Going into its first NCAA regionals since 1987, the Northwestern softball team hopes to stay in Oklahoma for as long as possible.

The Wildcats (28-24) open play today against No. 13 Oregon State. NU is one of six teams in the regionals at Norman, Okla., located just a few miles southeast of the Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium — site of the 2000 College World Series. The winners of the eight regionals will meet in Oklahoma City for the national title next week.

If the Cats are to become the Cinderella team of the NCAAs, they must get by a formidable road block in Oregon State. The Beavers (37-19-1) are making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAAs after falling one game shy of the College World Series last year.

“Once you get into a tournament like this, you just have to get hot at the right time and then you can go all the way through it,” NU coach Sharon Drysdale said. “All the records are out right now and everybody is even. We are all back at 0-0.”

Oregon State hails from the talent-rich Pacific-10 Conference, which sent all eight teams to the NCAAs. Pac-10 teams hold five of the eight No. 1 rankings in the tournament, with Oregon State as the second seed in NU’s bracket.

The Cats are no stranger to West Coast opponents, having faced the country’s top teams in a road trip to Arizona and California early in the season.

Going into the matchup with Oregon State, NU is undoubtedly looking back to its March 23 upset of No. 1 Washington. The victory over the Pac-10 champs proved NU could play with the nation’s best teams.

“It showed us that on any given day we can beat anybody,” said junior Brooke Siebel, the Big Ten Player of the Year. “That game proved that we were right there with everyone else.”

Agreed freshman rightfielder Brett Nakabayashi: “I think we can look back at games like that and get more confidence knowing that we can do it. You can’t be hesitant against these teams. You have to go all out and know that you can do it.”

For the Cats to down Oregon State, they must regain some of the clutch hitting that disappeared at the Big Ten tournament. NU’s offense will be challenged Thursday afternoon by the Beavers’ All-Pac-10 hurler Tarrah Beyster.

Beyster is clearly Oregon State’s best player, with a record of 25-12 and 323 strikeouts this year. The senior superstar held Washington to four hits in a 1-0 complete game shutout at Seattle.

Unfortunately for the Cats, hitting Beyster is only half the battle.

As one of Oregon State’s leading hitters, Beyster also belted 15 home runs and a team-leading .437 batting average this season.

“Beyster is a big strong player and a good hitter,” Drysdale said. “She’s got good stuff all around.”

But the Cats have changed a lot since March 5, when they faced Oregon State in the Hillenbrand Invitational, held in Tucson, Ariz. The Beavers took the contest 5-1, but managed only three hits off NU pitchers Lauren Schwendimann and Brie Brown.

The Cats showed their early-season inexperience in that game, allowing four first-inning runs on an ugly display of walks, wild pitches, a Schwendimann error and — unbelievably — no Oregon State hits. NU managed seven hits off Beyster, but scored only one run.

“All I remember from that game is that they got their runs off no hits,” Brown said. “It’s a whole new ball game we’re going into and that game has nothing to do with the one we’re about to play on Thursday.”

Being a squad that has thrived on beating strong teams, the Cats’ approach to big games has been their remedy for success this season.

NU has played their best softball against the top 25 , surprising Washington, No. 12 Cal-State Fullerton and No. 14 Michigan in dominating victories.

“We go at it like a no-lose situation,” Nakabayashi said. “We go all out and don’t hold anything back against them — that is when we play our best.”

The Cats feel the tournament selection helped them not only with a favorable location, but also with the schedule. Win or lose, NU will play only one game today before moving on in the double-elimination competition. For a team that has had trouble winning consecutive games in one day, the NCAA format is a big break for NU.

In need of a season-best showing, the Cats are ready to begin their second season.

“I’ve been waiting all year to play them again,” Nakabayashi said. “I didn’t know if we’d get the chance.”