INDIANAPOLIS — The Carson-Newman softball team received the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional 2 Tournament and will face second-seeded Francis Marion on Friday in Dahlonega, Ga., the NCAA Selection Committee announced Monday.
Top-ranked North Georgia (45-0), the regional host, will face Queens (N.C.) (26-23) on the other side of the bracket on Friday. The winner of the double elimination regional will advance to the Super Regionals on May 21-22. The finals will be held May 27-31 at the Heritage Park Softball Complex in St. Joseph, Mo.
The Lady Eagles (36-10) are making their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, which is a South Atlantic Conference record. The berth is C-N's 11th under head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield, who enters the tournament with 885 career victories. C-N is coming off of a runner-up finish in the SAC Tournament.
Francis Marion (34-14) enters the regional on the heels of a second-place finish in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. The Lady Eagles and Lady Patriots last met in the postseason in 2008 in the NCAA South Regional. Francis Marion defeated C-N, 4-3, in the matchup.
C-N will be playing in familiar territory over the weekend. The Lady Eagles won the Southeast Regional 2 Tournament last season in Hickory, N.C., and advanced to the Super Regional in Dahlonega, where they fell to top-ranked North Georgia.
Game times for this weekend's tournament are expected to be announced on Tuesday.
NCAA DIVISION II SOUTHEAST REGIONAL 2 TOURNAMENT
At Dahlonega, Ga.
Friday, May
14
Game 1: North Georgia (45-0) vs. Queens (N.C.) (26-23), 7:30
p.m.
Game 2: Francis Marion (34-14) vs. Carson-Newman (36-10), 5
p.m.
Saturday, May
15
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May
16
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6, 5 p.m. (If Necessary)
