ESPN Front Row: Despite cancer battle, Rowe contributes to ESPN’s Softball #MAYhem coverage
- Up to 84 Games from 12 Campus Sites in Regional Round; Bases Loaded Returns
- All Eight Super Regionals, Entire Women’s College World Series Televised
- Two-Time Defending National Champion and No. 1 Seed Florida Gators Host Regional
ESPN is the home of the 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship presented by Capital One beginning with the Regional round (May 19-22), continuing with exclusive coverage of the Super Regionals (May 26-29) and the Women’s College World Series (June 2 – June 8) in Oklahoma City, Okla. The 2016 NCAA Softball Championship marks the 16th consecutive year ESPN has televised the entire Women’s College World Series and the 10th consecutive year it has televised every game of the Super Regionals.
Industry-Leading Regional Round Coverage
For the second consecutive year, ESPN’s NCAA Softball Championship Regional round coverage will total as many as 84 games from 12 campus sites across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, Longhorn Network, ESPN3 and SEC Network +, the most sites and games ESPN has ever covered in the tournament’s first weekend.
The Florida Gators are the No. 1 seed coming off their back-to-back National Championships and will host the Gainesville Regional. Overall, ESPN’s regional round coverage will feature eight of the top 10 seeds including No. 3 Oklahoma (Norman Regional), No. 4 Auburn (Auburn Regional), No. 5 Oregon (Eugene Regional), No. 6 Alabama (Tuscaloosa Regional), No. 8 Florida State (Tallahassee Regional), No. 9 Kentucky (Lexington Regional) and No. 10 LSU (Baton Rouge Regional). Additionally, No. 13 Tennessee (Knoxville Regional), No. 14 Louisiana-Lafayette (Lafayette Regional), No. 15 Missouri (Columbia Regional), and No. 16 Georgia (Athens Regional) will also be covered. All Regionals begin on Friday, May 20, except Columbia which begins Thursday, May 19.
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
Bases Loaded Returns
For the second consecutive year, ESPN’s NCAA Softball Championship Regional Round coverage is supplemented with a Bases Loaded viewing option, providing 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 will be seen on the channel previously designated as ESPN Goal Line, with ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU also airing it throughout the weekend.
The Bases Loaded concept had first been used for the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship before being utilized for the Softball Championship last season. This year, the concept was also used on SEC Network during ESPN’s record-setting regular season softball coverage, to showcase every team in the Southeastern Conference the closing weekend of conference play.
Bases Loaded Programming Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 1 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Bases Loaded*** |
| 4 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. | ESPN2 and ESPNU | |
| Sat, May 21 | Noon – 10 p.m. | ESPN Goal Line*** |
| 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | ESPN and ESPN2 | |
| 4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. | ESPN and ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| 9:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sun, May 22 | Noon – 9:30 p.m. | Bases Loaded*** |
| 2 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | ESPN | |
| 6:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
***previously designated as ESPN Goal Line
Networks and times are subject to change
espnW.com
espnW will have wide-ranging coverage of the entire 2016 NCAA Softball Championship hosted on its softball index. Highlights include:
- Comprehensive Recaps:Graham Hays will provide daily recaps and analysis from the Regionals, Super Regionals and the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.
- Contender Previews: Jessica Mendoza reveals her favorite things about several Women’s College World Series contenders in a new video series.
- The espnW Player of the Year: This week, espnW will reveal its 2016 Player of the Year.
- Schedules and Results: All the scores and information to be found here.
