LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The University of Alabama in Huntsville softball team is set to open play at the NCAA South 1 Regional on Friday, as the fifth-seeded Chargers will battle the No. 4 seed Rollins at 3:30 p.m. CDT at the VSU Softball Complex on the campus of Valdosta State University. UAH enters the contest with a 41-14 record, while the Tars venture to the Peach State with a mark of 40-9.
 
The two teams split a doubleheader earlier this season, and Friday's meeting with mark the fifth between the two programs in the NCAA Tournament as UAH holds a 3-1 advantage over Rollins in postseason play.
 
The last tournament contest between the two came in 2009 – an 8-5 triumph for the Blue and White.
 
With an overall mark of 43-28 in tournament play in its 14 appearances, UAH has been particularly strong of late in the NCAA Tournament as the team has put together an impressive 18-5 record over the past three seasons including two runs to the national championship contest.
 
Entering the national postseason on quite a tear, Cortney McNett has been on fire for the Chargers over the past 10 games as she has gone 16-for-27 at the plate for a .593 average, with seven of those hits being for extra bases (three doubles and four home runs). During the span, the all-Gulf South Conference catcher has driven in 19 runs.
 
Stephanie Needham continues to lead the team – and the GSC – in most of the offensive categories, and she ranks fifth in the country in batting average as she features a .477 average and sixth in home runs with 18.
 
Rollins comes into the weekend winners in three of their last five, and the squad features a strong pitching staff as the team ERA is a miniscule 1.14.
 
The Chargers, however, were able to put up plenty of offense when the two meet in March as UAH scored five times in an 8-5 loss before winning 7-4 in the nightcap. Against the Tars, Abby MacKay drove in six runs and drew two of 11 walks UAH would take in the pair.
 
 The winner of the contest will face the victor of No. 1 seed Valdosta State and eighth-seeded Miles at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, and the two losing teams will face at 4 p.m. on Saturday in an elimination contest.
 
Live stats for the contest will be available.
 
Fans are encouraged to follow the Chargers on Facebook (facebook.com/uahchargers) and on Twitter (@uahchargers), and supporters of the Blue and White may sign up for text and e-mail updates at uahchargers.com.