The Missouri Tiger softball team will serve as one of 16 NCAA Regional hosts next weekend, announced Sunday evening by the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Committee. This marks the fourth straight year, and sixth year overall, that Mizzou has hosted the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Tigers take the No. 9 overall seed in the bracket and are the top seed in the Columbia Regional. Missouri took second in the Big 12 this season, finishing 17-7 in the league, and enter postseason play with a 43-12 overall mark. Also in the bracket are Massachusetts (38-11, 19-0 Atlantic-10), DePaul (35-20, 14-8 Big East) and Illinois State (35-21, 18-8 MVC). Mizzou will open play on Friday, May 18 against Illinois State, the No. 4 seed in the Regional.
Mizzou has won the NCAA Regional title each of the last four seasons and have won seven overall. Last year, the Tigers dropped game two to the Blue Demons, but rallied off three straight victories to move on to the Super Regional round, and eventually the Women’s College World Series.