NCAA Central Region-1 Bracket
NCAA Central Region-2 Bracket
NCAA II Release

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2009 NCAA Division II Softball Regional Championships and for the fourth straight season Southwest Minnesota State has been selected to play in the NCAA regional.  The NCAA made the announcement early Monday morning.

In a new format this season, four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments to be held May 8-10.  Winners from each of the 16 regional sites will advance to the super regionals May 15-16.  

SMSU is the No. 8 seed in the regional and will play the region's top seed Winona State on May 8 at 1 p.m. in Winona.  No. 4 Wayne State will play No. 5 Minnesota State, Mankato in the other game in the Central Region-1 bracket. 

Metro State is the No. 2 seed and will host the Central Region-2 bracket and play No. 7 seed Mesa State.  No. 3 seed Colorado School Mines will face No. 6 Colorado State-Pueblo in the other first round game. 

SMSU, making its fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance, won the 2009 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season championship and enters the NCAA tournament with an overall record of 32-21.  Winona State is 3-1 versus SMSU this season, including winning twice this past Saturday, May 2, in Marshall at the NSIC Tournament.

The NCAA finals will be held May 21-25 in Salem, Virginia, at the James I. Moyer Sports Complex.

Game Times:
 
Friday:
Game 1: #1 WSU vs. #8 SMSU – 1:00 p.m.
Game 2: #4 Wayne State vs. #5 MSU-Mankato – 3:30 p.m.
 
Saturday:
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 1:00 p.m.
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 – 6:00 p.m.
 
Sunday:       
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 1:00 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 – 3:30 p.m. (if necessary)