ESPN Family of Networks All Over NCAA Women’s College World Series

This year, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will all have games leading up to and through the Women’s College World Series. In addition, the networks will have coverage of all the regionals and Super Regionals as well meaning there will be a total of 55 NCAA Division I Women’s Softball Championship games. That’s a lot.

Here’s the press release and schedule of games.

Most Extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship Coverage Begins May 21

Schedule Includes Two Regional Sites for First Time, Every Super Regional and World Series Game

With the addition of a Regional site, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com will combine to provide the most extensive NCAA Division I Softball Championship coverage to date with up to 55 games May 21-June 9, an increase from the scheduled 48 last year. The lineup will feature complete coverage of two Regional sites, one more than last year, every game from each of the eight Super Regional sites for the second consecutive year and every Women’s College World Series contest for the ninth straight event.

Every game from both Regional series and the entire Women’s College World Series will be offered in high definition.

Action will begin Friday, May 21, with four telecasts from two Regional sites. Games from Seattle will include Nebraska vs. North Carolina at 5:30 p.m. ET and North Dakota State vs. Washington at 8 p.m., both on ESPNU HD. The doubleheader from Atlanta will pit Auburn vs. Oregon at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2 HD and Jacksonville State vs. Georgia Tech at 8 p.m. on ESPN HD (both games will be simulcast on ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV).  

Highlights:

• A record 55 scheduled games will be offered across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com, including all possible 14 Regional, 24 Super Regional and 17 Women’s College World Series contests. 

• ESPNU HD will televise one complete best-of-seven Regional series, while ESPN2 HD and ESPN HD will combine to cover another May 21-23. Each Regional winner will advance to the Super Regionals.
• ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com will combine to televise every game from the eight best-of-three Super Regional series May 27-30. For the third season, ESPN will offer whip-around coverage, featuring two games in one window while whipping around to the best action from both games for viewers in most of the nation (except in the home market of the competing teams, where the game of local interest will be the primary telecast). Each Super Regional winner will advance to the Women’s College World Series. 
• ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3.com will combine to televise every Women’s College World Series game June 3-9. It will mark ESPN’s 29th consecutive year covering the event.
• ESPN3.com — ESPN’s signature live, sports broadband network – will simulcast every ESPN and ESPN2 telecast. ESPN Mobile TV will simulcast a total of up to 23 games.

• The networks will use two announce teams on the Women’s College World Series, each featuring U.S. Olympic Gold Medal winners as analysts. Beth Mowins will call play-by-play with analyst Jessica Mendoza, a 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist. Pam Ward will call play-by-play with analyst Michele Smith, a two-time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist (2000 and 1996). Holly Rowe will serve as the field reporter on every telecast.

• The Regional telecasts will feature Mowins and Mendoza working games from the Atlanta series and play-by-play announcer Cara Capuano calling games with Smith in Seattle. The Super Regional commentators include Mowins, Ward, Capuano, Justin Kutcher, Clay Matvick, Rowe and Bob Wischusen working play-by-play and Mendoza, Smith, Jennie Ritter, Amanda Freed, Garland Cooper, Cheri Kempf, Cindy Bristow, Leah Amico, Barbara Jordan and Brittany Rogers as analysts.

• ESPN International will provide coverage of the Women’s College World Series in 54 countries and territories on ESPN Pacific Rim, ESPN Australia, ESPN Africa, ESPN Middle East, ESPN Caribbean and ESPN Brazil. 

The extensive schedule of games is available after the break.

Here’s the schedule. Get ready to scroll for a while.

I told you it was long.