The drought is over!

This Friday, on a softball diamond in Norman, Oklahoma, the Kansas softball team will make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 11 years and 13th trip in program history.

The Jayhawks, led by 9th-year head coach Jennifer McFalls, learned their fate on Sunday during the NCAA's annual selection show. The Jayhawks were even one of the featured teams on the show, with a live video feed showing their reaction to the news to the rest of the country.

There was jumping, hugging and, of course, a lot of cheering, as well, with a couple of people in the room moved to the brink of tears.

"It's emotional," McFalls told reporters on Sunday. "And, obviously, so exciting. My heart just bleeds so much for this senior class and all the players that have poured in all the work over the last couple years."

The Jayhawks enter the NCAA Tournament on the heels of an historic run. Their 35-19 record (14-10 in Big 12 playing) marks the most victories in a single season since 2015, and this club set program records for home runs (81), runs (361), doubles (94) and RBIs (342).

"When we came in our freshman year, we were told, ‘Hey, you guys can truly make a difference in this program,’" senior infielder Campbell Bagshaw told reporters after the field was announced. "And that has kind of been our motivation every year, to know that we can be that team that changes the trajectory.”

Getting here was part of that, but now the Jayhawks are hoping to do more.

#KUSoftball is going to the NCAA Tournament for the 1st time since 2015.

Details to come on @WIBWsports pic.twitter.com/7JtWogJTEr
— Andrew Lind (@WIBWAndrew) May 10, 2026

KU will take on Michigan (34-20) in the first round of the Norman regional on Friday, May 15, with first pitch from Love's Field slated for 5 p.m. on ESPNU.

Host school and perennial softball powerhouse Oklahoma (48-8) will take on Binghamton (20-25) in Friday's other game, and the two winners will meet on Saturday to gain the upper hand in the regional, with the two opening-game losers also playing Saturday in an elimination game.

OU has not lost a regional game since 2019 and is riding a streak of nine consecutive Women's College World Series appearances.

But before the Jayhawks worry about slaying that dragon, they've got their sights fully on their Round 1 matchup with Michigan, a team that KU lost to earlier this season, 4-2 at the USF-Rawlings Invitational in South Florida back in February.

“It’s kind of redemption, right," Bagshaw said with a smile. "We played them and didn’t have the results we wanted, so we can hopefully get some revenge on them.”

The Jayhawks carry a 17-22 overall record in regional play into this week's action, with their last regional win coming in their last appearance, a 2-0 win over Indiana State in 2015.

That team finished the season 40-15 and went 2-2 in regional play, with a pair of losses to Missouri keeping them from advancing.