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2021 NCAA Softball Tournament Seattle Regional preview, players to watch, predictions and more

By Ethan Lee

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: The University of Washington Huskies dugout celebrates a single RBI by Sarah Willis #66 to score Megan Vandegrift #2 of the UW Huskies during their game against the UCLA Bruins at Easton Stadium on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: The University of Washington Huskies dugout celebrates a single RBI by Sarah Willis #66 to score Megan Vandegrift #2 of the UW Huskies during their game against the UCLA Bruins at Easton Stadium on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. /
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SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 4: The sun sets on the Space Needle and downtown skyline as viewed from Queen Anne Hill on November 4, 2015, in Seattle, Washington. Seattle, located in King County, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, and is experiencing an economic boom as a result of its European and Asian global business connections. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – NOVEMBER 4: The sun sets on the Space Needle and downtown skyline as viewed from Queen Anne Hill on November 4, 2015, in Seattle, Washington. Seattle, located in King County, is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, and is experiencing an economic boom as a result of its European and Asian global business connections. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

The Washington Huskies were handed the No. 16 national seed for the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

After a solid showing during the regular season and proving to be among the best teams in the country, the Washington Huskies were presented the No. 16 national seed in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament.

However, that’s a seeding that the Huskies didn’t appear too happy to receive as they quickly left the room after their team was given the No. 16 overall seed (a stark contrast from many of the teams who were celebrating Sunday evening).

There are arguments to be made about how Washington deserved a better spot in the tournament, but at this point, there’s little the Huskies can do other than to go out and prove to the NCAA and everyone watching that they’re the best team on the field.

And that’s something they can certainly do in the 2021 Seattle Regional, but they’ll be joined by a few teams who are also looking to prove themselves as well.

The Michigan Wolverines went out and won the Big Ten this season and managed to make it through to the end of the year with just six losses on their resume. They’ve been absolutely remarkable, but because of COVID-19 policies, their strength of schedule suffered and they sit at No. 32 in the latest RPI rankings. So, the Wolverines didn’t get a chance to host, but they do have a chance to show how good they are in Seattle.

Speaking of Seattle, Seattle University is staying in town for its appearance in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament. The Redhawks, like Michigan, came out on top of their conference, and are now trying to make their name known on a national scale by facing off against rigorous competition in their hometown.

Portland State, like Seattle U, didn’t really have travel to travel very far to get to its regional location. And like Seattle and Michigan, the Portland State Vikings won their conference tournament. But unlike the other teams in this regional, Portland State has a losing record. The Vikings got hot at the right moment and now they technically have a shot in the 2021 NCAA Softball Tournament, though it’ll be an uphill battle for them.

Learn about the four teams in the 2021 Seattle Regional here.