SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri Valley Conference champion Missouri State Bears will learn their postseason fate Sunday (May 15) evening and they are inviting the public to join them in an NCAA Softball Selection Show watch party at Big Whiskey's on Republic Road in Springfield, beginning at 8:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The Bears of head coach Holly Hesse swept the field at this weekend's State Farm MVC Softball Championship to bring home the sixth Valley Tournament title in school history.

Missouri State, which became just the second host team to capture the championship, matched Creighton for the most championships in the 28-year history of the conference tournament.

ESPNU HD will air the NCAA Division I Softball Selection Show on Sunday at 9 p.m., unveiling of the 64-team field. The one-hour show will include tournament predictions, analysis of the bracket and phone interviews with some of the top head coaches in the nation.

Beth Mowins will host with analysts Jessica Mendoza and Michele Smith. Both accomplished softball players, Mendoza was a four-time All-American at Stanford and won Olympic Gold (2004) and Silver (2008) medals, while Smith was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma State and earned two Olympic Gold Medals (1996 & 2000).

ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile TV will provide extensive coverage of the NCAA Division I Softball Champioanship -- up to 55 games May 20-June 8. It will mark ESPN's 30th consecutive year covering the event.

ESPN networks will feature complete coverage of three Regional sites May 20-22 and will combine to televise every game from the eight best-of-three Super Regional series May 26-29. Each Super Regional winner will advance to the Women's College World Series. ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3.com and ESPN Mobile will combine to televise all of the Women's College World Series games June 2-8.

-MSU-