Olympic Gold Medalists, All-Americans and Women’s College World Series Champions are Analysts for ESPN’s College Softball Coverage
- Two-Time All-American Amanda Scarborough, Two-Time Gold Medalist Michele Smith the Lead Analysts
- 2016 Co-Big 12 Player of the Year Erin Miller and Three-Time All-American Rainey Gaffin New This Season; Cast of Accomplished Analysts Return
- ESPN to Carry More than 750 Games This Season
ESPN’s industry-leading college softball schedule will have the sport’s most-accomplished analysts accompanying its telecasts once again this season. Former Olympic Medalists, All-Americans, Players of the Year, and Women’s College World Series Champions headline ESPN’s roster which will call the company’s more than 100 game TV schedule, which begins in earnest this weekend and continues into May. Factoring in all its networks, ESPN will carry more than 750 games this college softball season in addition to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship.
Scarborough and Smith Return as Top Analysts
Amanda Scarborough and Michele Smith are ESPN’s lead analysts for the regular season and into the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Scarborough was two-time All-American at Texas A&M (2005, 2007), Big 12 Freshman and Player of the Year (2005) and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year (2007). Also, she helped lead Texas A&M to their first WCWS appearance in over 20 years in 2007. The Texas native joined ESPN shortly after her playing career ended and has been part of the Women’s College World Series coverage in recent years.
Smith has been a staple of ESPN’s college softball coverage for many years and played an integral part in the growth of the sport and the Women’s College World Series. The decorated former player is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2000) and an ASA Hall of Fame member. Her career turned global when she headed to Japan, playing lengthy 16-year professional career.
Deep Roster Highlights ESPN’s Softball Television Coverage
ESPN returns a number of analysts from previous seasons’ coverage, while also welcoming in some of college softball’s most recent stars:
New Analysts This Season
- College: Tennessee
- Honors: Two-time All-American (2015, 2016); Two-Time SEC All-Defensive Team (2015, 2016)
- Erin Miller
- College: Oklahoma
- Honors: Co-Big 12 Player of the Year (2016); Top 10 Finalists for 2016 Senior Class Award (2016)
Returning Analysts
- Kayla Braud
- College: Alabama
- Honors: Three-time All-American (2011, 2012 and 2013); WCWS Champion with the Crimson Tide (2012)
- Carol Bruggeman
- College: Iowa
- Honors: As a Division I coach at Michigan, Purdue, and Louisville, achieved more than 700 combined wins; All Big-Ten and All-Mideast Region as a player; Inducted into the Iowa Softball Association Hall of Fame
- Jenny Dalton-Hill
- College: Arizona
- Honors: National Player of the Year (1996) and Women’s College World Series MVP (1996) Four-time National Champion, winning three as a player (1993, 1994, and 1996) and one as an assistant coach, also with Arizona (1997)
- College: Missouri Western State University
- Honors: National Champion at MWSU and MVP of National Championship; two-time Women’s Major’s National Champion; World Cup Champion with Team USA
- Danielle Lawrie
- College: Washington
- Honors: National Champion (2009), All-American, and played for Canadian National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- Jennie Ritter
- College: Michigan
- Honors: Two-time All-American (2004, 2005); USA Softball Player of the Year in 2005; Women’s College World Series Champion (2005)
- Leigh Dakich
- College: Toledo
- Honors: Led the Rockets to the WCWS; holds the MAC record for batting average and hits. Former head coach at Bowling Green and Syracuse
Adam Amin, Trey Bender, Erin Collins, Trey Denning, Jenn Hildreth, Melissa Lee, Courtney Lyle, Beth Mowins, Mark Neely and Pam Ward will call the majority of play-by-play throughout the season.
