HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Marshall University softball team gathered to watch Sunday night’s NCAA Selection Show on ESPN2. Some players took a seat on a couch, others on the floor, and all fixated on the analysts as the brackets were revealed.
Finally, at 10:19 p.m., and with more than half of the regional pairings unveiled, “Marshall” flashed on the screen. The Herd had earned an at-large invitation to this week’s NCAA Regionals. Angst turned into euphoria.
“Oh my gosh, I freaked out,” said Shaelynn Braxton, a senior who was on the 2013 team that earned an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.