Five PBC Softball Teams Receive NCAA Tournament Bids

INDIANAPOLIS, IND -- The NCAA announced that five Peach Belt Conference softball teams received bids to the 2008 NCAA Tournament as the 64-team bracket was released on Sunday. UNC Pembroke will host the eight-team South Atlantic Regional for the first time in school history beginning on Wednesday, May 7, at 11:00 am. UNCP will be the #2 seed while GCSU, is the #4, Francis Marion #5, North Georgia #6 and Armstrong Atlantic State #7.

Eight teams will compete at eight host sites around the country in a double elimination tournament, with the winner of each regional advancing to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship in Houston, Texas, May 14-17, as part of the NCAA Divsion II Sports Festival. The finals will be hosted by Rice University and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority.

Second-seeded UNCP (44-12) will face seventh-seeded and Peach Belt Conference foe Armstrong Atlantic (26-16) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in one of four first round contests in Pembroke. Admission prices per day are $5 for students and $10 for adults 18 years of age and older. All session admission booklets can be purchased for $25. Gates will open one hour prior to first pitch.

Fourth-seeded Georgia College (39-12), ranked in a tie for 25th in the latest top 25 listing by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, will get things started on Wednesday in an 11:30 a.m. tilt against fifth-seeded Francis Marion (33-13), with top-seeded and sixth-ranked Carson-Newman (46-6) following in a 1:30 p.m. contest against No. 8 seed Pfeiffer (30-21).

The UNCP/AASU contest at 6:30 p.m. will be preceded by a 4 p.m. game that will pit third-seeded and 20th-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne (39-12) against No. 6 seed North Georgia (35-13).

Thursday’s softball action at LRA Field will get underway at 11 a.m. with the first of two elimination games, with winner’s bracket play resuming at 4 p.m. Softball action begins at 11 a.m. on Friday as well, with Saturday’s action slated to start at 1 p.m. The South Atlantic Regional championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m., with an if necessary contest slated for Sunday at noon.

2008 NCAA Softball Championships
Hosted by UNC Pembroke May 7-11

Wednesday, May 7
#4 GCSU vs. #5 Francis Marion, 11:00 am
#1 Carson-Newman vs #8 Pfeiffer, 1:30
#3 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. #6 North Georgia, 4:00
#7 Armstrong Atlantic State at #2 UNC Pembroke, 6:30