TUSCALOOSA | The University of Alabama softball team got everything it wished for and more when the field for the NCAA Tournament was announced Sunday night.

The Crimson Tide had its No. 3 national ranking upheld by garnering the third overall seed in the 64-team field, the top seeding in the history of a program that will be making its 10th consecutive appearance in the national championship tournament. Alabama was also assured home-field advantage all the way through the regional and super regional rounds, giving the Tide a chance to earn a bid to the Women’s College World Series without ever leaving the Alabama Softball Complex.

To top it off, Saturday’s championship round of the Tuscaloosa Regional will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

Alabama (51-6) will host an NCAA regional on Thursday through Saturday. The Tide will play Tennessee-Chattanooga (41-20) in the first round, with Florida State (37-26) facing Jacksonville State (38-14) in the other first-round game.

“It’s a great feeling,” Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said. “I think it’s a total credit to our fan base. What would be the best thing for us would be if every seat was sold and the whole place was packed and we set a new attendance record for that Saturday night [regional title] game.