The Sun Devils will begin their postseason run Friday night with a 4 p.m. PT matchup against North Carolina. Friday's game is scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN with Eric Collins and Amanda Scarborough on the call.
LEADING OFF:
• The 22nd-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils will hit the road this weekend to begin postseason play at the 2017 Oxford Regional, hosted by Ole Miss University, May 19-21.
• The Sun Devils will be making their 13th-straight postseason appearance, after finishing the 2017 regular season with a 30-20 record, including a 9-15 mark in Pac-12 play.
• With the trip to Oxford, ASU will be making their third-straight trip to SEC country to begin the NCAA tournament, having played at LSU each of the last two seasons. Overall, ASU has a record of 4-4 the past two season in regional play.
• ASU will be looking to make it out of Regional play for the first time since advancing out of the 2013 Tempe Regional. The last time the Sun Devils have advanced out of a road regional was during the 2010 season when the team advanced through the Amherst Regional, before eventually falling to Florida in the Gainsville Super Regional.
• With ASU's selection to the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Trisha Ford joins an impressive list of current Pac-12 head Ccaches who made the NCAA Tournament in their first year with their current team. The who's who of Pac-12 coaches to reach the postseason in their first year as a head coach at their respective university includes, Diane Ninemire (California), Mike White (Oregon), Laura Berg (Oregon State), Kelly Inouye-Perez (UCLA) and Heather Tarr (Washington).
• ASU checked in at No. 22 in this week's NFCA Poll, marking the 13th-straight week that the Sun Devils have appeared in the poll.
SCOUTING THE REGIONAL:North Carolina
The Tar Heels enter the 2017 postseason having earned an at-large bid after posting a 38-19 record during the 2017 season. UNC made a late push in the season, advancing all the way to the 2017 ACC Championship Final where they fell to No. 1 seed, Florida State.
The Tar Heels are no stranger to postseason play, as the selection to the Oxford Regional marks the 14th berth to the NCAA Tournament, and third straight season to compete in postseason play.
While familiar with postseason, the same can't be said for playing the Sun Devils. UNC and ASU have met just six times, with the Sun Devils holding an undefeated record. The last meeting between the two teams came in 2013 when ASU defeated the Tar Heels, 7-4.
Ole Miss
Following its first SEC Tournament Championship, No. 11 Ole Miss earned an automatic bid and received a national seed for the first time in program history. The Rebels enter post season play boasting a 40-18 overall record, including a 10-14 record in the SEC.
The Rebels fought their way to a national seed through a crowded SEC Championship run that included wins over rival Mississippi State (2-1), a shutout win over No. 1 Florida (2-0), a narrow victory over No. 15 Alabama (4-1) and a triumph over No. 6 LSU (5-1).
Ole Miss and Arizona State will meet for the fourth time this weekend, with ASU entering the Regional holding a 3-0 record All-Time against the Rebels.
Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois earned an automatic bid to the 2017 NCAA postseason by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. The NCAA Postseason appearance this season is the team's 11th NCAA tournament appearance in program history, following their first conference title since 1991.
The Salukis ended the 2017 season with a 33-22 overall record, their second straight 30-win season, including a 15-10 conference record. SIU has proven they can compete with anyone in the nation, as they enter postseason play with one no-hitter, nine shutouts, 248 strikeouts, 44 stolen bases and 37 home runs on the season.
The Saluki will look to advance through Regional play for the first time in program history. SIU has, to this point in their decorated softball history, not bested their second place finish from the 2002 Tuscaloosa Regional.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:Game 1: Friday - Arizona State vs. North Carolina | 6 p.m. | ESPN
Game 2: Friday - Southern Illinois vs. Ole Miss | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN3
Game 3: Saturday - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 | 1:30 p.m. | TBA
Game 4: Saturday - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 | 4 p.m. | TBA
Game 5: Saturday - Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 | 6:30 p.m. | TBA
Game 6: Sunday - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 | 1:30 p.m. | TBA
Game 7: Sunday - Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 | 4 p.m. | TBA