NCAA Tournament preview: Buckeyes earn No. 2 seed, Set to face UNC in NCAA opener

Jack Diwik
Thu, 15 May 2025 01:07:00 +0000
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Ohio State sophomore outfielder Hadley Parisien (2) celebrates the 3-run homerun hit by senior infielder Reagan Milliken during the game against Oakland March 7. Credit: Sam Settel | Lantern Photographer

Ohio State softball is dancing once again.

Riding a 43-win season, the Buckeyes earned the No. 2 seed in the Knoxville Regional and will open NCAA Tournament play Friday at 4 p.m. against No. 3 seed North Carolina on ESPNU. It’s their first tournament appearance since 2022 and the 13th in program history.

The regional field also includes host and No. 7 national seed Tennessee, along with MAC champion Miami (Ohio). The winner advances to the Super Regional to face the Baton Rouge Regional champion.

In year one under head coach Kirin Kumar, Ohio State has mashed its way to national power, leading the country in home runs (137), runs per game (8.44), slugging percentage (.707) and total runs (473). The Buckeyes also notched their first-ever sweep of rival Michigan and recorded a whopping 20 run-rule victories this season.

Meanwhile, North Carolina brings an equally potent offense. The Tar Heels rank ninth nationally in team batting average (.347) and are led by Katherine Rodriguez, who leads the country with 83 RBIs. Friday’s matchup will feature two of the NCAA’s top 10 RBI producers in Rodriguez and Ohio State’s Reagan Milliken, who leads the team with 71.

Coming off an upset loss to unranked Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament, the Buckeyes enter the NCAA Regional with a chance to reset and respond.

The winner of Friday’s game will face the Tennessee–Miami (Ohio) winner on Saturday at noon.