HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University softball team has received an at-large berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament, and the Norse will face Lewis in the opening round of the Great Lakes Regional at Edwardsville, Ill., on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Central time).

NKU enters the NCAA Tournament with a 38-19 record and is the No. 5 seed. Lewis, which has defeated NKU three times in four meetings this season, owns a 39-13 record and is the No. 4 seed.

This past weekend, Lewis knocked off NKU twice at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.

NKU will be making its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Norse are the two-time defending Great Lakes Region champions.

GLVC champion Southern Illinois at Edwardsville is the top seed and host for the Great Lakes Regional. The Cougars (46-8) meet No. 8 seed Grand Valley State (34-19) in the first round of the double-elimination event.

NCAA Division II Tournament
Great Lakes Regional
(at Edwardsville, Ill.)

TIMES BELOW ARE CENTRAL

Thursday, May 11
Game 1: #3 Southern Indiana (37-16) vs. #6 Wayne (Mich.) State (32-24), 9:30 a.m.
Game 2: #2 Gannon (39-16) vs. #7 West Virginia Wesleyan (43-22), noon
Game 3: #4 Lewis (39-13) vs. #5 Northern Kentucky (38-19), 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: #1 SIUE (46-8) vs. #8 Grand Valley State (34-19), 5 p.m.

Friday, May 12
Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 9:30 a.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, noon
Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Game 8: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 13
Game 9: Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 6, 9:30 a.m.
Game 10: Loser of Game 8 vs. Winner of Game 5, noon
Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Game 12: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 9, 5 p.m.

Sunday, May 14
Game 13: Winner of Game 12 vs. Loser of Game 11, noon
Game 14: Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 11, 2:30 p.m.

Monday, May 15
Game 15: played only if the winner of game 13 defeats the winner of game 11, 1 p.m.