The Liberty softball team defeated Jacksonville State on Saturday in the 2025 CUSA Softball Championship to claim the league’s automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I Softball Championship.
During Sunday evening’s selection show, the Lady Flames learned they will travel to College Station, Texas to compete in the College Station Regional. To begin regional play on Friday, the Flames will take on Marist at 1 pm on ESPN+. No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M, who is the regional host, will play Saint Francis on Friday.
The Marist Red Foxes enter regional play as champions of the MAAC, defeating Siena on Sunday, 10-2 in 5 innings, to claim the title. Marist is 47-7-1 on the season and a dominating 21-2-1 in conference play. They have won 17 straight games and are 36-2-1 since March 1. This year’s MAAC championship is its fourth under head coach Joe Ausanio and second in the past three years.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M is the No. 1 overall national seed following a 45-9 season and 16-7 SEC mark. The Aggies have won the national championship twice before and are making their 23rd straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but this year is the first time Texas A&M has been the No. 1 overall seed.
The Lady Flames will be competing in a fifth straight NCAA Tournament. Last year, Liberty came within one out of advancing further than the program has ever made it. However, the Lady Flames were unable to finish the job, falling to Georgia in game two of the regional final. Getting to a Super Regional has been a goal head coach Dot Richardson has set before her team this season.
In 2021, Liberty was the 2-seed in the Knoxville Regional where the Lady Flames defeated the host Tennessee who was the No. 9 national seed in an elimination game. Liberty lost two games in the Regional, including the Regional Final, to eventual Women’s College World Series participant James Madison. In 2022, Liberty defeated Georgia to open play in the Durham Regional. The Lady Flames would go on to lose their next two games, falling to Regional host Duke and Georgia to be eliminated. Two seasons ago, the Lady Flames defeated No. 2 national seed UCLA and also Grand Canyon but were eliminated in the regional final by San Diego State.
This will be the eighth time in program history in which Liberty will compete in a Regional. The Lady Flames won conference tournament titles in 2002, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024, and this year. Liberty received an at-large in 2023.
FRIDAY, MAY 16
Game 1: Liberty (47-12) vs Marist (47-7-1), 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Game 2: #1 Texas A&M (45-9) vs Saint Francis (26-24), 3:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs Loser Game 3, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, MAY 18
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 4 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs Loser Game 6, 6:30 p.m. (if necessary)