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 include 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– Auburn 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)
- Danielle Lawrie – Eugene Regional
- College: Washington
- Honors: National Champion (2009), All-American, and played for Canadian National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- Cheri Kempf – Columbia Regional
- College: Missouri Western State
- Honors: National Champion, National MVP and played on USA National Team that won the World Cup (1992)
- 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 – Gainesville Regional
- College: Michigan
- Honors: National Championship (2005), played for USA National Team (2007) in the World Cup and Pan American games
- Leigh Ross – Tallahassee Regional
- College: Toledo
- Honors: Led the Rockets to the WCWS; holds the MAC record for batting average and hits. Former head coach at Bowling Green and Syracuse
- Amanda Scarborough– Lafayette 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– Knoxville Regional
- College: Oklahoma State
- Honors: Two-time All-American, two time Olympic Gold Medalist (1996, ’00) and eight time Japan Pro League MVP
Texas Teamcast: NCAA Softball Regionals on Longhorn Network
Longhorn Network will present an alternate presentation – Texas Teamcast: NCAA Softball Regionals – for Texas’ first game vs. Texas A&M in the Lafayette Regional on Friday, May 20, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Tyler Denning will call the play-by-play along with analyst Megan Willis, a 2007 Texas graduate and former Longhorn catcher.
Additionally, if Texas plays at noon ET on Saturday, May 21, or advances to Sunday, May 22, Texas Teamcast: NCAA Softball Regionals programming will continue as an alternate viewing option on LHN.
A full schedule of the Lafayette Regional is below.
2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Field
The 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship field was unveiled during ESPNU’s NCAA Softball Championship Selection Show presented by Capital One on Sunday, May 15. The SEC received the most bids (11), for the second consecutive year, followed by the Pac-12 (8). Five teams are making their first appearance in the tournament: Alabama State, Butler, California State, Bakersfield, Mississippi and Samford. Interestingly, only 12 schools have been crowned the NCAA Division I softball champion since the tournament started in 1982, and all 12 will compete in this year’s bracket. The complete 64-team bracket can be seen here.
ESPN’s 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Television Schedule
Regional Round (May 19 – May 22)
Please Note: All games from the 12 regionals below will be shown on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ESPN3, SEC Network + or Longhorn Network. If network is designated as TBD, please check espnW’s schedule and results page for updated schedule listings.
Columbia Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Thur, May 19 | 5:30 p.m. | Louisville vs. Nebraska Pam Ward, Cheri Kempf |
ESPN2 |
| 8 p.m. | BYU vs. No. 15 Missouri Pam Ward, Cheri Kempf |
ESPN2 | |
| Fri, May 20 | 2 p.m. | Game 3 | ESPNU |
| 4:30 p.m. | Game 4 | ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 5 | ESPN | |
| Sat, May 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Gainesville Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | Noon | Florida Atlantic vs. UCF Trey Bender, Jennie Ritter |
ESPNU |
| 2:30 p.m. | Alabama State vs. No. 1 Florida Trey Bender, Jennie Ritter |
SEC Network and ESPN3 | |
| Sat, May 21 | Noon | Game 3 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 5 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | Noon | Game 6 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Tallahassee Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | Noon | South Carolina vs. South Florida Melissa Lee, Leah Ross |
SEC Network and ESPN3 |
| 2:30 p.m. | Florida A&M vs. No. 8 Florida State Melissa Lee, Leah Ross |
ESPN3 | |
| Sat, May 21 | Noon | Game 3 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 5 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | Noon | Game 6 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Tuscaloosa Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 2:30 p.m. | Texas State vs. California Cara Capuano, Leah Amico |
ESPN3 |
| 5 p.m. | Samford vs. No. 6 Alabama Cara Capuano, Leah Amico |
SEC Network and ESPN3 | |
| Sat, May 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 3 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Knoxville Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 4:30 p.m. | Ohio State vs. Arizona Beth Mowins, Michele Smith |
ESPNU |
| 7 p.m. | Marist vs. No. 13 Tennessee Beth Mowins, Michele Smith |
ESPN2 | |
| Sat, May 21 | Noon | Game 3 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 5 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | Noon | Game 6 | TBD |
Auburn Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 4:30 p.m. | USC Upstate vs. Oregon State Tiffany Greene, Jenny Dalton-Hill |
ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | Jacksonville State vs. No. 4 Auburn Tiffany Greene, Jenny Dalton-Hill |
ESPN3 | |
| Sat, May 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 3 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Lafayette Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 4:30 p.m. | Texas vs. Texas A&M Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough |
ESPN2 and Longhorn Network** |
| 7 p.m. | Boston University vs. No. 14 Louisiana-Lafayette Adam Amin, Amanda Scarborough |
ESPNU | |
| Sat, May 21 | noon | Game 3 | TBD |
| 2:30 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 5 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | 4:30 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 7 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
