May 14, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -
The Texas A&M softball team heads to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend for its 20th appearance in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. The Aggies face Lehigh Friday at 2:30 p.m. in its first game of the regional. Top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Florida follows against Florida A&M at 5 p.m.
The regional is double-elimination and the winner advances to the super regional versus the winner of the Tallahassee Regional hosted by No. 16-seeded Florida State.
In its eighth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies are the only team in the Gainesville Regional to receive an at-large bid. The Gators, Mountain Hawks and Lady Rattlers each received an automatic bid by winning their conference tournament.
Texas A&M (31-20) starts the postseason on the road for the first time in two years after hosting back-to-back regionals in the comfortable confines of the Aggie Softball Complex. The team enters the weekend after dropping its first game of the Big 12 Championship, but has won two of its last three contests.
Lehigh (36-16-1), which clinched its sixth NCAA Tournament berth, defeated A&M twice in the 2006 NCAA Amherst Regional.
Florida (55-3) earned the No. 1 seed in the championship for the second straight year, along with back-to-back Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament titles. UF is no stranger to Texas A&M as the Aggies eliminated the Gators from the last two NCAA Tournaments.
Florida A&M (30-30) won the Mid-Eastern Conference Tournament to clinch its fourth NCAA postseason appearance.
Every A&M postseason game will be broadcast live on AggieAthletics.com and Sports Radio 1150 The Zone. Live stats are also available on the website. In addition, free live video is available on gatorzone.com.
Additional Game Times (All times Central)
Friday, May 15
5 p.m. - No. 1-seed Florida vs. Florida A&M
Saturday, May 16
12 p.m. - 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)
Sunday, May 17
12 p.m. - Game 6 (winner game 3 vs winner game 5)
2:30 p.m. - Game 7 (if necessary)
Tickets:
Tournament Pass
$25 - adults
$10 seniors/children 12 and under
Day Pass (sold day of event only)
$10 - adults
$5 - seniors/children 12 and under
http://gatorzone.com/softball/tour/ncaa/2009/?p=tickets
A&M IN THE POSTSEASON
The Aggies have advanced to the NCAA Championship more times than any Big 12 program. In addition, A&M has won the most NCAA Tournament games of any conference school and holds a 55-40 all-time record. The team advanced to the super regional three times (2005, 07, 08), the NCAA WCWS seven times (1983, 84, 86, 87, 88, 2007, 08) and won the NCAA national championship twice (1983, 87).
BIG 12 TEAMS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Big 12 placed seven teams in the tournament, the second-most of any DI conference. Missouri, Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M all received bids with Oklahoma obtaining a No. 7 seed. The Southeastern Conference set a league and NCAA record by advancing nine teams to the tournament.
LEADING THE WAY
Sophomore Holly Ridley (.299) provides power with 19 extra-base hits and a .558 slugging percentage, while sophomore Holly Ridley is the lone senior that played in the regional as a freshman.
A&M VS. LEHIGH - 2006
On May 16, 2006 Lehigh had a four-run lead on A&M and the Aggies scratched back for three runs in the sixth, behind a Jamie Hinshaw RBI double and a Macie Morrow hit a two-out single and Kelsey Spittler followed with an RBI triple that scored Morrow from first for the 1-0 lead. The Gators advanced a runner into scoring position, but a double play and a foul fly ended the game and UF's season and sent Texas A&M to the WCWS championship series.
SCOUTING FLORIDA A&M
The Lady Rattler's make their seventh NCAA postseason appearance after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament - their ninth title since 1993 and third in the last five years - to earn an NCAA automatic bid. FAMU finished the regular season with a perfect 12-0 southern divisional record and were the top seed in their conference tournament.
Florida A&M has won 11 of its last 12 games and is led by Nicole Terryn with a .322 batting average. Melissa Oliphant (.316) tallies 10 doubles, three triples, five home runs and 27 RBIs, while Rhianna Green leads the team with 64 hits, 35 stolen bases and 14-of-16 stolen bases. Amanda Reyes (22-18) carries the pitching load with a 2.31 ERA, 11 shutouts and 199 strikeouts in 251.1 innings pitched. Oliphant (8-5) is also seen in the circle and posts a 4.11 ERA.
VERSUS THE LADY RATTLERS
Texas A&M is 2-0 all-time against Florida A&M. The Aggies shutout the Lady Rattlers, 14-0 on March 1, 1984 and were victorious, 9-1, on March 3, 2003.
WHAT'S UP NEXT
Should the Aggies win the Gainesville Regional, they will advance to face the winner of the Tallahassee Regional. The four-team field consists of No. 16 seed Florida State, Oklahoma State, Mississippi State and California. After super regionals, the remaining eight teams will advance to the WCWS, an eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The championship final will be a best-of-three series. The WCWS will be conducted May 28 to June 3 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.