Asmussen | Eager Illini take Cinderella dreams into NCAA regional

Illinois coach Tyra Perry talks to members of the media after practice at Eichelberger Field in Urbana on Tuesday, May 14, 2019.Three berths in the last four NCAA tournaments. Three trips to Lexington. Ky.

Talk about your old Kentucky home.

The Illinois softball team doesn't need directions to the site of Friday's regional opener against Virginia Tech. John Cropp Stadium has become a home away from home for the Illini. Well, sort of.

"I think it's really cool to be able to say I've been to Kentucky three times for regionals," Illini senior Annie Fleming said. "We know the landscape a little bit, know what we are getting into. It's a very different vibe than going in your first year, when you…