Most Extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship Coverage Ever Begins May 15
ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 & ESPN360.com to Present Up to 48 Games, Including All Eight Super Regional Sites for First Time; John Kruk Among Returning Analysts
ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to provide the most extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship coverage ever with up to 48 games May 15 to June 3. For the first time, the schedule will include every game from each of the eight Super Regional sites, an increase from six last year. For the second consecutive year, ESPN analyst John Kruk will provide game analysis during the Women’s College World Series.
Coverage will begin Friday, May 15 with a Regional doubleheader from Tempe, Ariz. on ESPNU: Cal State-Fullerton vs. LSU at 5:30 p.m. ET and San Diego State vs. Arizona State at 7:30 p.m. ESPNU and ESPNU HD – ESPNU’s high definition service — will televise every game from the Tempe Regional. Highlights:
- A record 48 scheduled games will be offered across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com, including all possible 24 Super Regional and 17 Women’s College World Series contests.
- ESPNU and ESPNU HD will televise a complete best-of-seven Regional series May 15-17. Each Regional winner will advance to the Super Regionals.
- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com will combine to televise every game from the eight best-of-three Super Regional series May 21-24. On up to three occasions, ESPN will feature two games in one window and whip-around to the best action from both games for viewers in most of the nation (except in the home market of the competing teams where the game of local interest will be the primary telecast). It will mark the second time ESPN has offered whip-around coverage during its softball telecasts. Each Super Regional winner will advance to the Women’s College World Series.
- ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will combine to televise every Women’s College World Series game, including in high definition on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, May 28 to June 3. It will mark ESPN’s 28th consecutive year covering the event and the eighth season the networks will combine to televise every game.
- ESPN360.com — ESPN’s signature live, sports broadband network – will simulcast every ESPN and ESPN2 telecast.
- ESPN International will provide coverage of the Women’s College World Series in 103 countries and territories on ESPN Pacific Rim, ESPN Africa, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Israel and ESPN Caribbean.
- The networks will utilize two announce teams on the Women’s College World Series, each featuring U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winners as analysts. Beth Mowins will call play-by-play with analysts Jessica Mendoza, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist, and John Kruk, who primarily serves as a Major League Baseball studio analyst. Pam Ward will call play-by-play with analyst Michele Smith, a two-time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist (2000 and 1996). Holly Rowe will serve as the field reporter on every telecast.
- Regional action will be called by Mowins with Mendoza and Smith while the Super Regional commentators include Mowins, Ward, Clay Matvick, Eric Collins, Cara Capuano, Justin Kutcher, Mike Gleason and Bob Wischusen working play-by-play and Mendoza, Smith, Cindy Bristow, Leah Amico, Cheri Kempf, Karen Johns, Jennie Ritter and Amanda Scarborough as analysts.
- NCAA Softball Regional Presented on ESPNU by Capital One
5/15 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Cal State-Fullerton vs. LSU (Tempe, Ariz.) | 1 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza |
7:30 p.m. | ESPNU | San Diego State vs. Arizona State (Tempe, Ariz.) | 2 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza | |
5/16 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU | TBA (Tempe, Ariz.) | 3 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza |
8 p.m. | ESPNU | TBA (Tempe, Ariz.) | 4 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza | |
10:30 p.m. | ESPNU | TBA (Tempe, Ariz.) | 5 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza | |
5/17 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPNU | TBA (Tempe, Ariz.) | 6 | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza |
7:30 p.m. | ESPNU | TBA (Tempe, Ariz.) | 7* | Mowins, Smith and Mendoza |
5/21 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 1 | 1 |
9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 2 | 1 | |
5/22 | 2 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPNU / ESPN360.com | Site 3 | 1 |
4:30 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 1 | 2 | |
6:30 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 1 | 3 * + | |
7 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 4 | 1 | |
8 p.m. % | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 5 | 1 | |
8:30 p.m. % | Site 2 | 2 | ||
11 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 2 | 3 * | |
5/23 | noon % | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 3 | 2 |
Site 6 | 1 | |||
2 p.m. % | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 3 | 3 * | |
2:30 p.m. % | Site 5 | 2 | ||
4:30 p.m. | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 5 | 3 * ~ | |
4:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 4 | 2 | |
6:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 4 | 3 * | |
8 p.m. | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 8 | 1 | |
9:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 7 | 1 | |
5/24 | 1 p.m. | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 6 | 2 |
3 p.m. | ESPN / ESPN360.com | Site 6 | 3 * # | |
3:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 7 | 2 | |
5:30 p.m. | ESPNU | Site 7 | 3 * ^ | |
6 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 8 | 2 | |
8 p.m. | ESPN2 / ESPN360.com | Site 8 | 3 * |
5/28 | 1 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 1 | Ward, Smith, Rowe |
3 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 2 | Ward, Smith, Rowe | |
7 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 3 | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
9 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 4 | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
5/29 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner | Ward, Smith, Rowe |
9 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
5/30 | noon | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | Ward, Smith, Rowe |
2 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser | Ward, Smith, Rowe | |
7 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 6 loser vs. Game 7 winner | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
9 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 5 loser vs. Game 8 winner | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
5/31 | 1 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 5 winner vs. Game 9 winner | Ward, Smith, Rowe |
3 p.m. | ESPN HD/ESPN360.com | Game 6 winner vs. Game 10 winner | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
7 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Game 13* – If Necessary | Ward, Smith, Rowe | |
9 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Game 14* – If Necessary | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Rowe | |
6/1 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Championship – Game 1 | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe |
6/2 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Championship – Game 2 | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe |
6/3 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 HD/ESPN360.com | Championship – Game 3* | Mowins, Mendoza, Kruk, Smith, Rowe |
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