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Utah head coach Amy Hogue didn't watch the ESPN U broadcast when Utah learned its regional opponents Sunday night.
She watched her team.
"I just saw their faces," Hogue said after her players joined arms and hopped in a circle, laughing and screaming. "That meant the world to me."
It's the first time in nine years that Utah will play in the postseason, kicking off the three-day, double-elimination tournament against Virginia Tech (34-21) at 1:30 p.m. MDT Friday in Knoxville.
And it's a start, Hogue said. "This was part of what was on the checklist. There's a lot more things on the list, though."
Hogue asked her Utes before the season started to describe, in writing, their idea of the perfect selection show party.
The result was an hourslong, acre-sized bash at the palatial North Salt Lake home of former Ute Amy Mason-Cowley, with five dozen players and family members crowded around the TV for the announcement.
There was a false alarm when they saw UCF on the bracket, prompting the first note of a cheer and breathless explanations that the "U." threw them off.
It'd be worth the wait, though: The Utes are 3-0 against the other two teams in the Knoxville Regional, having beaten hosts Tennessee (No. 11, 42-14) 4-3 at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., in late February, and Longwood (33-23) 10-1 and 3-2 at the Hawaii Spring Fling in Honolulu in early March.
Hogue said the team's goal "is to not do anything different physically. Handling the emotions will be something that we'll have to figure out."
Senior captain Kate Dickman believes the Utes were prepared for the postseason by the difficulty of conference play. Seven Pac-12 teams will play in the tournament, tied for second-most among conferences.
Utah had won five straight Pac-12 series before splitting against Washington — the finale rained out Saturday.
"Even though none of our players have the postseason experience, we've been playing those caliber of teams all season," she said.
Utah's breakthrough season was spurred in large part by freshmen pitchers Katie Donovan and Miranda Viramontes. Utah cut its ERA almost in half from 2014, down to 2.74. They were led at the plate by Dickman (.448, 29 extra-base hits) and sophomore second baseman Hannah Flippen (.373, including eight multi-hit games over a 12-game stretch).
Hogue admitted she knows "zero, zip" about the Hokies, and was too caught up to even notice they were Utah's first opponent until her son told her.
They'd study film Sunday night, she said.
"We've recorded everything, so if they've been on TV, I've got it."
Sixteen teams will advance to Super Regionals held May 21-24 at campus sites, playing best of three series, and the eight winners will play in the double-elimination Women's College World Series, setting up a best of three finale.
Of the party, Dickman had just one complaint.
"It went by too fast. I want to rewind and do it all over again."
Twitter: @matthew_piper —
NCAA softball tournament
O Utah vs. Virginia Tech, Friday, 1 p.m., at Knoxville, Tenn.
• BYU vs. Oregon, Thursday, 3 p.m., at Eugene, Ore.
• Weber State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, Friday, 7 p.m., at Lafayette, La.
Online • ESPN3