INDIANAPOLIS – The Road to Denver has begun.
 
Around the country Wednesday, 48 NCAA Division II softball teams began their quests to reach the Assembly Athletic Complex for the Division II National Championships, scheduled for May 27 through 31.
 
A limited amount of tickets will be made available to the general public before each game if participating teams don't sell out their predetermined allotment. A total of 200 spectators will be allowed into the facility, 25 percent of capacity.
 
Each participating team will receive a pre-sale code for a total of 200 tickets. Three hours prior to each game, any unsold tickets, at $8 each, will go on sale to the public here.
 
Eight double-elimination regional tournaments started Wednesday, with the winner of each regional earning a trip to Denver, which was also the site of the 2019 National Championships and will also host the event in 2022.
 
Augustana (S.D.), which won the 2019 championship (there was no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) is once again among the tournament favorites.
 
Other teams seeded first in their region are Kutztown (Pa.), Georgian Court (N.J.), Grand Valley State (Mich.), Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.), North Georgia, Oklahoma Christian and Concordia-Irvine (Calif.).
 
Colorado Mesa is the lone Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team in the NCAA field.