Softball Set to Open NCAAs at No. 5 Florida Friday Afternoon on SEC Network

Friday, May 17

Gainesville, FL

2:30 PM

Boston University

Florida (NCAA Regional)

Tickets

2019 BU Softball will compete at the NCAA Gainesville Regional Preview Graphic on May 17-19

Softball Set to Open NCAAs at No. 5 Florida Friday Afternoon on SEC Network

May 16, 2019 | Softball

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#1 Florida (44-15), #2 Stanford (32-18), #3 Boise St. (34-14), #4 BU (37-18) at NCAA Gainesville Regional
Dates & Times	Friday, May 17 G1: 12:00 pm - Stanford vs. Boise State - ESPNU G2: 2:30 pm ET - Boston University at #5 Florida - SEC Network Saturday, May 18 G3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 G4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 G5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 Sunday, May 19 G6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 G7 (if necessary): Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game
Venue	Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium – Gainesville, Fla.
Watch (all games)	WatchESPN.com
Live Stats (all games)	NCAA.com
Twitter	@BUGameDay \| @TerrierSoftball
Other Links	Game Notes

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a postseason battle of conference champions, the Patriot League's Boston University softball team (37-18) will open the double-elimination NCAA Regional at the SEC's No. 5 national seed Florida (44-15) on Friday afternoon with the SEC Network broadcast slated to begin at 2:30 p.m.

At-large bid recipients Stanford (32-18 / Pac-12) and Boise State (34-14 / Mountain West Conference) will first clash at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The TV schedule for Saturday's games will be announced following the conclusion of all of Friday's NCAA softball action. All of the games can be seen through the ESPN website/app.

PRE-GAME TAILGATE IN GAINESVILLE
DATE: Friday, May 17
TIME: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Donald R. Dizney Stadium – Hull Road & Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32601
*The event will be held in the parking lot of this stadium (in between the field and the parking garage), home to the lacrosse and soccer programs
COST: Complimentary

NCAA REGIONAL GAME ONE WATCH PARTY
DATE: Friday, May 17
TIME: 2:30 p.m.
LOCATION: T'S Pub – 973 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
COST: Complimentary

NCAA BOUND

Having won its last three games, 17 of last 18 and 26 of last 30, Boston University is making its seventh NCAA appearance in last 11 years and 10th overall ... BU loves even years, making the NCAAs in 2018, 2016, 2014, 2012 and 2010 ... Finally reached in an odd year for the first time since 2009.
The Terriers are the No. 4 seed in a regional for the eighth time and will open against host, No. 5 national seed and 2x NCAA champion Florida.
Regional features two conference champs and four top-100 RPI programs: SEC champ Florida (#6), Pac-12 at-large Stanford (#28), MWC at-large Boise State (#40) and PL champ BU (#96) ... Both Florida and BU won back-to-back conference titles.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

BU is 7-18 all-time ... Collected at least one win in five of the nine appearances (1996, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014).
Reached two regional finals ... Eliminated UConn and UMass in 1996 (two losses to Princeton) ... Eliminated Iowa and Auburn in 2009 (two losses to Georgia Tech).
The Terriers were a No. 3 seed for the first time ever in 2012 ... Edged by Arkansas, 3-2, before eliminating Iona, 4-3, in 13 innings ... Fell at No. 1 national seed Cal, 8-0 (6).
In 2014, BU was edged by No. 11 seed Arizona, 9-6, in the first game ... Only No. 4 seed that year to earn a win with 8-3 win over AAC champ Louisville ... Was one out away from second win over No. 23 ranked LSU before the Tigers rallied to eliminate BU, 8-3 ... Just six runs allowed in three games were earned.
Three years ago at No. 14 national seed Louisiana-Lafayette, BU led off with three singles and got a two-out HBP to grab 1-0 lead ... Ranked No. 9, the Ragin' Cajuns scored seven straight runs over first three innings ... BU scored three in fifth and had two on in sixth with game-tying run at the plate before falling, 9-5 ... After posting 13-9 advantage in hits, the Terriers then fell to 16th-ranked Texas A&M, 6-0, accumulating just three hits.
Last season, No. 2 Oklahoma led, 1-0, before exploding with eight runs in b-4 for 9-0(5) win ... The Terriers rallied from a 4-0 deficit to grab 7-5 lead before Missouri (RPI 24) scored two in 4th and three in 7th to claim 10-8 win.

PATRIOT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS

Sixth-year member BU is representing the 10-member Patriot League (seven in softball) after earning automatic NCAA berth with 3-0 win over No. 4 Colgate, 2-1 win vs. No. 3 Lehigh and then 14-7 victory in rematch with the Mountain Hawks.
BU was top seed and host for the second consecutive year in the PL tournament ... The Terriers have posted a combined 30-5 PL record over the last two years during the regular season.

ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT TEAM

Senior Alex Heinen was named the PL Tournament MVP ... Batted 6-of-9 with four extra-base hits, four runs and four RBIs while catching every pitch ... Hit HR in both games vs. Lehigh.
Sophomore Ali DuBois, senior Madi Killebrew and freshman Emily Gant were named to the All-Tournament Team w/ Heinen.
DuBois allowed just one run in first two games with 10 Ks and pitched combined 3.1 innings in title game (3 R, 1 ER).
Killebrew made her mark in title win ... Lehigh intentionally walked Heinen with 7-6 lead and two outs in b-6 before Killebrew hit three-run HR ... Named tournament MVP in 2018 with PL tourney record 10 RBIs ... Has tallied 14 combined RBIs last six games.
Gant started all three games in LF but made mark in title win ... Went 3-of-3 with a walk, two RBIs and run scored ... Pitched 3.2 innings in relief to claim the victory.

HISTORY WITH GAINESVILLE REGIONAL PARTICIPANTS

BU is 1-1 all-time vs. Florida with 4-3 win in 2000 (Tampa) and 5-0 loss in 1998 (Columbus, Ga.) ... BU went 0-3 vs. SEC this year with losses vs. Tennessee and at Arkansas (2x).
BU is 1-1 all-time vs. Stanford with 4-2 win in 2001 (Tampa) and 8-0 loss in 2004 (Tucson, Ariz.) ... The Cardinal earned home wins this year vs. Bucknell (2-1) and UMass Lowell (7-6, 4-3) ... BU went combined 3-1 vs. those two teams and lost lone meeting vs. Pac-12 this year with 12-0 loss to UCLA.
Terriers could meet Boise State for the first time ever.

HISTORY WITH RANKED TEAMS

BU went 0-4 this season vs. ranked teams with 12-0 loss to then-No. 2 UCLA ... Fell to then-No. 8 Tennessee (4-0) and at then-No. 14 Arkansas twice (4-2, 12-7).
Last beat a ranked team in then-No. 1 Oklahoma (4-3) in 2018 at New Mexico St. tournament ... The OU win marked BU's first vs. No. 1-ranked team and first against a ranked team since beating then-No. 23 Florida Atlantic in 2017 ... Dropping just five games all season, Sooners got revenge with 9-0(5) win in the regionals.
Last beat two ranked teams in 2012 en route to a No. 3 in the Cal-Berkeley Regioal ... Edged then-No. 23 Syracuse, 1-0, after claiming an earlier win over No. 25 South Florida, 5-3, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic.

NCAA EXPERIENCE

BU has three seniors who are in their third NCAA regional and eight total who have seen NCAA action.
Alexa Ponce had the best weekend in 2016, batting a combined 3-of-6 with a two-RBI double and RBI hbp against ULL ... Alex Heinen hit a solo homer against ULL, while Emily Morrow had an RBI single in the same game.
Last season, Morrow went 2-of-5 with two hits and a walk against Missouri ... Added three runs scored ... Marina Sylvestri added two-RBI single against Missouri for 6-5 lead ... Both Madi Killebrew and Ponce had a single vs. Oklahoma ... Ali DuBois allowed 10 runs (9 earned) in 3.2 combined innings with one strikeout and five walks.

FLORIDA TIDBITS

Winner of the last two SEC tournament titles, the 2014 and 2015 NCAA champion Gators are making their 17th straight NCAA appearance and are coming off a 2-1 win over then-No. 4 Alabama in the SEC championship victory.
Florida is batting .264 as a team while holding opponents to .179 with a 119 (51 HRs) - 75 advantage in extra-base hits.
The Gators are led by four-time All-SEC First Team and 2018 SEC Player of the Year Amanda Lorenz, who is bating .421 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 40 RBIs, while 2018 Big 10 Player of the Year and Minnesota transfer Kendyl Lindaman is hitting .341 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs.
Two-time SEC Pitcher of the Year Kelly Barnhill is 30-11 (1.57) with a staggering 313 strikeouts in 241.0 innings ... Elizabeth Hightower (4-1, 1.89 ERA) and Natalie Lugo (7-3, 2.13 ERA) have commbined for 19 starts.

STANFORD TIDBITS

Stanford went 8-13 in the Pac-12 this year but still made the tournament based off an impressive No. 28 RPI ranking.
The Cardinal are making their first NCAA appearance since 2013.
They are batting .277 as a team while holding opponents to .260 with a 25-6 advantage in triples and 40-10 lead in stolen bases.
Teaghan Cowles (.377 avg.) owns 10 doubles, five triples and six homers with 19 RBIs, while Kristina Inouye (.301) owns team-high 31 RBIs.
Maddy Dwyer (12-6, 3.15 ERA) and Carolyn Lee (11-9, 3.36 ERA) have combined for 46 of the 50 starts with Lee going the distance eight times.

BOISE STATE TIDBITS

Owning a No. 40 RPI, Boise State is making its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament.
The Broncos are batting a stellar .327 while holding opponents to .248 with a 63-32 advantage in homers and 52-23 lead in stolen bases.
Kora Wade (.418) is batting a team-high .418 with 48 runs scored, while Rebekah Cervantes (.361) and Bradie Fillmore (.347) have combined for 26 homers and 97 RBIs.
Gianna Mancha (12-7, 3.64 ERA) and Kelsey Broadus (13-6, 4.17 ERA) own 18 starts apiece.