Date Posted: 5/13/2007

DeLand, Fla. -- The Atlantic Sun Conference Champion Stetson University softball team learned Sunday that it will be the no. 4 seed and will play the no. 13 national seed and host Florida Gators (46-20) in the opening round of the NCAA Gainesville Regional at 6 p.m. Friday night at the Florida Softball Stadium. The Hatters (44-20) will be making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The four-team, double elimination regional will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon as the no. 2 seed Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (53-13) of the ACC will face the no. 3 seed Texas Longhorns (33-18) of the Big XII Conference.

Florida (19), Georgia Tech (17), and Texas (18) are all ranked in the lastest NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.

"It is as good a bracket as any in the nation," Stetson coach Frank Griffin said. "For us, it is a great place to be. It is close to home, we'll have good fan support, and a lot of our kids have played there before so they will be comfortable."

While the Hatters and Gators did not meet this year, the two teams did face each other twice last year, including once in Gainesville. The teams split the series last year but Florida leads the all-time series over the Hatters 9-2.

Stetson and Georgia Tech last met in 2005 at Patricia Wilson Field, a 5-0 Yellow Jackets victory. The all-time series between the two teams is tied 2-2.

Stetson and Texas have never met.

"It is a short trip (to Gainesville) so we won't have the wear and tear that goes along with long travel," Griffin said. "We'll keep them loose, get some good practices in, and then go play ball."

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