Comprehensive Recaps: Graham Hays will provide daily recaps in a "five things you should know" format.
· Tourney Snapshots: Behind-the-scenes video and photos from teams and student athletes participating in the championship. Fans can submit their photos by tagging them #RoadtoWCWS in the Regionals and Super Regionals and then #WCWS during the Women's College World Series.
· The Life and Times of an NCAA Softball Player: Kayla Lombardo, a senior third baseman for the Fordham Rams, has been documenting her 2015 season titled The Life and Times of an NCAA Softball Player. With Lombardo and Rams qualifying for the Championship, she will continue her work, providing reaction to the Rams' journey to the WCWS.
Social Media
· @ESPNU, @espnW, and @NCAASoftball will provide news, game updates, photos and videos throughout the championship. Fans can join the conversation by tagging their tweets with #d1softball in the Regionals and Super Regionals and then #WCWS during the Women's College World Series.
ESPN Analysts
ESPN's softball analysts are accomplished former college, Olympic and professional softball players:
· Carol Bruggeman - Norman Regional
· College: Iowa
· Honors: As a Division I coach at Michigan, Purdue, and Louisville, achieved more than 700 combined wins; All Big-Ten and All-Mideast Region as a player, inducted into the Iowa Softball Association Hall of Fame (1997
· Jenny Dalton-Hill - Gainesville Regional
· College: Arizona
· Honors: National Player of the Year (1996) and Women's College World Series MVP ('96) Four-time National Champion, winning three as a player (1993, '94, and '96) and one as an assistant coach, also with Arizona (1997)
· Amanda Freed - Knoxville Regional
· College: UCLA
· Honors: National Champion (1999), pitched in the three other WCWS (2000, '01, '02, '03), member of gold medal-winning team at the 2004 Athens Olympics
· Danielle Lawrie - Los Angeles Regional
· College: Washington
· Honors: National Champion (2009), All-American, and played for Canadian National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
· Cheri Kempf - Lafayette Regional
· College: Missouri Western State
· Honors: National Champion , National MVP and played on USA National Team that won the World Cup (1992)
· Jessica Mendoza - Baton Rouge Regional
· College: Stanford
· Honors: Four-time All-American (1999, 2000, '01, '02), member of gold medal-winning team at the 2004 Athens Olympics and silver medal winning team at 2008 Beijing Olympics
· Leah O'Brien-Amico - Tuscaloosa Regional
· College: Arizona
· Honors: Won three national championships (1993, '94, '97), member of goal medal-winning teams at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Athens Olympics
· Jennie Ritter - Auburn Regional
· College: Michigan
· Honors: National Championship (2005), played for USA National Team (2007) in the World Cup and Pan American games
· Amanda Scarborough - Ann Arbor Regional
· College: Texas A&M
· Honors: Two-time All-American (2005, '07). Only player in Big 12 history to receive Freshman of the Year and Player of Year in same season (2005), played in two WCWS (2007, '08)
· Michele Smith - Baton Rouge Regional
· College: Oklahoma State
· Honors: Two time All-American, two time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, '00) and eight time Japan Pro League MVP
2015 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Field
The 2015 NCAA Division I Softball Championship bracket was unveiled during ESPNU's NCAA Softball Championship Selection Show presented by Capital One on Sunday, May 10. The SEC received the most bids (11), followed by the ACC and Pac-12 (7), Big 12 and Big Ten (4), Colonial, Conference USA, Mountain West and Sun Belt (2). Twenty three other conferences each received one bid. Additionally, seven teams are making their first appearance in the tournament: Binghamton University, University of Central Arkansas, Fairfield University, Indiana State University, University of Pittsburgh, St. John's (NY) University, and Weber State University. The complete 64-team bracket can be seen here.
