Northwestern to Face Clemson, Kentucky in NCAA Softball Tournament

The Wildcats are headed to the postseason once again.

Northwestern softball players celebrate after receiving an invitation to the NCAA Tournament on May 11, 2025. | Photo: Northwestern Athletics

For the seventh consecutive season, Northwestern is headed to the NCAA Softball Tournament.

The Wildcats were on the bubble after being upset by Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, but earned a postseason berth on Selection Sunday. Northwestern is set to play in the Clemson Regional, where the No. 11 Tigers will also host Kentucky and USC Upstate.

The Moment 💜 pic.twitter.com/uOzUGNwJOS

— Northwestern Softball (@NUSBcats) May 12, 2025

Northwestern was one of eight Big Ten teams selected to the 64-team field, joining No. 9 UCLA, No. 16 Oregon, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, Washington and Indiana. The Wildcats tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a 16-6 record in league play, but with a 29-18-1 overall record, NU ranked ninth in the conference in RPI and 48th in the NCAA.

A trio of top 10 wins aided the Wildcats' resumé. Northwestern took down then-No. 8 Duke at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in February, and later took a road series from UCLA to end the regular season. NU also has a win against Mississippi State, which ranks 22nd in RPI.

The Clemson Regional will begin on Friday with a matchup between Northwestern and Kentucky at 1 p.m. CT, followed by a game between Clemson and USC Upstate. Utilizing a double-elimination format, the winners and losers of each game will play each other until a Regional Champion is crowned on Sunday, May 18.

Northwestern has a limited history against its Regional opponents. The 'Cats are 1-2 against Clemson all-time, beating the No. 15 Tigers in 2022 before losing twice to the No. 7 Tigers at the 2023 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Northwestern is 2-3 against Kentucky, having won its most recent two games after falling in the 2021 Lexington Regional. The Wildcats have never played against the USC Upstate Spartans.

This is Northwestern's 23rd trip to the tournament in program history, and the 18th appearance in 24 seasons under Kate and Caryl Drohan. The Wildcats have reached the Super Regionals in three of the last five NCAA Tournaments, including the Women's College World Series in 2022.