VALDOSTA —
To nobody’s surprise, the Valdosta State softball was selected as the top seed in the NCAA South Region, and host of the South Region I Tournament.
Tampa was selected as the No. 2 seed in the region and will host the South Region II Tournament.
The three teams that will compete in Valdosta this weekend will be No. 4 Rollins, No. 5 Alabama-Huntsville and No. 8 Miles, which won the SIAC to earn an automatic bid to the tourament.
Tampa will welcome No. 3 Barry, one of just three teams to beat VSU this season, No. 6 Florida Southerna and No. 7 West Alabama.
The Blazers (48-3), who went on a Gulf South Conference record winning streak of 36 consecutive games en route to the team’s fourth consecutive Gulf South Conference Championship, will open the South Regional I Tournament Friday night at 7 p.m. with a visit from Miles (29-26).
Rollins (40-9), which has won 16 of its last 19 games heading into the tournament and finished 19-5 in the Sunshine State Conference in a tie for second place with No. 3 Barry, will face Alabama-Huntsville (41-14), the is the defending NCAA South Regional Champion, in the first game on Friday, which is slated for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch at the VSU Softball Complex.
The two winners of the two Friday games will face each other at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, with the losers playing to avoid elimination at 4 p.m.
The loser of Saturday’s first game and the winner of the second game will play for their seasons at 6:30 p.m. The undefeated team will face the remaining team Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for the right to play in the NCAA South Super Regional, which will be held the following weekend against the winner of the South Regional II Tournament champion.
If another game is needed to delcare a Region I champion, it will be held shortly after the completion of the first game on Sunday.
Tickets are already on sale in the Valdosta State ticket office. Ticket prices for the tournament are as follows: Adult Day Passes are $5, Student/Senior and Youth Day Passes are $3, while Adult Tournament Passes are $12. The first 200 VSU students that arrive to Friday’s game will receive free tickets.
The Valdosta State games will be broadcast on local radio this weekend. The Jock 1150 will serve as the home of the top-ranked Blazers Friday night, leading up to the start of the Atlanta Braves game. The first game on Saturday will also be carried live on The Jock 1150. As for Sunday, a webcast will be made available through the university’s athletic website, www.vstateblazers.com.
Complete tournament schedule
Friday
Game 1: Rollins vs. Alabama-Huntsville, 4:30 p.m.
Game 2: Valdosta State vs. Miles, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Game 3: Winner vs. Winner, 1:30 p.m.
Game 4: Loser vs. Loser, 4 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 6:30 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 1 p.m.
Game 7: *If necesary, 3:30 p.m.
