The Wisconsin Badgers have punched their ticket to the 2026 NCAA Tournament, capping off a strong 32-19 regular season. For Yvette Healy's squad, the road to the Women's College World Series starts now—and it's been far too long since they've been part of the action.

Fresh off an impressive upset of Oregon and a run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, this team is peaking at the perfect time. The sky truly seems to be the limit for a Badgers group that has shown grit and determination all year.

Healy has four full days to prepare for their opening matchup on Friday, May 15, against Baylor. The Bears come in at 28-26, but history favors Wisconsin—they're 2-0 all-time against Baylor, with both wins coming by the same 2-1 scoreline. Talk about a pattern.

Wisconsin enters as the No. 2 seed in the Austin Regional, hosted by the reigning SEC Champions, Texas. This marks the Badgers' first trip to Austin since 2023, when they pulled off one of the program's most memorable wins: a 7-6 victory over No. 9 Alabama. That kind of experience against top-tier competition could prove invaluable.

On paper, 42-10 Texas looks like a juggernaut, especially against a Wagner team that finished four games under .500. But Wisconsin's path is clear: get past Baylor first, then set up a massive showdown with the Longhorns on Saturday that will define the rest of the bracket.

Here's the key: Wisconsin has to lose twice to be eliminated. That means if they can take down Texas even once, they'll have a real shot at making it out of this regional. It's a double-elimination format, and the Badgers have historically thrived in postseason play—they've won at least one game in each of their last six tournament appearances.

This is Wisconsin's eighth tournament berth under Healy and their 10th overall. With a 13-18 all-time program record in the big dance, they're looking to add more wins to that tally. The stage is set, the bats are hot, and the Badgers are ready to make some noise in Austin.