May 14, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS - The Massachusetts softball team will open play in the 2012 NCAA Tournament at the Columbia Regional beginning on Friday, as announced by the NCAA on Sunday night.

UMass (38-11) will face DePaul (35-20) in the first round. No. 9 national seed and host Missouri will play Illinois State in the other first round game. All games in the double-elimination event will be played at University Field on the MU campus.

The Minutewomen are making their 21st tournament appearance with a 32-41 all-time record. UMass has advanced to one super regional (2006) and three Women's College World Series (1992, 97, 98) in program history.

UMass has participated in the NCAA Tournament in 16 of the last 17 years after missing out on the event last year.

After winning the Atlantic 10 Championship in St. Louis over the weekend, the Minutewomen will make the two-hour trip west on Interstate 70 to Columbia later this week.

The winner of the Columbia, Mo. Regional will take on the winner of the College Station, Texas Regional. The teams in that region include host Texas A&M, Bethune-Cookman, Texas State and LSU.