University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia Opens NCAA Softball Championships Against Radford Thursday
May 13, 2009 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. The 28th Annual NCAA Division I Softball Championships will officially begin on Thursday when eighth-ranked Georgia meets Radford in the Chapel Hill Regional. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Highlanders is slated for 1 p.m. ET at the University of North Carolina's Anderson Stadium.
A total of 64 teams were selected to the NCAA Championships with 16 sites hosting Regional competition May 14-16 or May 15-17. The Bulldogs, selected as the No. 1 seed for the Chapel Hill Regional, open the tournament against fourth-seeded Radford in the first of four games scheduled for Thursday. Host and second-seeded North Carolina will play third-seeded Campbell in game two of the Chapel Hill Regional at 3:30 p.m. The Columbus Regional hosted by Ohio State, and the only other site to play May 14-16, will feature a pair of evening contests starting at 5 p.m.
Georgia is making its eighth-consecutive and eighth overall NCAA postseason appearance in school history, all under head coach Lu Harris-Champer. It marks the second-straight season in which the Bulldogs were selected as the top seed for the Chapel Hill Regional after going 3-0 here last year to advance to Super Regionals. The Bulldogs are 21-14 overall in NCAA postseason play.
Georgia did not play any of the other Chapel Hill Regional teams during the regular season in 2009. All-time, Georgia is 4-2 against North Carolina, 5-1 against Campbell and 2-0 against Radford. Last year, Georgia opened the Chapel Hill regional with a 9-0 victory over Campbell.
Live statistics for all Chapel Hill Regional games will available through www.tarheelblue.com and www.ncaasports.com, and free live audio will be available for Georgia's contests courtesy of GXtra via www.georgiadogs.com.
Georgia Selected As No. 6 National Seed For NCAA Championships
Georgia was award the No. 6 national seed for the 2009 NCAA Softball Championships. It marks the highest national seed in program history for the Bulldogs, who were the No. 10 seed in 2005, the No. 11 seed in 2006 and the No. 15 seed in 2008.
Georgia Returns To Chapel Hill
Georgia was selected as the No. 1 seed for the Chapel Hill Regional for the second-straight season. Last year, Georgia went 3-0 in Chapel Hill defeating Campbell 9-0 and topping Brigham Young twice, 9-3 and 4-0. The Bulldogs and Tar Heels did not meet last year.
This year, three-fourths of the field is back with Radford joining UGA, UNC and Campbell.
The Chapel Hill Regional games will be played Thursday through Saturday, similar to 2008, as Campbell is unable to play games on Sunday due to its religious affiliation.
Bulldogs Open NCAA Championship Against Big South Champion Radford
The Bulldogs opening game of the NCAA Softball Championship will come against the Radford Highlanders, who won the Big South Championship.
Georgia and Radford have met twice before on the diamond with the Bulldogs winning both contests. The last meeting came in 2005 in Athens as part of the Georgia Red & Black Challenge, and UGA won that contest, 5-0. The first meeting also came in tournament play in Athens in 2003, and the Bulldog earned victory in that game by a score of 11-0.
Radford earned the Big South’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championships by winning their first league championship. The Highlanders placed five players on the All-Big South First Team including Pitcher of the Year Chelsea Kelley and Freshman of the Year Leigh Godfrey.
The Highlanders enter Regional play with a .319 team batting average and 65 home runs. From the circle, Radford’s pitchers have compiled a 2.87 earned-run average, 16 complete games and 185 strikeouts.
Georgia Series History Vs. North Carolina
In the all-time series history against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Bulldogs lead 4-2. The last meeting between the schools came in 2006 at the FIU Fun & Sun Classic in Miami. The Tar Heels won that game 8-4. Prior to the 2006 meeting, the last time the two teams square off was in 2003 in Athens, a game Georgia won 1-0.
UNC enters Regional play hitting .278 with 33 home runs to go along with a 2.84 ERA and 600 strikeouts. From the plate, the Tar Heels are led by ACC Player of the Year Danielle Spaulding. From the circle, the Tar Heels are led by ACC first-team selection Lisa Norris and Spaulding. Norris has compiled a 1.11 ERA with 260 strikeouts, while Spaulding has posted a 1.13 ERA with 323 strikeouts.
Georgia Series History Vs. Campbell
In the all-time series history against the Campbell Fighting Camels, the Bulldogs lead 5-1 including a 9-0 victory in the opening game of the 2008 Chapel Hill Regional. Prior to last year’s meeting, the two teams played twice in 2007 with Georgia winning both contests, and three times in 1997 with Georgia winning two and Campbell taking one.
Campbell enters Regional play after capturing its second-straight Atlantic Sun Championship. The Fighting Camels had five players selected to the All-Atlantic Sun First and Second Teams including Pitcher of the Year Brittany Stanley. Campbell head coach Drew Peterson was named the Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year.
