Norman, Okla. –The Central Arkansas Bears will open their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at 3:00 PM Friday afternoon. The Bears will face off with the regional's host, and eleventh-seeded, Oklahoma.

The Bears (35-19), who won the Southland Conference Tournament to secure the league's automatic bid, bring a good mix of offense and pitching to the game, hitting .280 on the season and recording a team ERA of 3.49.

Offensively, the Bears are led by a trio of juniors in third baseman Sam Forrest , second baseman Sarah Bigej , and catcher Jessie Taylor . Forrest, who was named to the All-SLC second team, led the team with a .354 average, cranking nine home runs, 14 doubles, and driving in 36 runs. Bigej, an All-SLC first team selection for the second straight season, hit .340 on the year, with 14 doubles, two triples, and four home runs while driving in 30 runs. She drew 39 walks and was hit by 12 pitches on her way to a .508 on-base percentage. In a season that saw her named All-SLC third team, Taylor broke her own UCA single-season RBI record, driving in 55 runs while hitting 11 home runs and 13 doubles and slugging .597. All three earned All-SLC Tournament honors.

In the circle, the Bears are led by senior Kylee Studioso , who was named All-SLC second team and the SLC Tournament MVP. The righty went 26-12 with a 3.04 ERA this season, throwing 237.0 innings and striking out 262 batters. She threw a perfect game against Mississippi Valley State on April 14.

Oklahoma (45-7) won their fourth-straight Big 12 title this season while leading the nation in multiple categories, including scoring (8.88 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.679). They also rank second in the nation in batting average (.372) and have a team ERA of 2.15. The Sooners have five players batting over .400, while freshman pitcher Paige Parker has an ERA of 1.45 and has thrown four perfect games this season.

ESPN3 will cover the game, with a stream available at: http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index#sport/softball/.