ESPN’s 2017 College Softball Television Schedule
| Date | Time | Game | Network |
| March 11 | 11:30 a.m. | Missouri at No. 1 Florida Jenn Hildreth, Michele Smith |
ESPNU |
| 1 p.m. | South Carolina at No. 13 Tennessee
Mark Neely, Jenny Dalton-Hill |
SEC Network | |
| 3:30 p.m. | Mississippi State at No. 5 Texas A&M
Courtney Lyle, Cheri Kempf |
SEC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Arkansas at No. 9 Alabama Trey Bender, Leigh Dakich |
SEC Network | |
| 8:30 p.m. | No. 12 LSU at No. 4 Auburn Tom Hart, Amanda Scarborough |
SEC Network | |
| March 12 | 1 p.m. | South Carolina at No. 13 Tennessee Mark Neely, Jenny Dalton-Hill |
SEC Network |
| 3 p.m. | Mississippi State at No. 5 Texas A&M Cortney Lyle, Cheri Kempf |
SEC Network | |
| 5 p.m. | No. 12 LSU at No. 4 Auburn Tom Hart, Amanda Scarborough |
SEC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Missouri at No. 1 Florida Jenn Hildreth, Michele Smith |
ESPNU | |
| March 13 | 7 p.m. | No. 25 Missouri at No. 1 Florida Jenn Hildreth, Michele Smith |
SEC Network |
| March 17 | 6 p.m. | Southern at Mississippi Valley State | ESPNU |
| March 18 | Noon. | No. 20 Kentucky at No. 17 Georgia | SEC Network |
| March 19 | 7 p.m. | No. 20 Kentucky at No. 17 Georgia | SEC Network |
| March 20 | 7 p.m. | No. 20 Kentucky at No. 17 Georgia | SEC Network |
| March 22 | 5 p.m. | McNeese State at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 7:30 p.m. | North Carolina at No. 13 Tennessee | SEC Network | |
| March 25 | 6 p.m. | No. 22 Ole Miss at No. 13 Tennessee | SEC Network |
| 6 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at No. 1 Florida | ESPN2 | |
| March 26 | 1 p.m. | Missouri at No. 5 Texas A&M | ESPNU |
| 7 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at No. 1 Florida | ESPN2 | |
| March 27 | 7 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at No. 1 Florida | SEC Network |
| March 29 | 7 p.m. | Oklahoma State at No. 24 Arkansas | SEC Network |
| April 1 | 4 p.m. | No. 20 Kentucky at Ole Miss | ESPNU |
| 4 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at Missouri | SEC Network | |
| 6 p.m. | Texas A&M at South Carolina | SEC Network | |
| 7 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at Georgia | ESPN | |
| April 2 | 2 p.m. | Houston at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 4 p.m. | Houston at Texas | Longhorn Network | |
| Noon | Auburn at No. 10 Georgia | SEC Network | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 20 Kentucky at No. 22 Ole Miss | SEC Network | |
| 2 p.m. | Notre Dame at Louisville | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | No. 5 Texas A&M at South Carolina | SEC Network | |
| April 3 | 7 p.m. | No. 5 Texas A&M at South Carolina | SEC Network |
| 7 p.m. | Notre Dame at No. 18 Louisville | ESPNU | |
| April 5 | 7 p.m. | Western Kentucky at Kentucky | SEC Network |
| April 7 | 5:30 p.m. | No. 10 Oklahoma at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| April 8 | 2 p.m. | No. 10 Oklahoma at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 4 p.m. | No. 22 Ole Miss at No. 4 Auburn | ESPNU | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 12 LSU at No. 7 Alabama | SEC Network | |
| April 9 | 1 p.m. | No. 10 Oklahoma at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 3 p.m. | No. 12 LSU at No. 7 Alabama | ESPN2 | |
| 5:00 p.m. | No.3 Oregon at UCLA | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | No. 17 Georgia at No. 1 Florida | SEC Network | |
| April 10 | 7 p.m. | No. 17 Georgia at No. 1 Florida | SEC Network |
| April 12 | 7 p.m. | No. 2 Florida State at No. 1 Florida | SEC Network |
| April 13 | 6 p.m. | South Florida at Central Florida | ESPNU |
| April 14 | 6 p.m. | Texas A&M at No. 24 Arkansas | ESPNU |
| 3:30 p.m. | Savannah State at Florida A&M | ESPNU | |
