Softball Earns First NCAA Tournament Bid
May 16, 2004 | Softball
May 16, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - The University of Louisville softball team earned an at-large bid to the 2004 NCAA tournament. It marks the first time the fifth-year program has made an NCAA appearance. U of L (40-17) will travel to Los Angeles to play Missouri (27-24) Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. (EDT). The winner of that game will face the winner of the UCLA/Mississippi Valley matchup.
"We are very excited to have our first opportunity to participate in the NCAA regionals," said Louisville head coach Sandy Pearsall. "To have our young program come this far is a tribute to the hard work the players put in and heart they have shown throughout the year."
Each regional field will feature eight teams, playing a double-elimination format. All regional games are scheduled to be conducted Thursday, May 20, through Sunday, May 23. Site selections were based on geographic location, quality of facilities and quality of the experience for the student-athletes, including attendance history. Host institutions are not guaranteed a bid to the tournament.
Twenty-six Division I conferences receive an automatic berth in the field of 64, along with 38 at-large selections. The 23rd Women's College World Series begins play Thursday, May 27, at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
