For the first time in program history the Western Washington University softball team will host an NCAA Championships event after being announced Monday as the No. 1 seed in the West Region.
Fresh off winning the GNAC Championships title over the weekend on Viking Field, the Vikings take a 42-7 overall record into the NCAA Championships and will host one of the two, four-team tournaments in the West Region. GNAC foe Northwest Nazarene will host the other four-team regional in Nampa, Idaho, marking the first time a GNAC school from the Northwest will serve as a host for an NCAA Softball Championships.
WWU won its third GNAC title over the weekend to earn an automatic bid to the 64-team field. This marks the Vikings sixth trip to regionals and first since 2021.
The Vikings host No. 4 seed Cal State San Marcos, No. 5 Cal State East Bay and No. 8 Azusa Pacific in the three-day, double-elimination tournament that runs Thursday (May 9) through Saturday (May 11). WWU opens tournament play Thursday taking on APU at noon, with CSUSM and CSUEB to follow at 2:30 pm. All games will stream live online at wwuvikings.com/VikingsTV. Tickets for the games will be on sale one hour prior to the start of each game at the box office near Viking Field or online via wwuvikings.com/SB_Tickets.
Northwest Nazarene (#2), Concordia Irvine (#3), Cal State Dominguez Hills (#6) and Saint Martin’s (#7) make up the other half of the West Region bracket. The winner of each sub-regional will meet for a best-of-three super regional May 14-15 (Tuesday-Wednesday) to determine the regional champion and earn a spot in the national championships in Longwood, Florida.
UP NEXT FOR THE VIKINGS
The Vikings (42-7) open the NCAA Championships Thursday as the No. 1 seed taking on No. 8 seed Azusa Pacific with first pitch scheduled for noon at Viking Field. No. 4 Cal State San Marcos will play No. 5 Cal State East Bay at 2:30 pm to conclude the opening day of the Bellingham Sub-Regional. A full tournament bracket with more information will be posted online at WWUVikings.com.
WEST REGIONAL BELLINGHAM BRACKET
WWU will host one of the two sub-regional tournaments in Bellingham at Viking Field, just a week after hosting the GNAC Championships. This marks the first time WWU has hosted an NCAA Softball Championships event. Here is a look at the Bellingham bracket with game times listed. The other side of the West Region bracket will be played in Nampa, Idaho on the campus of Northwest Nazarene University. The winner of each sub-regional advances to the West Super Regional played May 14-15 (best of 3), with the winner advancing to the NCAA II Championship Finals May 19-25 in Longwood, Florida.
2024 NCAA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Host: Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA | All times listed Pacific
Thursday, May 9:
Game 1 – No. 1 Western Washington vs. No. 8 Azusa Pacific, 12:00 pm
Game 2 – No. 4 Cal State San Marcos vs. No. 5 Cal State East Bay, 2:30 pm
Friday, May 10:
Game 3 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 10:00 am
Game 4 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:30 pm (elimination game)
Game 5 – Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 3:00 pm (elimination game)
Saturday, May 11:
Game 6 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 12:00 pm
Game 7 – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 2:30 pm (if necessary)
