Saluki softball placed in Oxford regional for NCAA tournament

Salukis+react+as+junior+utility+Savannah+Fisher+fouls+off+a+pitch+Wednesday%2C+March+29%2C+2017%2C+during+the+Salukis+4-0+loss+to+SIUE+at+Charlotte+West+Stadium.+%28Morgan+Timms+%7C+%40Morgan_Timms%29

Morgan Timms

Salukis react as junior utility Savannah Fisher fouls off a pitch Wednesday, March 29, 2017, during the Salukis’ 4-0 loss to SIUE at Charlotte West Stadium. (Morgan Timms | @Morgan_Timms)

By Sean Carley

The path is now set for Southern softball to get to the Women’s College World Series.

SIU on Sunday night was named the No. 4 seed in the Oxford regional hosted by Ole Miss and will be joined by Arizona State and North Carolina.

Arizona State (30-20) earned an at-large bid out of the Pacific-12 Conference and North Carolina (38-19) earned an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

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The regional will take place Friday through Sunday at Ole Miss Softball Complex. SIU’s first game will be against the hosts on Friday. NCAA regionals are double-elimination tournaments, with each regional winner moving on to a best-of-three super regional. The eight super regional winners

NCAA regionals are double-elimination tournaments, with each regional winner moving on to a best-of-three super regional. The eight super regional winners will then move on to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

SIU earned an automatic bid by virtue of winning the Missouri Valley tournament championship Saturday, beating Northern Iowa in the final.

This will be the Salukis’ first NCAA bid since it hosted a regional in 2007. SIU’s best ever showing in the NCAA tournament came in 1971 when the team finished in fourth place at the Women’s College World Series.

Sports reporter Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @SeanMCarley.

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