The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced on Wednesday the 15-team field that will participate in the 2020 NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Nine of the participating teams were selected for the NCAA tournament in 2019, while Liberty reached the final round of the National Invitational Softball Championship tournament. The field includes one defending Women’s College World Series participant in Minnesota, as well as Super Regional participants Kentucky and Ole Miss.
In addition to that trio of teams, the remainder of the tournament field includes Auburn; Baylor; Illinois; Liberty; Louisville; Mississippi State; Missouri; Missouri State; North Carolina State; Notre Dame; South Alabama; and Texas State.
The SEC leads all conferences with five teams in the tournament field, while the ACC boasts three and the Big Ten a pair of participants. Two teams representing the Sun Belt are part of the field, while the Big 12, ASun, and Missouri Valley conferences have one participant each.
Team USA will play five exhibition games against teams in the tournament, including Baylor; Kentucky; Illinois; Mississippi State; and Texas State. Two of the exhibition games include tie-ins of particular interest to members of Team USA: Keilani Ricketts is the younger sister of Mississippi State head coach Samantha Ricketts and previously served as a volunteer assistant with the Bulldogs, while Cat Osterman has served as the pitching coach at Texas State since 2015.
Formerly an annual tournament from 1996-2014, the Leadoff Classic will return in 2020 after a five-year hiatus from the Division I schedule.
The full weekend’s slate of games can be found here.
