For just the eighth time in Pac-12 history, a record-tying eight Pac-12 softball teams made the NCAA softball tournament this year.
The sixth-seeded UW Huskies (48-12) already dispatched with one conference opponent when they beat out Utah for a spot in the Women’s College World Series.
On Thursday (4 p.m. P.T., ESPN2), they’ll set their sights on vanquishing another Pac-12 foe: No. 3 seed Oregon (52-6), a team the Huskies beat twice in a three-game series in Eugene in April.
Having to eliminate a conference opponent to advance in the World Series is somewhat bittersweet, but ultimately, it speaks to the high level of softball competition within the conference, say the Huskies and Ducks.