MADISON – For the first time since 2022, the Wisconsin Badgers will be competing in the NCAA softball tournament.
The Badgers earned an at-large berth and will face Baylor in the first round on May 15 in Austin, Texas, the NCAA revealed on May 10. The first game will be at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
UW is the No. 8 seed in its quadrant of the bracket and has the second-best seed in its regional behind host Texas – the No. 1 seed in its part of the bracket, the No. 2 national overall seed and the reigning national champion.
Wisconsin earned its spot in the tournament after going 32-19 overall and 14-10 in Big Ten play. The Badgers reached the Big Ten semifinals after upsetting Oregon in the quarterfinals. (The Ducks ended up being the No. 14 overall seed.)
Unseeded Baylor had a 28-26 overall record and 10-14 record in Big 12 play. The Bears were shut out in the quarterfinals of their conference tournament. Texas, the SEC tournament champion, will face Wagner in the first round on the other side of the regional.
Wisconsin’s 2026 NCAA Tournament berth is its 10th in program history and eighth during head coach Yvette Healy’s 16-year tenure. The Badgers were the runner-up in the Gainesville (Florida) Regional in their 2022 tournament appearance. UW has a 13-18 all-time record in NCAA Tournament games.
The NCAA Softball Tournament begins with the double-elimination regionals from May 15-17 before a best-of-three format for the super regionals from May 21-24 and the Women’s College World Series starting on May 28.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: When, who Wisconsin softball will play in 2026 NCAA Tournament
Reporting by John Steppe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
