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ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will televise 53 regular-season college softball and baseball games leading into the networks’ extensive postseason action of up to 110 contests. It is ESPN’s most coverage overall of the two sports and the most games scheduled of the NCAA Division I Softball Championship – up to 55 — with the addition of a Regional round.
Regular-season softball action will begin with two games from the No. 13 Florida at No. 5 Alabama series Saturday, March 27, at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD and Sunday, March 28, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU HD. Baseball coverage will start the following weekend with three telecasts, all featuring at least one ranked team: Georgia at No. 4 LSU (Friday, April 2, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU HD), No. 8 Texas at No. 12 Oklahoma (Saturday, April 3, at 3 p.m. on ESPNU HD) and Mississippi State at No. 23 South Carolina (Sunday, April 4, at 2 p.m. on ESPNU).
Regular-season schedule details:
- ESPNU will televise the majority of the action, with 41 of the 53 games. ESPN360.com will simulcast the 12 ESPN and ESPN2 telecasts.
- Thirty-one of the telecasts will be in high definition.
- The schedule includes 30 softball and 23 baseball games.
- The networks will combine to televise six conference title games, comprising:
- The entire SEC Softball Tournament.
- The SEC Baseball Tournament championship game.
- The SWAC softball and baseball championships.
- The baseball championships from the BIG EAST and MEAC.
ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com will offer up to 55 games each from the NCAA Division I Softball Championship and NCAA Division I Baseball Championship for a potential of 110 total telecasts (the entire schedules for both will be released at a later date). Coverage for both events will include two Regional series, all eight of the Super Regionals and the entire Championships.
A minimum of 62 games will be offered in high definition, including every game from both of the softball and baseball Regional series and the entire Women’s College World Series and College World Series.
Softball and baseball commentators
ESPN’s telecasts will feature former top players and coaches providing analysis. The softball lineup will include:
- Three U.S. Olympic Medalists working softball games: two-time gold medalist Michele Smith (2000 and 1996), Jessica Mendoza, who won gold in 2004 and silver in 2008, and Amanda Freed, who won gold in 2004.
- Former Northwestern standout Garland Cooper, a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year and all-time Big Ten home runs leader.
- National Pro Fastpitch commissioner Cheri Kempf.
- Cindy Bristow, former head softball coach at Arizona State, New Mexico State and Wichita State.
The baseball telecasts will include:
- Kyle Peterson, a former Stanford All-American, participant in the College World Series and first-round MLB Draft pick of the Milwaukee Brewers, entering his seventh season of college baseball analysis with ESPN.
- Morgan Ensberg who won the College World Series with USC in 1998 and played eight years in Major League Baseball (Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees).
- Former LSU All-American and Gold Spikes Award winner Ben McDonald, who also played eight years in Major League Baseball (Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers).
- Leland Maddox, a former Major League Baseball Director of Scouting for the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s.
ESPNU, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com Regular-Season Schedule
Note: Softball and baseball championship schedules will be released at a later date
| Date | Time (ET) | Game / Commentators (through April 18) | Sport | Network |
| Sat, Mar 27 | 2 p.m. | No. 13 Florida at No. 5 AlabamaJustin Kutcher & Jessica Mendoza | Softball | ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com |
| Sun, Mar 28 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 13 Florida at No. 5 AlabamaJustin Kutcher & Jessica Mendoza | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| Fri, Apr 2 | 8:30 p.m. | Georgia at No. 4 LSUEric Collins & Kyle Peterson | Baseball | ESPNU HD |
| Sat, Apr 3 | 3 p.m. | No. 8 Texas at No. 12 OklahomaDan McLaughlin & Morgan Ensberg | Baseball | ESPNU HD |
| Sun, Apr 4 | 2 p.m. | Mississippi State at No. 23 South CarolinaJustin Kutcher & Kyle Peterson | Baseball | ESPNU |
| Fri, Apr 9 | 8 p.m. | No. 18 Ole Miss at GeorgiaDan McLaughlin & Kyle Peterson | Baseball | ESPNU |
| Sun, Apr 11 | 2 p.m. | South Carolina at KentuckyBeth Mowins & Michele Smith | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| 5 p.m. | Cal State Fullerton at No. 22 UC IrvineTroy Bender & Morgan Ensberg | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Apr 16 | 7 p.m. | Georgia at No. 17 ArkansasClay Matvick & Kyle Peterson | Baseball | ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com |
| Sun, Apr 18 | Noon | Kentucky at No. 13 FloridaCara Capuano & Michele Smith | Softball | ESPNU HD / ESPN360.com |
