Sorry, Sooner fans, but it’s likely the same slight Oklahoma softball received from the NCAA last year is about to happen again.

Last season, the Sooners went into the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 1 in the country and as the tournament’s No. 3 seed, but were sent to Amherst, Mass., for the UMass Regional. After they won in New England, the Sooners returned home to host a Super Regional.

That scenerio is likely to play out again, no matter what OU (43-11, 16-2 Big 12) does at this weekend’s Big 12 Tournament.

The reason? The NCAA selection committee, which will announce this year’s tournament field at 9 p.m. Sunday, likes to put regionals within driving distance of the schools involved. That is, unless the school is a rich Big 12 program with money for plane travel, like OU.

Since Big 12 regular-season champion Texas A&M is in the same area, and will probably get its own regional, good teams from south Texas will likely be put there.

As will Louisiana-Lafayette, which is 44-12 this season, and could host its own regional, too.

OU likely won’t get to play at home simply because the schools around it aren’t very good.

Wichita State (33-28, 13-13 Missouri Valley), St. Louis (33-29, 12-8 Atlantic 10), Missouri State (28-21, 11-13 Missouri Valley), Arkansas (35-27, 7-20 SEC), Middle Tennessee (22-31, 11-12 Sun Belt), North Texas (27-32, 9-15 Sun Belt), Louisiana-Monroe (21-36, 9-15 Sun Belt), Colorado State (27-22, 7-11 MWC) and New Mexico (20-25, 9-11 MWC) are all within driving distance of OU, but all will probably watch the NCAA Tournament unfold from home.

That would put the Sooners on the road again.

But don’t think they’re not eager to get to work at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

OU takes on Nebraska at 11 a.m. today in a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal. The 10th-seeded Huskers upset No. 7 seed Kansas 4-3 in the tournament’s opening round Friday night.

OU swept the regular-season series in Lincoln by a combined score of 17-1 in the two meetings.

If the Sooners win, they’ll take on the victor between Missouri and Texas Tech at 4:30 p.m.

“We’ve really been playing well in the Big 12,” OU coach Patty Gasso said. “I’m really proud of that.”

In fact, the Sooners ended the regular season on an eight-game winning streak that culminated in a 12-inning, 9-4 victory at Baylor April 30.