In one week, Northwestern begins its quest for an eighth national title.
The Wildcats received the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play the winner of the Stanford-Notre Dame matchup May 12 at Lakeside Field in their second-round game. By virtue of being seeded in the top six, NU earned a first round bye.
The NCAA announced the tournament selections Sunday, hours after the Wildcats (17-2) defeated Florida in the ALC championship game 8-3.
This is the first year the NCAA Tournament will be played among 26 teams, which is an increase from the 16 previously included in the tournament.
Florida (17-2) earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament and is on the opposite side of the bracket, meaning the two teams could only face off in the NCAA championship game. Maryland, the only other team to win a national title in the last eight years, is the top seed and the only undefeated team in the bracket.
— Ava Wallace