Clemson softball hosting NCAA Tournament regional for second straight season
The Clemson softball team will host an NCAA Tournament regional for the second straight season.
The Tigers (46-9) are the tournament’s No. 16 overall seed and the top seed in the Clemson Regional. They’ll open against regional 4-seed UNC Greensboro (37-20) at 3 p.m. Friday (ESPNU). Cal State Fullerton (33-19) plays Auburn (40-17) in the regional’s other game at 5:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN+).
Clemson has advance to the NCAA Tournament in all three full seasons of the program’s existence under coach John Rittman. The inaugural 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID pandemic.
The program has since reeled off three straight 40-win seasons with three NCAA appearances.
The Tigers are led by two-way star Valerie Cagle. The reigning ACC Player of the Year is tops on the team with a .457 batting average, 74 hits, 18 home runs and 53 RBIs. In the circle, Cagle is 23-5 with a 1.20 ERA with 177 strikeouts in 169 innings pitched.
Clemson started the season 37-1 but went 9-8 in its last 17 games. The Tigers have lost four of their last six games, including a 2-0 defeat to Duke on Friday in the ACC Tournament semifinals.
Clemson softball in NCAA Tournament
- 2021 — 44 wins, regional appearance
- 2022 — 42 wins, hosted regional, advance to supers
- 2023 — 46 wins, hosting regional
Top 16 seeds
- 1. Oklahoma
- 2. UCLA
- 3. Florida State
- 4. Tennessee
- 5. Alabama
- 6. Oklahoma State
- 7. Washington
- 8. Duke
- 9. Stanford
- 10. LSU
- 11. Arkansas
- 12. Northwestern
- 13. Texas
- 14. Georgia
- 15. Utah
- 16. Clemson
This story was originally published May 14, 2023 at 7:41 PM.
