The Wisconsin Softball team celebrated on Sunday after being selected as one of the 64 teams playing in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. This will be the Badgers’ first tournament appearance since 2022.
The Badgers finished 32-19 this season, and made it to the semifinals in the Big 10 Tournament. Building on another great season in 2025, the team had many great moments this year, but none bigger than this.
In the Big 10 Tournament, Wisconsin took down Purdue and Oregon in an exciting fashion, via a walkoff from sophomore infielder Hannah Conger and a high-scoring upset. Additionally, three Badgers earned all-tournament honors, redshirt freshman infielder Jackie Showalter, senior pitcher Shelby Jacobson and Conger.
Wisconsin will be taking on the 28-26 Baylor on Friday in the Austin Regional. The other regional matchup will be the regional No. 1, Texas vs Wagner. If Wisconsin beats Baylor, they would take on the winner of this matchup.
While the Badgers have been known for their upsets this season, the path forward in this tournament will not be an easy one. Texas (42-10) is coming off an SEC Championship and an outstanding season, and are one of the favorites to win it all this season.
However, this first regional is in a double elimination format, where a team is eliminated if they reach two losses. A win against Baylor would be huge as the pressure for an upset against Texas will be slightly lifted.
The Badgers will be making their 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but this will be their first matchup against Baylor since 2002. The Badgers have never won the championship, nor have they ever continued past the regional round. However, they are 2-0 against Baylor, all-time.
This tournament bid is the cherry on top to an incredible season for the Wisconsin Softball program. The team rallied behind their star, junior catcher Hilary Blomberg, as well as the team’s three seniors, catcher Emily Bojan, Jacobson and infielder Rylie Crane. Head Coach Yvette Healy notched her 600th win this year.
The Badgers will take on Baylor at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, and will have the potential to continue their upset streak and move on past the regional round for the first time in program history. If this is the last time we see this team, there is no doubt of the history they have already made this season.
