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AUSTIN (KXAN) — The NCAA softball tournament bracket is set and the Texas Longhorns are seeded No. 1 for the first time.
The selection committee made the announcement Sunday during a live broadcast on ESPN2, giving the Longhorns the top spot over No. 2 Oklahoma despite the Sooners winning the Big 12 Conference tournament championship game over Texas the day prior. In the end, Texas was still at the top of the RPI table and beat Oklahoma two out of three games during the regular season, so the committee felt Texas deserved the top spot.
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The Longhorns will open the regional round at home against Siena, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament champions and first-time tournament qualifier. They'll begin the four-team double-elimination tournament at 3 p.m. Friday while St. Francis (Penn.) and Northwestern will play the other game Friday. If the Longhorns make it through the regional, it's possible they could play either Texas A&M or Texas State in the super regionals. The Aggies are seeded No. 16 overall in the tournament while the Bobcats qualified by winning the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship. They'll play in College Station this weekend.
The athletic department as a whole made some serious hay in their last year as a member of the Big 12 Conference, winning a school-record 14 championships across all sports. Both men's and women's track and field teams were the latest to capture the top trophies, and the baseball and rowing teams still have a chance to make it 16 if things go their way later in May.
The Southeastern Conference also announced opponents and sites for Texas men's basketball's first season, and the schedule is favorable all things considered. Texas won't have to play Kentucky or Tennessee on the road in their inaugural season, only taking them on at Moody Center.
Watch the entire Horns Report live stream with Roger Wallace and Billy Gates at 3:15 p.m. or wait for the replay to be posted in this story shortly after the live stream ends.