Team has best record in country, wasn’t given a Top 16 seed
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota powerhouse softball team isn’t hiding their shock and anger over being unseeded going into the NCAA tournament.
The Gophers are 54-3, but didn’t land one of the top 16 seeds when the 64-team field was unveiled Sunday. Coach Jessica Allister says it was disappointing, but the team has to get past it with a game against Louisiana Tech on Friday.
The Gophers are playing at the Tuscaloosa Regional, where host Alabama is the No. 16 seed.
“I thought it was fake,” sophomore outfielder Maddie Houlihan said. “I wasn’t really sure what was happening. … It took a couple minutes to digest it.
Houlihan added that the cool thing now is “a lot of people are rooting for us.”
Minnesota is 16-3 against the entire field in the NCAA tournament.
Athletic director Mark Coyle says he’s asked the NCAA and Big Ten for an explanation why the Gophers weren’t seeded after they had the best record in Division I.