Spring holds new beginnings, lofty goals

It is that time again.

No, believe it or not, this is not the obligatory graduation column nearly every journalist feels compelled to write at least once in his or her career.

I've written that one many times, and there's only so much advice you can give hardworking students who are standing on the cusp of a whole new world wearing choir robes and cardboard hats.

Besides, they are smart enough to have already Googled everything I've ever thought to say in such a column.

I have decided to devote this space to something I have written about previously, but also enjoy so I'm going to write about it again. 

Stop reading now if you don't care about the NCAA softball tournament. I promise, you will not hurt my feelings.

The conference tournaments have been played and decided. The college softball season is now at the regional stage. There are 16 regionals, which will start May 20 and be played at 16 host sites throughout the country.

For the sake of space and readers, I'll limit the discussion in this column to the Auburn and Tuscaloosa regionals.

First, since the Tigers won the Southeastern Conference tournament, here's what's in store for the Auburn regional.

It will run May 20-22, and feature four teams.

According to espnw.com, South Carolina Upstate and Oregon State will start things off at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Game two will be at 7 p.m. Friday, and feature Auburn and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Games three through five will be played May 21, and the championship will be played May 22.

The Tigers are hosting the tournament after they won the SEC tournament title, though they probably would have hosted on their resume alone had they faltered in the tournament.

Auburn, along with Dothan native and USA Softball Colliegiate Player of the Year finalist Kasey Cooper, broke Alabama's heart and went on to defeat top-ranked Florida for the tournament championship.

The Tigers are the No. 4-seeded team in the national tournament, and boast a 49-9 record this year.

As with every region, the Auburn regional is no cupcake.

Three of the four teams have 40 or more wins on the season. Oregon State has won 30 games.

Auburn's rival comes into the tournament two spots behind the Tigers.

The Crimson Tide is the No. 6 national seed, and will host the Tuscaloosa regional.

Alabama has some things in common with Auburn, notably a Player of the Year finalist of its own in outfielder Haylie McCleney.

The Tuscaloosa regional will feature Texas State, a Sun Belt Conference qualifier, and Cal in the first game. The opener is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday.

The Crimson Tide will face Samford at 5 p.m. Friday on the SEC Network in its first game of regional play.

Those teams are the only two teams in the regional with 40 wins this season. According to roll tide.com, Alabama will enter its 18th consecutive regional, and host its 12th in a row.

The Crimson Tide has a 46-12 record entering play Friday.

The SEC is represented well in the national bracket. Half of the national seeds hail from the conference, and four of those eight are in the top 10.

It will be an exciting road to the 2016 Women's College World Series Championship, one that will likely run through the South, and it all starts this weekend.