The No. 20 Oregon women’s softball team officially received its first NCAA Tournament bid since the 2007 season Sunday evening, and will head to Atlanta, Ga., later this week to compete in the Atlanta Regional in the opening round of postseason play.
Oregon (33-19) will match up with Auburn (30-24), while Jacksonville St. (30-17) and No. 8-seeded Georgia Tech (49-9) will face off to open the tournament. The build-up was kept mostly in check in the Moshofsky Center Lounge on Sunday as the team and a few outside supporters gathered around the television awaiting their playoff destination.
“Official feels a lot better,” Oregon head coach Mike White said. “There’s always that if (we don’t get selected) possibility, but now we’re in and we’re really excited.”
The Ducks 8-13 record in Pacific-10 Conference play showed just how tough the “Conference of Champions” was in 2010, as it will be sending a total of seven teams — Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA and Washington —to the national tournament. Arizona, Stanford, UCLA and Washington will each host in the opening round.
For the Ducks, however, making the postseason came as a welcomed relief following a string of tough series that put the team on the losing end of 10 of their last 12 conference games. 
“It’s rewarding,” sophomore pitcher Samantha Skillingstad said. “It’s just a great opportunity for our program, and for our families and our friends, and ourselves.”
The Atlanta Regional will be one of just two regional matchups that will be nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2, something that Oregon players clearly appreciated given the vast distance they’ll have to travel.
“We’re really excited to be in one for the regional’s that will be hosted on TV because a lot of our parents won’t be able to fly out on such short notice,” Junior first baseman Monique Fuiava said. “I know for myself, I’m excited because my parents can watch me from the living room.
“As far as our seniors, I’m just happy that last weekend wasn’t their last game. We’re just excited — words really can’t express how much further we’ve come from last year.”
The Ducks will play their opener at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening, which can be seen on ESPN2, and will play again on Saturday at noon or 2:30 p.m. pending the outcome of the first game.
“Now the hard work begins,” White said. “And we’ve got to get ready for that tough matchup out there against Auburn.”
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