NKU will return to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season.
Complete NCAA Tournament field
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team has earned an at-large berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament, and the Norse will open play as the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Regional to be played at Ashland, Ohio.
NKU (34-18) will open regional tournament play on Friday against Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament champion and No. 3 seed Lewis (37-15). First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The game will mark the fifth meeting between the teams this season, which met twice in the GLVC Tournament this past weekend.
Ashland is the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region and the host for the four-team double-elimination tournament. The Eagles will take on No. 7 seed Tiffin in opening-round action at noon.
It marks the second consecutive year that the Norse have advanced to NCAA Tournament play, and the first at-large bid NKU has received since 2006.
Wayne State (Mich.) will host Quincy, Indianapolis and Saginaw Valley State in the other half of the Midwest Regional bracket. The winners of each bracket will advance to a best-of-three Super Regional series on May 21-22.
Last season, NKU opened regional play with a 3-0 win over Ferris State. The Norse then dropped a heartbreaking 13-inning decision to Saginaw Valley State before being eliminated by Ferris State.
