URBANA, Ill. – For the eighth time in program history and the fourth under head coach Tyra Perry, the Illinois softball team earned a berth into the 2022 NCAA Tournament and was selected as one of the 32 at-large bids, as announced on the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday (May 15).

The Illini were selected to the Columbia Regional, hosted by overall No. 15 seed Missouri in Columbia, Mo., and will face Arizona (33-20) on Friday, May 20 at 3:30 p.m. CT in the opening round at Mizzou Softball Stadium. The double-elimination regional will be held on Friday-Sunday, with host Missouri facing Missouri State at 1 p.m. CT on Friday. 

Each regional follows a double-elimination format with at least three wins required to get to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Illinois is making its eighth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament and owns a 11-14 record in postseason play with appearances in 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017 and 2019. The Illini have advanced to the Regional Final twice in program history, falling to No. 3 seed LSU in the Waco, Texas Regional in 2004 and No. 14 seed Kentucky in the Lexington Regional in 2017.

The Illini enter the 2022 NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 34-20 and finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference standings with a 15-6 mark. As a conference, the Big Ten earned a total of eight bids with Northwestern set to host Regionals, while Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers and Wisconsin join the Illini in the field.