**Longhorn Network’s alternate presentation: Texas Teamcast.
Norman Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 6:30 p.m. | Tulsa vs. Ole Miss Jenn Hildreth, Carol Bruggeman |
ESPN3 |
| 9 p.m. | Wichita Stare vs. No. 3 Oklahoma Jenn Hildreth, Carol Bruggeman |
ESPN | |
| Sat, May 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Game 3 | TBD |
| 5 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Game 5 | TBD | |
| Sun, May 22 | 4:30 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 7 p.m. | Game 7* | TBD |
Eugene Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 9 p.m. | Long Beach State vs. Baylor Mark Neely, Danielle Lawrie |
ESPN2 |
| 11:30 p.m. | Fordham vs. No. 5 Oregon Mark Neely, Danielle Lawrie |
ESPN2 | |
| Sat, May 21 | 5 p.m. | Game 3 | TBD |
| 7:30 p.m. | Game 4 | TBD | |
| 10 p.m. | Game 5 | ESPN2 | |
| Sun, May 22 | 7 p.m. | Game 6 | TBD |
| 9:30 p.m. | Game 7* | ESPN2 |
Athens Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 1 p.m. | Northwestern vs. Oklahoma State | ESPN3 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Maine vs. No. 16 Georgia | SEC Network + | |
| Sat, May 21 | 1 p.m. | Game 3 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
| 3:30 p.m. | Game 4 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + | |
| 6:00 p.m. | Game 5 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + | |
| Sun, May 22 | 1 p.m. | Game 6 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
| 3:30 p.m. | Game 7* | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
Baton Rouge Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 4 p.m. | McNeese State vs. Arizona State | ESPN3 |
| 7 p.m. | LIU Brooklyn vs. No. 10 LSU | ESPN3 | |
| Sat, May 21 | 1 p.m. | Game 3 | ESPN3 |
| 4 p.m. | Game 4 | ESPN3 | |
| 7 p.m. | Game 5 | ESPN3 | |
| Sun, May 22 | 2 p.m. | Game 6 | ESPN3 |
| 5 p.m. | Game 7* | ESPN3 |
Lexington Regional
| Date | Time (ET) | Game/Commentators | Network |
| Fri, May 20 | 3:30 p.m. | Illinois vs. Utah | ESPN3 |
| 6 p.m. | Butler vs. No. 9 Kentucky | SEC Network + | |
| Sat, May 21 | 1 p.m. | Game 3 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
| 3:30 p.m. | Game 4 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + | |
| 6 p.m. | Game 5 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + | |
| Sun, May 22 | 1 p.m. | Game 6 | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
| 3:30 p.m. | Game 7* | ESPN3 or SEC Network + |
Super Regionals (May 26 – 29)
ESPN will televise every game from all eight Super Regionals with complete details announced following the Regional Round.
Women’s College World Series (June 2 – June 8)
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Network |
| Thu, June 2 | 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, June 3 | 7 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Game 5 | ESPN2 |
| 9:30 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Game 6 | ESPN2 | |
| Sat, June 4 | 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 | ESPN2 | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Game 10 | ESPN2 | |
| Sun, June 5 | 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* | ESPN2 | |
| 9:30 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Game 14* | ESPN2 | |
| Mon, June 6 | 8 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Championship Game No. 1 | ESPN |
| Tues, June 7 | 8 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Championship Game No. 2 | ESPN |
| Wed, June 8 | 7 p.m. | Women’s College World Series: Championship Game No. 3* | ESPN |
* If necessary
Networks and times are subject to change
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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; Derek.Volner@ESPN.com and @DerekVolner
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