Patriots narrowly miss NCAA Softball Tournament
FLORENCE, S.C. – The NCAA announced its tournament field for the 2006 Division II women's softball national championships on Monday morning, and for the third consecutive year Francis Marion University narrowly missed making the field.

The Patriots ended the year with a 27-16 record and were ranked eighth in the latest South Atlantic Region poll. Eight teams are chosen for the regional tournament, but because the automatic qualifier from the CVAC, Queens University of Charlotte, was ranked outside of the top eight, Francis Marion is the team left out.

The regional field includes host Columbus State University (39-13), Georgia College & State University (40-11), Wingate University (45-9), Lenoir-Rhyne College (49-10-1), USC Upstate (41-16-1), Carson-Newman College (40-13), Armstrong Atlantic State University (37-25), and Queens (33-22). The double-elimination tournament will take place May 11-15.

Francis Marion won only two of 15 meetings against the eight squads chosen, although six of the losses were by one run.

In 2005, FMU was overlooked despite its 36-14 record, and in 2004, a 37-17 Patriot squad was passed over for the final slot.

Francis Marion will lose only one senior off this year's squad.
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