| April 15 | 6 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at No. 13 Tennessee | SEC Network |
| April 16 | 3 p.m. | Missouri at Auburn | ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at No. 13 Tennessee | SEC Network | |
| April 17 | 7 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at No. 13 Tennessee | SEC Network |
| April 19 | 7 p.m. | No. 18 Louisiana-Monroe at No. 24 Arkansas | SEC Network |
| 7 p.m. | Texas Southern at Texas | Longhorn Network | |
| April 21 | 5:30 p.m. | Iowa State at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| April 22 | 2 p.m. | Iowa State at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 3 p.m. | Baylor at Oklahoma | ESPN2 | |
| 5 p.m. | No. 3 Oregon at No. 6 Arizona | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. | No. 17 Georgia at No. 5 Texas A&M | SEC Network | |
| 8:30 p.m. | No. 24 Arkansas at Mississippi State | SEC Network | |
| April 23 | Noon | Iowa State at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| Noon | Ole Miss at No. 1 Florida | SEC Network | |
| Noon | No. 2 Florida State at Louisville | ESPNU | |
| 1 p.m. | No. 15 Baylor at No. 10 Oklahoma | ESPN2 | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 13 Tennessee at No. 12 LSU | SEC Network | |
| 3 p.m. | No. 3 Oregon at No. 6 Arizona | ESPN2 | |
| 7 p.m. | No. 24 Arkansas at Mississippi State | SEC Network | |
| April 24 | 7 p.m. | No. 24 Arkansas at Mississippi State | SEC Network |
| 7 p.m. | No. 2 Florida State at Louisville | ESPNU | |
| April 26 | 7 p.m. | North Texas at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| April 29 | 2 p.m. | Longwood at Radford | ESPNU |
| 3 p.m. | Texas A&M at No. 20 Kentucky | SEC Network | |
| 8:p.m. | Missouri at LSU | ESPN2 | |
| April 30 | 1 p.m. | No. 1 Florida at No. 13 Tennessee | ESPN2 |
| 3 p.m. | Missouri at No. 12 LSU | ESPN2 | |
| 6 p.m. | Cal State Fullerton | ESPNU | |
| 7 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at Ole Miss | SEC Network | |
| May 1 | 7 p.m. | No. 9 Alabama at Ole Miss | SEC Network |
| May 3 | 5 p.m. | Texas A&M Corpus Christi at Texas | Longhorn Network |
| 7 p.m. | Southern Miss at Ole Miss | SEC Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | Oklahoma at Oklahoma State | ESPNU | |
| May 5 | 7 p.m. | Bases Loaded | SEC Network |
| May 6 | 4 p.m. | Kentucky at Mississippi State | SEC Network |
| 5 p.m. | No. 10 Oklahoma at Oklahoma State | ESPNU | |
| 6 p.m. | LSU at South Carolina | SEC Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at Alabama | ESPN2 | |
| 9 p.m. | No. 6 Arizona at UCLA | ESPNU | |
| May 7 | Noon | LSU at South Carolina | SEC Network |
| 1 p.m. | No. 4 Auburn at No. 9 Alabama | ESPN2 | |
| 2 p.m. | No. 15 Baylor at Texas | LHN | |
| 4 p.m. | No. 6 Arizona at UCLA | ESPN2 | |
| May 10 | Noon | SEC Tournament – First Round | SEC Network |
| 2:30 p.m. | SEC Tournament – First Round | SEC Network | |
| 5:00 p.m. | SEC Tournament – First Round | SEC Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | SEC Tournament – First Round | SEC Network | |
| May 11 | Noon | SEC Tournament – Second Round | SEC Network |
| 2:30 p.m. | SEC Tournament – Second Round | SEC Network | |
| 5:00 p.m. | SEC Tournament – Second Round | SEC Network | |
| 7:30 p.m. | SEC Tournament – Second Round | SEC Network | |
| May 12 | 3:00 p.m. | SEC Tournament – Semifinal | ESPNU |
| 5:30 p.m. | SEC Tournament – Semifinal | ESPNU | |
| May 13 | Noon | American Softball Championship | ESPN |
| 2:00 p.m. | ACC Softball Championship | ESPN | |
| 8:00 p.m. | SEC Softball Tournament – Championship | ESPN |
*Air time later than game time
Rankings per USA Softball (March 7)
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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [email protected] and @DerekVolner
