FLORENCE, S.C. – The Francis Marion University softball program learned on Sunday (May 4) that it has earned an invitation to the NCAA Division II women’s softball national championships, the first in the program's history.

The announcement also ends four years of frustration that has seen the Patriots just miss garnering bids to the national tournament. This will be FMU's first post-season play since the program advanced to the 1988 NAIA National Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Francis Marion (33-13) will be the fifth seed in the South Atlantic Regional, which will begin on Wednesday in Pembroke, N.C.  FMU will face fourth-seeded and 25th-ranked Georgia College & State University (39-12) on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m.  The eight-team double-elimination tournament will conclude with the championship game on Saturday.

The 64-team national field consists of eight regionals. The winner of the regional tournament will advance to the national finals (Elite Eight), May 14-17 in Houston, Texas.

The Patriots and Bobcats split their two games during the regular season in Milledgeville, Ga., with GCSU winning 3-2 in 10 innings and FMU winning game two of the doubleheader 6-3.  GCSU won last month's Peach Belt Conference Tournament in Florence, including a first-round 2-0 win over FMU.

Carson-Newman College (46-6), winner of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament, is the top seed in the regional, while host UNC Pembroke (44-12) is the second seed.  All games will be played on the LRA Field on the UNCP campus.

"I am extremely proud of our squad," said FMU head coach Stacey Vallee.  "This is a goal that we have been building toward over the past several years, and to finally reach it is very gratifying.  I am especially happy for the three seniors.  We look forward to the opportunity ahead of us this week."

Sophomore outfielder Jessica Birchmeier leads FMU with a .404 average and 42 runs batted in.  Junior shortstop Shannan Tyson is hitting .385, while senior first baseman Monica Wofford is batting .375 with seven home runs and 36 RBIs.

Sophomore left-hander Michaela Wolf paces the FMU pitching staff with a 23-10 record and a 1.82 earned run average.  She is the first Patriot hurler to win 20 games twice in a career -- after winning 21 games as a freshman.  Senior righty Melanie Bisek is 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA.

Francis Marion will leave Florence on Tuesday and practice at UNCP on Tuesday.

The remainder of the regional field includes third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne College, sixth-seeded North Georgia College & State University, seventh-seeded Armstrong Atlantic State University, and eighth-seeded Pfeiffer University.  The field includes five Peach Belt Conference teams.

Francis Marion's second game of the tournament will be on Thursday -- at 4 p.m. if the Patriots win on Wednesday or at 11 a.m. with a first-round loss.

LINK to Tournament Page

NCAA II Women's Softball South Atlantic Regional

1. Carson-Newman College
2. UNC Pembroke
3. Lenoir-Rhyne College
4. Georgia College and State University
5. Francis Marion University
6. North Georgia College & State University
7. Armstrong Atlantic State University
8. Pfeiffer University

First-round games on Wednesday, May 7 in Pembroke, NC:
Game 1 - 11:00 am - GCSU vs. Francis Marion
Game 2 - 1:30 pm - Carson Newman vs. Pfeiffer
Game 3 - 4:00 pm - Lenoir Rhyne vs. North Georgia
Game 4 - 6:30 pm - UNC Pembroke vs. Armstrong Atlantic State