Four PBC Softball Teams Advance to NCAA Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Four Peach Belt Conference softball teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament as the 64-team field was released by the national office. North Georgia is the top seed in the southeast region and will host one of the two regional sites. Augusta State, USC Aiken and GCSU all received at-large bids into the tournament.

The 2009 softball championship has changed its structure with two four-team regional sites beginning this Friday, May 8 and continuing through Sunday the 10th. The winner from each of those will meet in a best-of-three super-regional May 15-16. North Georgia will host one side of the regional while Lenoir-Rhyne will host the other. The winner of the super regional, played at the highest remaining seed, will advance to the softball national championships May 21-25 in Salem, Va.

North Georgia will be the top overall seed in the Dahlonega Regional, hosting and matching up with 8th seed Queens University in the opening round, while #4 Augusta State will take on #5 Wingate University at the softball complex on the opening day of the NCAA Southeast Regional in Dahlonega.

North Georgia is currently the #2 team in the nation according to the latest NFCA Division II Top 25, and have held the top spot in every NCAA Southeast Region Poll this season. The Saints are currently 43-3 overall, having won 20 straight contests, and 35 of their last 36 games, including capturing the Peach Belt Conference regular season and Tournament Championship.

Augusta State will meet Wingate in their first game in Dahlonega. The Lady Jaguars will be making their second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament after advancing in 2007. ASU finished the regular season 32-19 overall and 11-7 in conference play. ASU has won 16 of their last 21 games heading to the regional.

GCSU and USC Aiken will both make the trip to Hickory, N.C. and Lenoir-Rhyne for their half of the regional.

GCSU will meet the host Bears in their first game on Friday. The Lady Bobcats were 31-22 overall this season, 12-6 in conference play. GCSU will be making their fourth straight trip to the NCAA Regionals and fifth in the last seven years. GCSU reached the national championship game in 2003.

In his 22nd season at the helm, Snyder, who has coached the USC Aiken Pacers to a record of 529-526 in his 22 years at the helm, has the 2009 Pacers in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time in school history. USC Aiken is currently ranked a program-best 14th and the Pacers enter the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 34-14 record. The Pacers will begin their maiden voyage into the NCAA Division II Tournament owning the best winning percentage in school history. They are only three games away from tying the school record for most wins in a single season.

Every game in Dahlonega will be broadcast over Peachbeltsports.tv and will also have live stats.

North Georgia Tournament Site

2009 NCAA Softball Tournament
Southeast Regionals

Hosted By North Georgia

Friday, May 8
Augusta State vs. Wingate 5:00
Queens at North Georgia 7:30

Saturday, May 9
Winner game 1 vs. Winner game 2 2:30
Loser game 2 vs. Loser game 2 5:00
Winner game 4 vs. Loser game 3 7:30

Sunday, May 10
Winner game 3 vs. Winner game 5 2:30
Winner game 6 vs. loser game 6 (if necessary) 5:00

Hosted By Lenoir-Rhyne

Friday, May 8
USC Aiken vs. Carson-Newman TBA
GCSU at Lenoir-Rhyne TBA

Saturday, May 9
Winner game 1 vs. Winner game 2 TBA
Loser game 2 vs. Loser game 2 TBA
Winner game 4 vs. Loser game 3 TBA

Sunday, May 10
Winner game 3 vs. Winner game 5 TBA
Winner game 6 vs. loser game 6 (if necessary) TBA