Let the “Mayhem” begin.
The 2023 NCAA Division I softball tournament kicked off Friday with 64 teams eyeing the ultimate prize – a trip to the Women’s Colllege World Series in Oklahoma City.
Sixteen teams are hosting double-elimination regionals this weekend, and the top eight teams will host best-of-three super regionals the following weekend. Those winners will advance to the double-elimination WCWS, beginning June 1, until only two teams remain to battle in the championship series, June 7-9.
After another absolutely dominant season, Oklahoma earned the No. 1 overall seed for the fourth consecutive NCAA tournament and fifth time since 2007. The Sooners have won the past two Women’s Colllege World Series and have six titles overall since 2000.
Oklahoma (51-1) comes into the postseason on a 43-game winning streak, the second-longest in NCAA history. Arizona holds the record with 47 consecutive wins in 1996-97.
UCLA (52-5) earned the No. 2 overall seed and will seek to add to its record 12 national championships. The Bruins, who won the first-ever NCAA softball tournament in 1982, are the only program to have won at least one softball championship in each of the first four decades.
Here is everything you need to know for the 2023 NCAA Division I softball tournament:
Who are the top 16 seeds?
- No. 1 Oklahoma (51-1)
- No. 2 UCLA (52-5)
- No. 3 Florida State (50-8)
- No. 4 Tennessee (44-8)
- No. 5 Alabama (40-18)
- No. 6 Oklahoma State (41-14)
- No. 7 Washington (38-12)
- No. 8 Duke (45-10)
- No. 9 Stanford (40-13)
- No. 10 LSU (40-15)
- No. 11 Arkansas (38-17)
- No. 12 Northwestern (38-11)
- No. 13 Texas (42-13-1)
- No. 14 Georgia (39-13)
- No. 15 Utah (37-13)
- No. 16 Clemson (46-9)
When are the dates for regionals?
Regionals run from Friday, May 19 through Sunday, May 21 at 16 host schools. All times below are Eastern.
Norman, Oklahoma Regional
Friday
No. 1 Oklahoma vs. Hofstra, 5 p.m. ET (ESPNU)
Missouri vs. California, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), 4:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Regional
Friday
No. 2 UCLA vs. Grand Canyon, 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
San Diego State vs. Liberty, 11 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Tallahassee, Florida Regional
Friday
No. 3 Florida State vs. Marist, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Central Florida vs. South Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Knoxville, Tennessee Regional
Friday
Louisville vs. Indiana, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Tennessee vs. Northern Kentucky, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Tuscaloosa, Alabama Regional
Friday
Middle Tennessee vs. Central Arkansas, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
No. 5 Alabama vs. Long Island University, 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Stillwater, Oklahoma Regional
Friday
No. 6 Oklahoma State vs. Maryland-Baltimore County, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
Nebraska vs. Wichita State, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, May 20
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 3 p.m.
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, 8 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), 6:30 p.m.
Seattle Regional
Friday
Minnesota vs. McNeese State, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
No. 7 Washington vs. Northern Colorado, 9 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Durham, North Carolina Regional
Friday
No. 8 Duke vs. George Mason, Noon (ACC Network)
Campbell vs. Charlotte, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Stanford, California Regional
Friday
Florida vs. Loyola Marymount, 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
No. 9 Stanford vs. Long Beach State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Regional
Friday
Omaha vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
No. 10 LSU vs. Prairie View A&M, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Fayetteville, Arkansas Regional
Friday
Oregon vs. Notre Dame, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 11 Arkansas vs. Harvard, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Evanston, Illinois Regional
Friday
Kentucky vs. Miami (Ohio), 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
No. 12 Northwestern vs. Eastern Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Austin, Texas Regional
Friday
No. 13 Texas vs. Seton Hall, 5 p.m. (Longhorn Network)
Texas State vs. Texas A&M, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Athens, Georgia Regional
Friday
Virginia Tech vs. Boston University, 2 p.m. (ACC Network)
No. 14 Georgia vs. North Carolina Central, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Salt Lake City Regional
Friday
Mississippi vs. Baylor, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 15 Utah vs. Southern Illinois, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
Clemson, South Carolina Regional
Friday
No. 16 Clemson vs. UNC-Greensboro, 3 p.m. (ESPNU)
Cal State-Fullerton vs. Auburn, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday
Game 3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, TBA
Game 4: G1 loser vs. G2 loser, TBA
Game 5: G3 loser vs. G4 winner, TBA
Sunday
Game 6: G3 winner vs. G5 winner, TBA
Game 7: G6 winner vs. G6 loser (if necessary), TBA
What are the dates for the super regionals?
Super regionals, which will will be held either May 25-27 or May 26-28, feature the 16 teams that won regionals the weekend before.
What is the schedule for Women’s College World Series
The eight-team Women’s Colllege World Series, featuring the eight super regional winners, begins Thursday, June 1 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The best-of-three championship series begins Wednesday, June 7.
Contributing: The Oklahoman
