Gainesville Regional Bracket

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – By virtue of its first MEAC Tournament crown since 1996, the Hampton University softball team will compete in the Gainesville Regional of the 2013 Division I Softball Championships this weekend, beginning with a match-up against Florida on Friday at 6 p.m.

The double-elimination regional will begin on Friday with a game between South Florida and Georgia Southern at 3:30 p.m. All games in the Gainesville Regional will be played at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.

The Lady Pirates (34-24) have won 15 of their last 18 games en route to winning their first MEAC Tournament title since 1996, coming off a 7-3 win over rival Norfolk State in the championship game. Head coach Trena Peel, in her third season, was named Most Outstanding Coach, while freshman Taylor McCoy (Riverview, Fla.) was named Most Outstanding Performer.

No. 2/3 Florida is the No. 2 overall seed after winning the SEC regular-season and tournament titles. The Gators (52-7) are led by SEC Coach of the Year Tim Walton, and five Gators earned All-SEC honors, led by First Team selections Hannah Rogers and Lauren Haeger. Rogers is 29-5 in the circle with a 1.59 ERA, while Haeger leads the team with 17 home runs.

South Florida (43-14) won the Big East title after beating Notre Dame 1-0 in 10 innings on Saturday. The Bulls have won 11 of their last 14 games and did not allow a run in the Big East Tournament, thanks in large part to 22.2 scoreless innings from Big East Pitcher of the Year Sara Nevins. She struck out 12 in the title game against Notre Dame.

Georgia Southern (32-28) won the Southern Conference title for the second straight season, after beating North Carolina Greensboro in 11 innings on Saturday in the title game. Sarah Purvis is a two-time SoCon Pitcher of the Year, and she has 17 wins on the season. Kourtny Thomas, who has 12 home runs this season, hit the walk-off home run against UNCG.

Hampton has never faced any of the other three teams in the Gainesville Regional.

This will be Hampton's second-ever appearance in the NCAA Div. I Softball Championships, with the Lady Pirates' first coming in 1996 (the team's first season as a Div. I program). That season, Hampton squared off against Nicholls State in the regional round, falling 15-0 and 13-0 in Tallahassee, Fla.

The winners of Friday's games will play on Saturday at 1 p.m., and the losers will play at 3:30 p.m. in the double-elimination format. After another loser's bracket game at 6 p.m. on Saturday, two teams will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. to determine which team advances to the Super Regional to face the winner of the Louisville Regional.

Live stats and free live video streaming will be available.

To learn more about the Gainesville Regional, click here.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.