ESPN's 2015 NCAA Division I Softball Television Schedule
Regional Round (May 15 - May 17)
Please Note: Networks are likely to change throughout the weekend based on if necessary games. For the latest information, please check espnW's schedule and results page
Schedule below is set up by Regionals. For a day-by-day schedule, click here
Ann Arbor Regional
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, May 15 3:30 p.m. Pittsburgh vs. California
Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough ESPNU
6 p.m. Oakland vs. No. 3 Michigan
Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough ESPNU
Sat, May 16 4 p.m. Game 3 ESPN2
6:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN2
9 p.m. Game 5 ESPNU
Sun, May 17 3:30 p.m. Game 6 ESPN, ESPNU, or ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU or ESPN3
Athens Regional
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, May 15 2:30 p.m. Western Kentucky vs. North Carolina ESPN3
5 p.m. Central Connecticut vs. No. 14 Georgia SEC Network +
Sat, May 16 Noon Game 3 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
2:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
5:00 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
Sun, May 17 Noon Game 6 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
2:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPN3 or SEC Network +
Auburn Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 4 p.m. Chattanooga vs. South Alabama
Jennie Ritter, Melissa Lee ESPN3
6:30 p.m. Tennessee Tech vs. No. 4 Auburn
Jennie Ritter, Melissa Lee ESPN3
Sat, May 16 1 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 1 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Baton Rouge Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 4:30 p.m. Nebraska vs. Arizona State
Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith ESPN3
7 p.m. Texas Southern vs. No. 5 LSU
Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith ESPN2
Sat, May 16 Noon Game 3 ESPN
2:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN
5 p.m. Game 5 ESPN
Sun, May 17 1 p.m. Game 6 ESPN
3:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPN, ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Columbia Regional
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Fri, May 15 5 p.m. Louisville vs. Kansas ESPN3
7:30 p.m. Indiana State vs. No. 10 Missouri SEC Network +
Sat, May 16 3:30 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
6 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
8:30 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
Sun, May 17 1 p.m. Game 6 ESPN3 or SEC Network +
3:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPN3 or SEC Network +
Gainesville Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 3:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic vs. Hofstra
Mark Neely, Jenny Dalton-Hill ESPN3
6 p.m. Florida A&M vs. No. 1 Florida
Mark Neely, Jenny Dalton-Hill ESPN3
Sat, May 16 1 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 1 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Knoxville Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 3:30 p.m. Virginia Tech vs. Utah
Sam Gore, Amanda Freed ESPN3
6 p.m. Longwood vs. No. 8 Tennessee
Sam Gore, Amanda Freed ESPN3
Sat, May 16 1 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 3:30 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Lafayette Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 6:30 p.m. Mississippi State vs. Baylor
Pam Ward, Cheri Kempf ESPN3
9 p.m. Weber State vs. No. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette
Pam Ward, Cheri Kempf ESPN3
Sat, May 16 4:30 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
7 p.m. Game 4 ESPN
9:30 p.m. Game 5 ESPN
Sun, May 17 7 p.m. Game 6 ESPN2
9:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU
Los Angeles Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 6 p.m. San Diego State vs. Texas
Holly Rowe, Danielle Lawrie ESPN3
8:30 p.m. Cal State Northridge vs. No. 7 UCLA
Holly Rowe, Danielle Lawrie ESPN3
Sat, May 16 3 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3**
5:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3**
8 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3**
Sun, May 17 3 p.m. Game 6 ESPN3**
5:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPN3**
**Please note: Longhorn Network could potentially televise games involving Texas
Norman Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 1:30 p.m. Lehigh vs. Texas A&M
Thad Anderson, Carol Bruggeman SEC Network
4 p.m. Central Arkansas vs. No. 11 Oklahoma
Thad Anderson, Carol Bruggeman ESPN3
Sat, May 16 2:30 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
5 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
7:30 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 3:30 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
6 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Tallahassee Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 4:30 p.m. Central Florida vs. South Carolina ESPN3
7 p.m. Dartmouth vs. No. 9 Florida State ESPN3
Sat, May 16 Noon Game 3 ESPN3
2:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
5 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 Noon p.m. Game 6 ESPN3
2:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPN3
Tuscaloosa Regional
Date Time (ET) Game/Commentators Network
Fri, May 15 1:30 p.m. USC Upstate vs. Washington
Cara Capuano, Leah Amico ESPNU
4 p.m. Fairfield vs. No. 6 Alabama
Cara Capuano, Leah Amico SEC Network
Sat, May 16 2 p.m. Game 3 ESPN3
4:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN3
7 p.m. Game 5 ESPN3
Sun, May 17 1 p.m. Game 6 ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 7* ESPNU, SEC Network or ESPN3
Super Regionals (May 21 - 24)
ESPN will televise every game from all eight Super Regionals with complete details announced following the Regional Round.
Women's College World Series (May 28 - June 3)
Date Time (ET) Game Network
Thur, May 28 Noon Women's College World Series: Game 1 ESPN
2:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 2 ESPN
7 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 3 ESPN2
9:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 4 ESPN2
Fri, May 29 7 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 5 ESPN2
9:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 6 ESPN2
Sat, May 30 Noon Women's College World Series: Game 7 ESPN
2:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 8 ESPN
7 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 9 ESPN
9:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 10 ESPN
Sun, May 31 1 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 11 ESPN
3:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 12 ESPN
7 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 13* ESPNU
9:30 p.m. Women's College World Series: Game 14* ESPNU
Mon, June 1 8 p.m. Women's College World Series: Championship Game No. 1 ESPN2
Tues, June 2 8 p.m. Women's College World Series: Championship Game No. 2 ESPN
Wed, June 3 8 p.m. Women's College World Series: Championship Game No. 3* ESPN
* If necessary
Networks are subject to change
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