LSU, Duke Emerge as Projected WCWS Regional Hosts in Latest Softball America Bracketology
With a new No. 1 on the block in the Alabama Crimson Tide, not only were Softball America's Top 25 rankings shuffled around, but the bracketology projections were too.
As a reminder, 31 automatic bids from each conference and 33 at-large bids will determine the Field of 64. Each conference tournament winner claims an automatic bid to the NCAA postseason, excluding the WCC, which has yet to add a conference tournament. The regular-season standings will decide which program goes dancing in that case.
The automatic bids are selected based on a combination of current conference standings and RPI in Softball America’s bracketology prediction. The at-large bids are rooted in RPI, wins against the different RPI quadrants, and Strength of Schedule, while factoring in other datasets such as KPI and DSR.
The SEC remains the frontrunner in most Regional hosting spots at eight total. Missouri made the cut this time around as one of the Last Four In. The ACC and Big 12 each charted three Regional hosting slots and the Big Ten tallied one. The Power 4 conferences, as expected, dominate the playing field, accounting for a total of 36 bids.
New Postseason Seeding in 2026
This year, the WCWS will now seed 32 teams, mimicking recent changes made to Women's Volleyball and Women's Soccer. These additions will not alter the 16 national seeds, but will help boost the top seeds with "better", well-deserved head-to-head contests.
By using "buckets" (see below) to seed teams, the hope is to prevent league matchups in the Regional tournaments and thus protect the 400-mile geographic proximity parameters.
The Buckets
National Seeds: 1, 2, 3, 4-29, 30, 31, 32
National Seeds: 5, 6, 7, 8-25, 26, 27, 28
National Seeds: 9,10,11,12-21,22, 23, 24
National Seeds: 13,14,15,16-17,18,19, 20
Here are the projected hosts and top two seeds per Regional as predicted by Softball America for the week of April 8.
Our latest bracketology is here with a potential Sunshine State Super Regional matchup.
— Softball America (@SoftbalAmerica) April 8, 2026
See the full Field of 64 projection here: https://t.co/rMD0sSaGF9 pic.twitter.com/m5eTM2ORjs
Austin Regional
1. Texas (2) - Big 12
2. Marshall - Sun Belt
Athens Regional
1. Georgia (10) - SEC
2. Clemson - ACC
Baton Rouge Regional
1. LSU (16) - SEC
2. Oregon - Big Ten
Blacksburg Regional
1. Virginia Tech (14) - ACC
2. Ole Miss - SEC
Durham Regional
1. Duke (12) - ACC
2. Washington - Big Ten
Fayetteville Regional
1. Arkansas (7) - SEC
2. Virginia - ACC
Gainesville Regional
1. Florida (6) - SEC
2. Arizona State - Big 12
Knoxville Regional
1. Tennessee (4) - SEC
2. Louisville - ACC
Lincoln Regional
1. Nebraska (5) - Big Ten
2. Auburn - SEC
Los Angeles Regional
1. UCLA (9) - Big Ten
2. Oklahoma State - Big 12
Lubbock Regional
1. Texas Tech (8) - Big 12
2. South Carolina - SEC
Normal Regional
1. Oklahoma (3) - SEC
2. Baylor - Big 12
Starkville Regional
1. Mississippi State (13) - SEC
2. Stanford - ACC
Tallahasse Regional
1. Florida State (11) - ACC
2. UCF - Big 12
Tucson Regional
1. Arizona (15) - Big 12
2. Texas A&M - SEC
Tuscaloosa Regional
1. Alabama (1) - SEC
2. Jax State - CUSA
Maddy Lewis was a four-year starting infielder for UC San Diego Softball (2015–19), helping lead the Tritons to two conference championships, a West Region title, and a trip to the Division II National Championship in her senior season. She graduated from UC San Diego with a degree in Communication, where she also wrote for the student newspaper, The Guardian. After college, Maddy spent two years as a Sports Information Director, working closely with the softball, basketball and running programs, deepening her appreciation for the stories behind the stats. She has continued her playing career on the international stage as a member and captain of the Israeli Women’s National Softball Team for the past four years, facing top talent at European Championships, Canada Cups, and the Maccabi Games. Beyond competing, Maddy remains deeply committed to growing the game. She co-hosts the Jewish Softball: More Than A Game podcast, offers private instruction in the Bay Area and has coached teams at the Triple Crown Sports International Challenge and the JCC Maccabi Games. With a passion for storytelling and softball, she is dedicated to giving back to the sport that has shaped her both on and off the field and making an impact on the next generation in any way she can.
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