Softball Set for NCAA Regional
May 18, 2004 | Softball
May 18, 2004
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville softball team is set to travel to Los Angeles after receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championship's 64 team field for the first time in the softball program's five year history. The Cardinals earned a No. 4 seed in Region 2, hosted by UCLA. They will play fifth-seeded Missouri Thursday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. EDT) in the first round of regional action. The winner of that game will go on to face the winner of top-seeded UCLA and No. 8 Mississippi Valley.
U of L stands at a program-best 40-17 record and is led at the plate by C-USA Freshman of the Year Audrey Rendon who holds a .417 batting average. Junior Aja Sherman (15-6) has a team-leading 1.39 ERA and has three no-hitters and a perfect game to her credit this season.
Missouri (27-24) is coming off of a second place finish in the Big 12 softball championship and is making its ninth NCAA Regional Championship appearance.
Louisville holds a 3-0 lead in the series against Missouri. The teams faced each other in 2000, U of L's inaugural season, with the Cardinals picking up an 8-2 win over the Tigers to register the program's second win. The Cards participated in the 2002 Missouri Softball Classic and defeated the Tigers 3-2 on the opening day. Louisville edged Missouri 3-2 in eight innings in the tournament championship game.
"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."
NCAA Region No. 2 Seedings*No. 1 seed UCLA (39-9)No. 2 seed Alabama (42-18)No. 3 seed Long Beach State (48-11)No. 4 seed Louisville (40-17)No. 5 seed Missouri (27-24)No. 6 seed Cornell (39-11)No. 7 seed Central Michigan (32-17)No. 8 seed Mississippi Valley (31-13)* - host institution
