NCAA Softball Tournament regional picks: Predicting all 16 winners

The full 64 team bracket for the NCAA Softball Tournament in 2026 has been set, with 16 regionals getting underway on Friday, May 15. Which eight teams will advance and earn Women's College World Series spots in 2026? Four unseeded teams upset their way to regional wins in 2025, with Mississippi reaching the WCWS.

A few teams are top candidates to take down a regional host in 2026. REQUIRED READING: SEC shines while ACC flounders: Winners and losers from NCAA Softball Tournament reveal The SEC put nine teams in the top 16 seeds, including the top three with Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma, respectively. Regional host snubs Stanford, Virginia Tech and Arizona State could also all be tough outs.

Here are USA TODAY Sports' winner predictions for all sixteen regionals of the 2026 NCAA Softball Tournament: NCAA Softball Tournament predictions: Regional winner picks Tuscaloosa Regional (1) Alabama (49-7) vs. USC Upstate (36-21) Southeastern Louisiana (46-14) vs. Belmont (40-11) Austin Curtright, USA TODAY: Alabama.

While the Crimson Tide get a decently tough regional with Southeastern Louisiana and Maya Johnson-led Belmont, the Crimson Tide have too much offensive firepower, along with a pitching duo in SEC Pitcher of the Year Jocelyn Briski and Vic Moten that's capable of battling in low-scoring affair. Mitchell Northam, USA TODAY: Alabama. It would be really fun to see Maya Johnson steer her Belmont team into the Super Regionals, but this Crimson Tide team is just too good.