Update on JSU Softball
at Tuscaloosa Regional

Due to technical difficulties, JSUGamecockSports.com is not fully functional. New articles can not be added to the site, so the JSU Athletics Department has set up a temporary site that will allow fans to access the latest news on JSU Athletics. To view rosters, bios and schedules, please continue to the following link... JSUGamecockSports.com. The department issues the following update on the latest news of the JSU Softball Team at the Tuscaloosa Regional.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Jacksonville State softball team worked out for a little over an hour at the University of Alabama Softball Complex on Wednesday, wrapping up the Gamecocks' preparations for their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996, which will begin on Thursday, when they face Florida State at 4 p.m.

The Gamecocks (38-14) advanced to play the Seminoles (37-26) in the first game of the Tuscaloosa Regional on Thursday after claiming their first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title last week in Jacksonville. The NCAA Selection committee's decision to send JSU to the University of Alabama puts the Gamecocks in the same spot it opened the 2008 season. They went 2-2 in the Bama Bash to open the season.

"We are excited and honored to be a part of this regional," JSU head coach Jana McGinnis said in Wednesday's pre-tournament press day. "This is a familiar stadium for us because we have played here before, and it is a good trip for us and our fans."

The four-team regional features two schools the Gamecocks have already seen this year. Host Alabama downed JSU on Feb. 9, 6-2, in the Bama Bash and No. 4 seed Chattanooga was swept in a doubleheader at University Field on Feb. 20, the Gamecocks' home opener.

JSU has used its bats to spark their success for much of the year, and the OVC Tournament was no exception. The Gamecocks hit eight home runs in their three tournament games to lift them into third nationally in home runs per game with an average of 1.38. They are scoring 6.02 runs per game, good enough for 10th nationally.

The Gamecocks and Seminoles will open the three-day, double-elimination event before the host Crimson Tide faces the Mocs at 6:30 p.m. The winners and losers of each game will face off on Friday to decide the two teams in Saturday's championship game, which will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

All of the Gamecocks. games will be broadcast live on the JSU Radio Network with Mike Parris calling the action. They can be heard on the JSU web site. Live stats will be provided by the University of Alabama on www.rolltide.com. The JSU Athletics website is currently undergoing some technical difficulties and will be updated as soon as those problems are corrected. The JSU Athletics Department apologizes for any inconvenience this is causing.

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