INDIANAPOLIS - The UC San Diego softball team was awarded the No. 6-seed for the NCAA Division II West Regional and will begin its national title defense against No. 3-seed Dixie State on Friday in Seaside, Calif.
UCSD (35-19) and DSC (34-11) will face-off at noon.
The Tritons earned their way into the tournament, taking the CCAA Tournament's automatic bid with a championship win over Cal State Monterey Bay less than 24 hours ago.
The Red Storm finished second place in the PacWest behind Cal Baptist, but became the PWC's automatic qualifier because CBU is in year one of the transition from NAIA to DII and not eligible for postseason play.
Cal State Monterey Bay earned the No. 2-seed in the West and will host the Regional. CSUMB (42-10) opens play against No. 7-seed Montana State-Billings (32-16).
Top-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills received an at-large berth into the tournament and will host the opposite West Regional. CSUDH faces eighth-seeded Grand Canyon (34-19). The other game is between fourth-seeded Chico State (34-14) and fifth-seeded Sonoma State (35-17).
Each sub-regional will be a double-elimination mini-tournament with the survivors of each competition moving on to meet each other in the West Super Regional, May 11-12, at the highest seed's home field.
The NCAA Championship Tournament is the following weekend, May 16-19, at Knights Field in Louisville, Ky.
2012 NCAA DIVISION II SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
WEST SUB-REGIONAL (at Seaside, Calif.)
Friday, May 4
Game 1: #3 Dixie State (34-11) vs. #6 UC San Diego (35-19), 12 p.m.
Game 2: #2 Cal State Monterey Bay (33-12) vs. #7 Montana State Billings (32-16), 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 5
Game 3: Winner game #1 vs. Winner game #2, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Loser game #1 vs. Loser game #2, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser game #3 vs. Winner game #4, 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 6
Game 6: Winner game #3 vs. Winner game #5, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7: Game #6 teams, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)
2012 NCAA DIVISION II SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
WEST SUB-REGIONAL (at Carson, Calif.)
Friday, May 4
Game 1: #4 Cal State Chico (34-14) vs. #5 Sonoma State (34-14), 12:00 p.m.
Game 2: #1 Cal State Dominguez Hills (41-11) vs. #8 Grand Canyon (34-19), 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 5
Game 3: Winner game #1 vs. Winner game #2, 11:00 a.m.
Game 4: Loser game #1 vs. Loser game #2, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser game #3 vs. Winner game #4, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 5
Game 6: Winner game #3 vs. Winner game #5, 12:00 p.m.
Game 7: Game #6 teams, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)
