May 11, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 15th-ranked Arizona State softball team (30-23) earned an at-large bid into the NCAA 64-team field announced Sunday night by the NCAA Committee. The Sun Devils will travel to Austin, Texas as the third-seed and face sixth-seed Southwest Texas State in a first round game on Thursday, May 15 at 3:00 p.m. Central (1:00 p.m. Arizona). This will be Arizona State's 16th NCAA appearance and seventh straight. ASU and SW Texas State meet early this year at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament with the Sun Devils winning 12-8.
Other competitors in the 8-team double-elimination regional include host and top-seed Texas, second-seed Northwestern, fourth-seed Louisiana State, fifth-seed Hawaii, seventh-seed Tennessee Tech and eighth-seed Texas A&M Corpus Christie. Arizona State advanced to last year's College World Series for the second time in the past four years, taking third place, the best finish in school history since the NCAA went to its present format.