Northern Iowa softball coach Ryan Jacobs admits he was pleasantly surprised when his Panthers received an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. UNI opens a regional on Friday afternoon against Iowa State in Columbia, Missouri.

The Panthers finished 31-18 after falling to Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Tournament title game and Jacobs says they decided to watch the selection show as a team even though they had their doubts.

Jacobs says it is a great accomplishment for a team that opened with a 7-10 record.