| 2 p.m. | Auburn at No. 20 VanderbiltClay Matvick & Morgan Ensberg | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| 3 p.m. | No. 15 Texas at No. 9 OklahomaBeth Mowins & Jessica Mendoza | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com | |
| Wed, Apr 21 | 1 p.m. | Syracuse at No. 24 Louisville | Softball | ESPNU |
| 3:30 p.m. | Syracuse at No. 24 Louisville | Softball | ESPNU | |
| Fri, Apr 23 | 4:30 p.m. | Radford at Winthrop | Baseball | ESPNU |
| 8 p.m. | No. 4 LSU at No. 18 Ole Miss | Baseball | ESPNU HD | |
| Sat, Apr 24 | 5 p.m. | Auburn at Ole Miss | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| Sun, Apr 25 | 2 p.m. | Radford at Winthrop | Softball | ESPNU |
| 3 p.m. | No. 4 Missouri at No. 17 Texas A&M | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com | |
| Thu, Apr 29 | 8 p.m. | No. 7 Georgia at No 12 LSU | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com |
| Fri, Apr 30 | 2:30 p.m. | Bethune-Cookman at Florida A&M | Softball | ESPNU |
| 5 p.m. | No. 24 Kentucky at Tennessee | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 7 Georgia at No. 12 LSU | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| Sat, May 1 | 2 p.m. | No. 4 LSU at No. 9 Florida | Baseball | ESPNU HD |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 21 Tennessee at No. 5 Alabama | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com | |
| 9 p.m. | Baylor at No. 8 Texas | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| Sun, May 2 | 1 p.m. | No. 4 LSU at No. 9 Florida | Baseball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com |
| 2 p.m. | SWAC Championship | Softball | ESPNU | |
| 4 p.m. | No. 21 Tennessee at No. 5 Alabama | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| Fri, May 7 | 8 p.m. | No. 17 Arkansas at No. 18 Ole Miss | Baseball | ESPNU |
| 11 p.m. | Louisiana Tech at Fresno State | Softball | ESPNU | |
| Sat, May 8 | Noon | No. 12 LSU at No. 21 Tennessee | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com |
| 2:30 p.m. | Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton | Softball | ESPNU | |
| 5 p.m. | Long Beach State at Cal State Fullerton | Softball | ESPNU | |
| 8 p.m. | No. 17 Arkansas at No. 18 Ole Miss | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| Sun, May 9 | 1 p.m. | No. 7 Georgia at No. 15 Texas | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com |
| 2 p.m. | No. 12 LSU at No. 21 Tennessee | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| 5 p.m. | No. 22 UC Irvine at Cal Poly | Baseball | ESPNU | |
| Mon, May 10 | 7 p.m. | No. 7 Georgia at No. 15 Texas | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| Thu, May 13 | Noon | SEC Quarterfinals | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| 2:30 p.m. | SEC Quarterfinals | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| 5 p.m. | SEC Quarterfinals | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| 7:30 p.m. | SEC Quarterfinals | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| Fri, May 14 | 3 p.m. | SEC Semifinal | Softball | ESPNU HD |
| 5:30 p.m. | SEC Semifinal | Softball | ESPNU HD | |
| 8 p.m. | Georgia at No. 9 Florida | Baseball | ESPNU HD | |
| Sat, May 15 | 4 p.m. | No. 18 Ole Miss at No. 16 Alabama | Baseball | ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com |
| 7:30 p.m. | SEC Championship | Softball | ESPN HD / ESPN360.com | |
| Thu, May 20 | 6 p.m. | No. 11 Louisville at Notre Dame | Baseball | ESPNU |
| Mon, May 24 | 5 p.m. | MEAC Championship * | Baseball | ESPNU |
| Sun, May 30 | Noon | BIG EAST Championship | Baseball | ESPNU |
| 2 p.m. | SEC Championship | Baseball | ESPN2 HD / ESPN360.com | |
| Mon, May 31 | 6 p.m. | SWAC Championship * | Baseball | ESPNU |
* Tape Delay
All baseball rankings are from ESPN/ USA Today Coaches Top 25
All softball rankings are from ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Women’s Top 25
Schedule subject to change; All times Eastern
Additional commentator assignments will be released as the season progresses
About ESPNU
ESPNU launched March 4, 2005. The 24-hour college sports television network televises more than 600 live events (regular-season and championships) annually. Action includes a variety of top football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more. The network also has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA calling for extensive coverage of 22 NCAA Championships.
ESPNU also offers comprehensive studio programming, such as SportsCenterU, ESPNU Recruiting Insider, SEC Weekly, The Bracket, BCS Countdown and simulcasts of ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd. The brand is also available in high definition on ESPNU HD and online at ESPNU.com. In addition, ESPNU Campus Connection, a multi-platform student-generated content initiative, was introduced in August 2007.
ESPNU is currently in more than 70 million households and has long-term carriage agreements with the top 10 providers – Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 614), DISH Network (Channel 148), Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and AT&T U-verse.
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