The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team is back where the coaches and players feel they belong — atop the Southern Conference and heading to the NCAA tournament. Now the Mocs get to take on some familiar foes to open the next round of the postseason.
The Mocs (35-13) start the NCAA tourney Friday with a rematch against South Alabama, which UTC beat 3-1 on Feb. 20 when the Jaguars were ranked No. 22. UTC and USA will meet at 4 p.m. EDT Friday in the Auburn Regional, where the No. 4 overall-seeded Tigers are set to take on Tennessee Tech at 6:30.
UTC has faced every team in the Auburn Regional this season. In addition to the win over South Alabama, the Mocs lost 12-1 to Auburn on Feb. 8 in the Plainsman Invitational and beat TTU 6-4 on March 31 at Frost Stadium.
UTC players and fans watched Sunday night’s selection show at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant downtown to see their name and destination announced on ESPNU.
The Mocs enter the tournament with a respectable NCAA RPI in the Top 50 and wins over Top 25 teams Kansas and the Jaguars in the early part of the season.