ESPN Networks All Over The NCAA Division I Softball Championship

In its increased commitment to the NCAA, the ESPN Family of Networks will have extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship including every game of the Women’s College World Series.

There will be coverage of up to 62 games from the regionals to the Super Regional games, all the way to the Women’s College World Series held again at Oklahoma City, OK. This will be the 12th year that the ESPN Family will carry all of the games of the WCWS.

Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza will be the main team for the Softball Championship and they’ll be assigned to the Louisville, KY Super Regional and then go to the Women’s College World Series.

The whole enchilada begins this Friday with coverage of eight games on ESPN2, ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network (that’s right) and continuing throughout the weekend.

Here’s the ESPN press release.

ESPN Provides Extensive Coverage of NCAA Division I Softball Championship

Every Women’s College World Series Contest for 12th Straight Year

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine as the coverage home to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship with up to 62 games Friday, May 18 to Wednesday, June 6. The lineup will include telecasts of every Women’s College World Series (WCWS) contest for the 12th straight event and every game from all eight Super Regional sites for the fifth straight year. Coverage begins with games from three Regional sites.

As mentioned on ESPNU’s 2012 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Selection Show, action begins Friday, May 18 with six telecasts from three sites -– Louisville, Ky.; College Station, Texas; Tucson, Ariz. ESPN3 will simulcast every Regional, Super Regional and WCWS game aired on ESPN networks.

SEC teams earned the most bids this year by conference with nine, followed closely by the Pac-12 with eight. The Pac-12 has won 23 of 29 NCAA Division I Softball Championships. The last non-Pac-12 school to win a title was Michigan in 2005. This year’s No. 1 seed, California, has the most consecutive championship appearances with 26, behind only Fresno State with 30.

2012 ESPN Highlights:

  • More than 125 hours of NCAA Division I Softball Championship game action as well as studio hours surrounding the games with highlights, expert analysis and press conferences after Super Regionals.
  • For the first time, the Longhorn Network will also offer exclusive games from a Regionals series, televising all games involving No. 8 Texas from the Austin, Texas Regional site, beginning Friday, May 19 at 5:30 ET.
  • Super Regionals and WCWS games will include the expert opinion and experience from six U.S. Olympic Gold Medalists, one of which was a three-time NCAA Champion. All 11 analysts are former All-Americans and six played for teams that were seeded in this year’s Championship:
    • ESPN Softball Analysts at Super Regionals: Leah Amico (Arizona), Garland Cooper (Northwestern), Jennie Finch (Arizona), Amanda Freed (UCLA), Cheri Kemp (Missouri Western), Jessica Mendoza (Stanford), Amanda Scarborough (Texas A&M) and Michele Smith (Oklahoma State)
    • ESPN Softball Analysts in Studio: Charlotte Morgan (Alabama) and Stacey Nuveman (UCLA)
    • As part of ESPN’s celebration of 40 years of Title IX, espnW.com will give fans inside access on a team’s road to the WCWS with features, photos and player blogs from six of the top-25 programs.
    • ESPN International will provide the WCWS in 178 countries and territories on ESPN Australia, ESPN Africa, ESPN Caribbean, ESPN Europe, ESPN Israel, ESPN Latin America, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Pacific Rim and ESPN Brazil.
    • In 2012, the ESPN networks will air over 400 hours of NCAA Spring Championships coverage, increasing more than 30 hours from 2011. As part of ESPN’s extended rights agreement with the NCAA, spring championship programming highlights seven sports over eight weeks: Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Volleyball, Baseball and Softball. For the first time, ESPN networks will also air the Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field and Women’s Lacrosse Championships.

NCAA Division I Softball Championship – Regionals
(Schedule subject to change)

Date Time (ET) Matchup (location) Regional Game Network
Friday, May 18 4:30 p.m. Kentucky vs. Michigan
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game1 ESPN2/ESPN3
  5 p.m. Texas State vs. LSU
(College Station, TX)
Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf
Game 1 ESPN3
  5 p.m. Northwestern vs. No. 6 Texas

