Western New England Will Open NCAA Tournament Against No. 25 Amherst in Regional Round on Friday
NCAA DIII Softball Bracket | NCAA Release/Selection Show
Four-team pod also features host Williams and Husson
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 7, 2018) – The Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) champion Western New England University softball team will open the NCAA Tournament against No. 25 Amherst College when the double elimination regional round gets underway on Friday, May 11th at Cole Field on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.
Williams will serve as host of the four-team pod, which also features Husson University in addition to Western New England and Amherst. The NCAA announced the 62-team field during a selection show on Monday afternoon.
The Golden Bears claimed their second CCC title on Saturday with an 8-4, comeback win over Endicott College to cap a 4-0 run through the CCC Tournament.
A seven-time conference champion (2x CCC, 5x GNAC), Western New England will be making its seventh all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Bears advanced all the way to the final eight in 2003 after winning the New England Regional Championship.
Amherst, which received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after bowing out in the NESCAC semifinals, will be making its fifth all-time appearance on the national stage.
No. 22 Williams, which won the NESCAC title, will be making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and eighth overall. Husson, the NAC champion, is also set to make its eighth NCAA appearance.
The NCAA Tournament regional round will be held May 11-13. Four teams will compete at 14 regional sites and three teams will compete at two regional sites. The team advancing from each regional will compete in the super regional round May 18 and 19. The finals, hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma and the Oklahoma City All-Sports Association, will be held May 24-29 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All rounds will use a double-elimination format.
