#1 National Seed

Tuscaloosa Regional

2026 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament · Regional Round

#1 Seed·Tuscaloosa Regional

Murphy's Tide Cruises Through Bama Soil

Our Pick

Alabama

LOCK

Patrick Murphy's #1 overall seed brings Jocelyn Briski (SEC Pitcher of the Year) and Erickson's 20-HR power to Rhoads Stadium. SE Louisiana owns a 1.65 team ERA and 16 shutouts (nation-leading) — but Alabama's run differential is too steep, and Belmont/USC Upstate aren't built to crack the host's staff.

AlabamaFAVORITE

BatJocelyn Erickson — .402 BA, 20 HR, 71 RBI

CircleJocelyn Briski — SEC Pitcher of the Year

Southeast LouisianaTHREAT

BatKa'Lyn Watson — .364 BA, .457 in SLC play

CircleMacie LaRue — Staff 1.65 ERA, 16 SHO (best in D1)

Won first-ever Southland regular-season title at 24-3.

BelmontDARK HORSE

BatMadison Dolecki — 33 RBI

CircleMaya Johnson — MVC Pitcher of the Year

Back-to-back MVC tournament champs.

USC UpstateEASY OUT

Big South three-peat, but no top-tier individual stats reported.

X-Factor

Whether SE Louisiana's nation-leading staff ERA holds up against Alabama's lineup early. If not, it's chalk on Sunday.

National Seed

Host

Alabama

City

Tuscaloosa, AL

Dates

May 15-17, 2026

Format

4-team double-elim

Bracket

Friday's first-round matchups

Game 1 — Fri 12:00 PM ET

Game 2 — Fri 2:30 PM ET

Winners meet Saturday at 2:30 PM ET. Losers play an elimination game at 12:00 PM ET. Regional championship Sunday at 12:00 PM ET, with an if-necessary game at 2:30 PM ET.

Schedule

All times Eastern

Game	Date	Time	Matchup	TV
Game 1	Fri, May 15	12:00 PM ET	#1 Alabama vs #4 USC Upstate	ESPN+
Game 2	Fri, May 15	2:30 PM ET	#2 Southeast Louisiana vs #3 Belmont	ESPN+
Game 3	Sat, May 16	12:00 PM ET	Loser G1 vs Loser G2 (Elimination)	ESPN+
Game 4	Sat, May 16	2:30 PM ET	Winner G1 vs Winner G2	ESPN+
Game 5	Sat, May 16	5:00 PM ET	Winner G3 vs Loser G4 (Elimination)	ESPN+
Game 6	Sun, May 17	12:00 PM ET	Regional Championship	ESPN2
Game 7	Sun, May 17	2:30 PM ET	Regional Championship (if necessary)	ESPN2

Path Forward

Super Regional pairing

The Tuscaloosa Regional winner advances to face the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional (#1 vs #16) in the Super Regional round May 21-24, hosted at the higher national seed (Alabama). Super Regionals are best-of-three; the winner advances to the Women’s College World Series at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, May 28 - June 5.

About the Host

Alabama

Alabama hosts the Tuscaloosa Regional in Tuscaloosa, AL as the #1 national seed of the 2026 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament. Hosting rights are awarded to the top 16 seeds, and the Alabama program earned its bid on the strength of its regular-season resume.

All games at this regional are played at the Alabama home softball venue, with first pitch on Friday, May 15 and the championship round on Sunday, May 17.