49ers Open NCAA's at Fresno
LBSU Makes Fifth Post-Season Trip to Fresno
May 15, 2005 Full 64-Team Tournament Field
Printable Bracket
FRESNO BRACKET (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- The No. 24-ranked Long Beach State Softball team will make its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals (16th overall in program history) at Fresno State, May 19-21 in Fresno, CA. Long Beach State (39-14) will open post-season play vs. Fresno State (41-10) on Thursday, while No. 2 National Seed, California (46-11) will face BYU (44-12) in the nightcap. Long Beach State (No. 3-seed) will play at 6:00 p.m. The second game will be played at 8:30. Ticket Info.
2005 will mark the fifth time that Long Beach State has played an NCAA Regional at Fresno State (2003, 1997, 1996, 1986). LBSU has posted a 5-6 record in NCAA Regional play at Fresno State and won the 1986 Fresno Regional to advance to the College World Series. Long Beach State is 20-24 overall in post-season play.
The 49ers have won 22 of their last 24 games heading into post-season play.
Michigan was named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship when the NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced the 64-team field. The Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, are 55-4 and will open play in Friday, May 20, against Canisius in front of a home crowd in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Twenty-eight conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 36 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites this weekend.
Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition, when possible.
The Pacific 10 and Big 12 led all conferences with eight teams in the championship, while the Southeastern Conference placed six teams. Fresno State remains the only team to be selected to all 24 championships.
Eight teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: Albany (New York), Central Florida, College of Charleston, Loyola Marymount, Miami (Ohio), Robert Morris, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Only seven schools have been crowned champion, all of which are in this year's bracket, including two-time defending champion UCLA.
Regional No. 2 - May 19-21 at Fresno, California
*Fresno State (41-10) vs. Long Beach State (39-14)
Brigham Young (44-12) vs. No. 2 California (46-11) |
