Thursday, May 19, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The JU softball team will get to face a national power to start the NCAA Tournament on Friday as they play defending national champion UCLA at 3:30 p.m. on the first day of the Gainesville Regional.

The Dolphins (43-14, 18-2 A-Sun) and Bruins (33-17, 9-12 Pac 10) will have the first game of the double-elimination event, followed by Florida and Bethune-Cookman in the night cap.

Three games are set for Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., while the final and deciding contest to win the regional on Sunday is set for 1 p.m. Fans call watch all of the games live from the Gainesville Regional on ESPN3.com, the first national TV appearance for the Dolphins.

The winner of the Gainesville Regional faces the winner of the University Park Regional featuring No. 13 Oregon, Fordham, Penn State and Albany.

“This is going to be a fun weekend,” said JU head coach Amanda Lehotak. “We look forward to playing UCLA on Friday. They are the national champs and our kids are ready to face them. We have been playing really well as of late, which gives us some good confidence as we head into our first NCAA postseason.”

JU enters the tournament on a program-best 15-game winning streak, which includes a sweep against cross-town rival UNF to secure its first A-Sun regular season championship.

Along with the ESPN3 broadcasts, fans can follow the games through internet radio and live stats by logging onto JUDolphins.com.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.