By Jim Scott
May 20, 2021 | 12:19 PM
UW-Oshkosh earned the top seed at the Eau Claire Regional and will play sixth-seeded Illinois College to open the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball Championship on Friday (May 21).
The first pitch between NCAA postseason automatic qualifiers UW-Oshkosh (24-11) and Illinois College (25-12) is scheduled for 10 a.m. at UW-Eau Claire’s Bollinger Fields.
The Eau Claire Regional features four games Friday and continues Saturday and Sunday (May 22-23). The winner at each of the eight six-team regionals advances to play for the national championship May 27-June 1 in Salem, Va.
Friday’s first round matchups at the Eau Claire Regional include second-seeded Alfred University (N.Y.) battling fifth-seeded Piedmont University (Ga.) (22-11) at noon and third-seeded Linfield College (Ore.) (36-7) taking on fourth-seeded University of Southern Maine (31-4-1) at 2 p.m. A game pitting the losers of the first two contests concludes the firs