(Austin, TX)
TBD

Game 2 Longhorn Network
  5:30 p.m. Notre Dame vs. Hawaii
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  7 p.m. Valparaiso vs. No. 15 Louisville
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 2 ESPN2/ESPN3
  8 p.m. Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 8 Texas A&M
(College Station, TX)
Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf
Game 2 ESPN3
  8 p.m. North Dakota State vs. No. 13 Arizona
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 2 ESPNU/ESPN3
Saturday, May 19 1 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 3 ESPN/ESPN3
  2 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
(College Station, TX)
Game 3 ESPN3
  3:30  p.m. Game 1 loser vs. Game  2 loser
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 4 ESPN/ESPN3
  5 p.m. Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
(College Station, TX)
Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf
Game 4 ESPN3
  6 p.m. Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 5 ESPN/ESPN3
  6 p.m. Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 3 ESPNU/ESPN3
  8 p.m. Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser
(College Station, TX)
Game 5 ESPN3
  8:30 p.m. Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 4 ESPNU/ESPN3
  11 p.m. Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 5 ESPNU/ESPN3
Sunday, May 20 1 p.m. Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
(Louisville, KY)
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 6 ESPN2/ESPN3
  2 p.m. Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
(College Station, TX)
Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf
Game 6 ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser
(Louisville, KY)*
Beth Mowins and Jessica Mendoza
Game 7 ESPN2/ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser
(College Station, TX)*
Cara Capuano and Cheri Kempf
Game 7 ESPN3
  5:30 p.m. Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner
(Tucson, AZ)
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 6 ESPNU/ESPN3
  8 p.m. Game 6 winner vs. Game 6 loser
(Tucson, AZ) *
Pam Ward and Michele Smith
Game 7 ESPNU/ESPN3

NCAA Division I Softball Championship – Super Regionals

Date Time (ET) Matchup (Location) Game Network
Thu, May 24 8 p.m. TBD (Site 1) Game 1 ESPN2/ESPN3
10 p.m. TBD (Site 2) Game 1 ESPN2/ESPN3
Fri, May 25 2 p.m. TBD (Site 5) Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  4:30 p.m. TBD (Site 1) Game 2 ESPNU/ESPN3
  7 p.m. TBD (Site 1) * Game 3 ESPN or ESPN2/ESPN3
  7 p.m. TBD (Site 3) Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  9 p.m. TBD (Site 2) Game 2 ESPN or ESPNU/ESPN3
  9 p.m. TBD (Site 4) Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  11:30 p.m. TBD (Site 2)* Game 3 ESPNU/ESPN3
Sat, May 26 noon TBD (Site 5) Game 2 ESPN/ESPN3
  noon TBD (Site 6) Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  2:30 PM TBD (Site 5) * Game 3 ESPN/ESPN3
  2:30 PM TBD (Site 3) Game 2 ESPNU/ESPN3
  5 p.m. TBD (Site 4) Game 2 ESPN/ESPN3
  5 p.m. TBD (Site 3) * Game 3 ESPNU/ESPN3
  7:30 PM TBD (Site 4) * Game 3 ESPN/ESPN3
  7:30 PM TBD (Site 7) Game 1 ESPNU/ESPN3
  10 p.m. TBD (Site 8) Game 1 ESPN2/ESPN3
Sun, May 27 1 p.m. TBD (Site 6) Game 2 ESPN/ESPN3
  3:30 PM TBD (Site 6) * Game 3 ESPN/ESPN3
  3:30 PM TBD (Site 7) Game 3 ESPNU/ESPN3
  6 p.m. TBD (Site 7) * Game 3 ESPNU/ESPN3
  7 p.m. TBD (Site 8) Game 2 ESPN2/ESPN3
  9:30 PM TBD (Site 8) * Game 3 ESPN2/ESPN3

NCAA Women’s College World Series, (Oklahoma City, Okla.)

Date Time Game Network
Wed, May 30 2 p.m. WCWS Press Conferences ESPNU
  4 p.m. WCWS Press Conferences ESPNU
Thu, May 31 Noon WCWS Pre-Game Show ESPNU
1 p.m. Game 1 ESPN2/ESPN3
3:30 p.m. Game 2 ESPN2/ESPN3
  7 p.m. Game 3 ESPN2/ESPN3
  9:30 p.m. Game 4 ESPN2/ESPN3
  11:30 p.m. WCWS Post-Game Show ESPNU
Fri, June 1 7 p.m. Game 5 ESPN2/ESPN3
9:30 p.m. Game 6 ESPN2/ESPN3
Sat, June 2 noon Game 7 ESPN2/ESPN3
  2:30 p.m. Game 8 ESPN2/ESPN3
  7 p.m. Game 9 ESPN/ESPN3
  9:30 p.m. Game 10 ESPN/ESPN3
Sun, June 3 1 p.m. Game 11 ESPN/ESPN3
  3:30 p.m. Game 12 ESPN/ESPN3
  7 p.m. Game 13* ESPNU/ESPN3
  9:30 p.m. Game 14* ESPNU/ESPN3
Mon, June 4 8 p.m. Championship – Game 1 ESPN2/ESPN3
10:30 p.m.  WCWS Post-Game Show ESPNU
Tue, June 5 7:30 p.m.  WCWS Pre-Game Show ESPNU
8 p.m. Championship – Game 2 ESPN2/ESPN3
10:30 p.m.  WCWS Post-Game Show ESPNU
Wed, June 6 7:30 p.m.  WCWS Pre-Game Show ESPNU
8 p.m. Championship – Game 3* ESPN/ESPN3
10:30 p.m.  WCWS Post-Game Show ESPNU

ESPN3 will carry every game; direct links to exclusive games included
* denotes “if necessary” game

That’s going to do it.

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013. He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television. Fang celebrates the three Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.

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