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The moment "Utah" popped up on the TV screen, the entire softball team leapt from their chairs and shouted with joy.
On Sunday night, the Utes (32-19, 13-10 Pac-12) learned they're heading to Lexington, Ky., for the NCAA Tournament regional round, with a first-round match-up against Illinois (35-21, 12-11 Big Ten).
The game will be played on Friday, with a time to be determined.
While their watch party in a sprawling home in North Salt Lake was indeed a celebration after the program's second straight NCAA berth and a season with its most Pac-12 wins ever, there's more to be done. And this time, the Utes have a goal to make it out of Kentucky for the Super Regional round.
"I feel like this program has decided to get better no matter what through the wins and losses," coach Amy Hogue said. "Just setting little goals and keep taking the steps forward."
The path ahead goes through the Illini, who finished seventh in the Big Ten and rank No. 48 in the last NCAA RPI ratings. Illinois lost in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, 2-0, to eventual champ Minnesota.
The Utes are making their first back-to-back tournament trips since 1995, earning an at-large bid for finishing in fourth in the cutthroat Pac-12. Pitching has helped give them an edge: The team is third in the league in ERA (2.83) and starters Katie Donovan and Miranda Viramontes are among the top 10 Pac-12 pitchers in ERA.
While the Utes have only won two of their last seven games, their last two series against UCLA and Oregon - two of the tournament's top 16-seeded teams - have loaned them some confidence.
The Utes took Friday's game against the No. 3-ranked Ducks in Eugene, 3-2. Junior shortstop Anissa Urtez said it was a galvanizing weekend for the team, which lost the Saturday rubber match by only one run.
"I think our mindset is really good to go - we're ready," "[Oregon] has a powerhouse, they have a really good crowd and they were rallying. But we were strong. We didn't let it get to us, and I think that was a really good thing for us to focus on going into regionals."
It's the second straight year Utah heads to SEC country for regionals. Kentucky (43-12) hosts the regional as a 9-seed in the tournament, and faces Butler in the first round of the double-elimination bracket. The Utes lost to the Wildcats in the sixth game of the year, 1-0, that was decided on a walk-off wild pitch.
Last year, the Utes made the regional final against host Tennessee but fell in the first of two possible games.
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah vs. Illinois
NCAA regional first round
Friday, time TBD
John Croop Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky