INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Before they headed off to class Monday for the final time before finals begins next week, the Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team got to enjoy breakfast watching their name be called by the NCAA as the Toros have qualified for the NCAA West Regionals for the first time since 2013.
 
The news kept getting better for the Toros as they don't have to travel afar to play: a trip south of the 405 freeway to Irvine on the campus of Concordia where the six-seeded Dominguez Hills will – once again – face CCAA foes No. 2 Chico State Thursday. First pitch is at noon.
 
Joining the two from the CCAA are two from the PacWest in Concordia and Azusa Pacific. It will be a double elimination format, meaning that two losses will end a team's season. The winner of the bracket will advance to the NCAA Super Regional May 19-20 against the winner of the other regional bracket hosted by No. 1 seed Cal State San Marcos for the West Region title. That bracket features CCAA Tournament champions Sonoma State and runner-up Cal State Monterey Bay and GNAC champions Northwest Nazarene.
 
It will be the ninth time in program history the Toros have qualified for NCAA Regionals and the eighth time under 17^th-year head coach Jim Maier.
 
For the 2022 version of Maier's team, they have seen Chico and Azusa Pacific this season. Of course being in the CCAA they are expected to see each other, but it will be the sixth time the 'Cats and Toros will clash. The two sides split the four-game regular-season series at Toro Diamond in March and on Friday Dominguez Hills escaped an elimination game with Chico in the CCAA Tournament in Seaside. Dominguez Hills and Azusa Pacific saw each other once at the Tournament of Champions in April. The Cougars walked off in 10 innings to open the tournament.
 
The Cougars are 35-15 overall while finishing second in the PacWest at 25-7. The conference champions Concordia are 43-8 overall and 29-3 in the PacWest. The Eagles have been hovering in the NFCA Top 25 all season long, including a No. 1 appearance.
 
The winner of the Irvine bracket will face the winner of the San Marcos bracket in the Super Regional. The higher seed remaining will receive the honor to host.

The NCAA West Region champions will advance to the NCAA Championship held May 26-31 in Denver, Colo.