NORFOLK - The 2013 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Champion Hampton University will face the (No. 2) University of Florida in the Gainesville Regional of the 2013 NCAA Division I Softball Championship, May 17-19. 

The Lady Pirates (33-24) earned the post-season berth after defeating local-rival Norfolk State, 7-3, in the title game of the MEAC’s double-elimination tournament Saturday, May 11.  The Lady Pirates have won 15 of their last 18 games and clinched the tournament’s No. 1 seed in the north heading into post season play. 

Hampton head coach Trena Peel, in her third season, was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Coach and freshman Taylor McCoy was named Most Outstanding Performer.

Florida swept the Southeastern Conference (SEC) regular-season and tournament championships, beating Missouri 10-4 in the title game on Saturday.  Florida is 52-7 and has won 12 of its last 14 games. 

This is the second appearance for the Lady Pirates in the NCAA Division I tournament.  Hampton made its first appearance in 1996 against Nicholls State, losing both games. This will be the first meeting between Hampton and Florida.

In addition Hampton and Florida, Georgia Southern and South Florida will compete in the Gainesville Region in a double-elimination format, rounding out the field of four teams looking to advance to the Super Regional.

The Lady Pirates is one of thirty-one teams to be awarded a conference automatic qualification to the 64-field tournament.  The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites beginning this weekend.

Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition.