Liberty Selected to Compete in NCAA Athens Regional
5/12/2024 8:06:00 PM | Softball
Liberty (36-23) will open competition at the 2024 NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Friday, playing in the Athens Regional against Charlotte (38-16) on Friday at 3 p.m. on ESPN+. The No. 11 national seed, Georgia (39-16), will host the four-team regional, Friday through Sunday, at Turner Softball Stadium. In the other side of the bracket, No. 11 seed Georgia will face UNCW (33-21), Friday at 5:30 p.m.
NCAA Athens Regional Schedule
Easton Stadium
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Liberty vs. Charlotte – 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 11 Georgia vs. UNCW – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 1 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 3:30 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner – 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Regional Final – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 winner – TBA
Game 7: * if necessary – Rematch of Game 6 – TBA
2024 NCAA ATHENS REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
General Admission Tickets: $25 all session / $10 daily
All Session Tickets
Only sold in advance of the tournament online. All-Session tickets will be sold until Wednesday, May 16 at 9 a.m. ET
Single-Game Tickets
Available for purchase online beginning Wednesday, May 16 at 9 a.m. ET
The winner of this week's Athens Regional will face the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, next Friday through Sunday.
Liberty will be facing Charlotte for the second time this season. The Lady Flames knocked off the then No. 21-ranked 49ers 6-5 on March 20 in Lynchburg.
The Lady Flames are 1-1 all-time against Georgia in softball, with both meetings coming in the 2022 NCAA Durham Regional.
Liberty is 15-6 against UNCW, with the Lady Flames winning the most recent meeting in the 2017 season.
Liberty (36-23) won both the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles in its first year in the conference. The Lady Flames went 19-5 in Conference USA games this season, winning all eight conference series.
The team fell to No. 4 seed New Mexico State in its first game at the 2024 CUSA Softball Championship before rallying to eliminate UTEP, Louisiana Tech and NM State in order to make it to yesterday's winner-take-all final. The Lady Flames overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits yesterday against No. 2 seed Western Kentucky, winning the championship on a walk-off RBI double by Savannah Jessee in the ninth inning. Liberty is the first CUSA team to win the conference tournament title in its first year in the league since WKU in 2015.
Junior Brooke Roberts was named the CUSA Softball Championship MVP, while senior Mary Claire Wilson, junior Elena Escobar, sophomore Brynn McManus and redshirt freshman Savannah Jessee were all named to the CUSA All-Tournament Team.
Under the direction of 11th-year Head Coach Dot Richardson, the Lady Flames boast the nation's second toughest nonconference strength of schedule. Liberty has tied its program single-season record with four wins over Top 25 opponents (No. 25 Penn State, No. 21 Charlotte, No. 24 Virginia, No 10 LSU). The Lady Flames also beat Louisiana earlier this season.
This will be Liberty's seventh appearance all-time in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship and fourth in a row. Last year, Liberty earned its first-ever at-large bid in softball and was sent to the Los Angeles Regional. After falling to San Diego State in the first round, the Lady Flames claimed arguably the biggest win in program history, eliminating No. 2 UCLA, 2-1. Liberty then knocked out Grand Canyon before losing to San Diego State in the Regional final.
The team made its first postseason appearance in 2002, competing in the Columbia, S.C., Regional against No. 1 UCLA and UMBC. The Lady Flames next qualified for the NCAA Knoxville Regional in 2011, falling to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 19 Georgia Tech.
This is the seventh full season in a row in which Liberty will compete in the postseason, as the Lady Flames won the inaugural Postseason National Invitational Softball Championship in 2017. Following its 2018 NCAA Columbia Regional Final appearance, Liberty won the 2019 NISC Lynchburg Regional to advance to the NISC National round for the second time. The Lady Flames made their second appearance in a Regional final in 2021, eliminating Eastern Kentucky and No. 9 national seed Tennessee. The following year, Liberty went 1-2 at the Durham Regional, including an upset of No. 19 Georgia in the first round.
NCAA Athens Regional Schedule
Easton Stadium
Friday, May 17
Game 1: Liberty vs. Charlotte – 3 p.m.
Game 2: No. 11 Georgia vs. UNCW – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 18
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 1 p.m.
Game 4: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser – 3:30 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Game 5: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner – 6 p.m. (loser eliminated)
Sunday, May 19
Game 6: Regional Final – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 winner – TBA
Game 7: * if necessary – Rematch of Game 6 – TBA
2024 NCAA ATHENS REGIONAL TICKET INFORMATION
General Admission Tickets: $25 all session / $10 daily
All Session Tickets
Only sold in advance of the tournament online. All-Session tickets will be sold until Wednesday, May 16 at 9 a.m. ET
Single-Game Tickets
Available for purchase online beginning Wednesday, May 16 at 9 a.m. ET
The winner of this week's Athens Regional will face the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, next Friday through Sunday.
Liberty will be facing Charlotte for the second time this season. The Lady Flames knocked off the then No. 21-ranked 49ers 6-5 on March 20 in Lynchburg.
The Lady Flames are 1-1 all-time against Georgia in softball, with both meetings coming in the 2022 NCAA Durham Regional.
Liberty is 15-6 against UNCW, with the Lady Flames winning the most recent meeting in the 2017 season.
Liberty (36-23) won both the Conference USA regular-season and tournament titles in its first year in the conference. The Lady Flames went 19-5 in Conference USA games this season, winning all eight conference series.
The team fell to No. 4 seed New Mexico State in its first game at the 2024 CUSA Softball Championship before rallying to eliminate UTEP, Louisiana Tech and NM State in order to make it to yesterday's winner-take-all final. The Lady Flames overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits yesterday against No. 2 seed Western Kentucky, winning the championship on a walk-off RBI double by Savannah Jessee in the ninth inning. Liberty is the first CUSA team to win the conference tournament title in its first year in the league since WKU in 2015.
Junior Brooke Roberts was named the CUSA Softball Championship MVP, while senior Mary Claire Wilson, junior Elena Escobar, sophomore Brynn McManus and redshirt freshman Savannah Jessee were all named to the CUSA All-Tournament Team.
Under the direction of 11th-year Head Coach Dot Richardson, the Lady Flames boast the nation's second toughest nonconference strength of schedule. Liberty has tied its program single-season record with four wins over Top 25 opponents (No. 25 Penn State, No. 21 Charlotte, No. 24 Virginia, No 10 LSU). The Lady Flames also beat Louisiana earlier this season.
This will be Liberty's seventh appearance all-time in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship and fourth in a row. Last year, Liberty earned its first-ever at-large bid in softball and was sent to the Los Angeles Regional. After falling to San Diego State in the first round, the Lady Flames claimed arguably the biggest win in program history, eliminating No. 2 UCLA, 2-1. Liberty then knocked out Grand Canyon before losing to San Diego State in the Regional final.
The team made its first postseason appearance in 2002, competing in the Columbia, S.C., Regional against No. 1 UCLA and UMBC. The Lady Flames next qualified for the NCAA Knoxville Regional in 2011, falling to No. 5 Tennessee and No. 19 Georgia Tech.
This is the seventh full season in a row in which Liberty will compete in the postseason, as the Lady Flames won the inaugural Postseason National Invitational Softball Championship in 2017. Following its 2018 NCAA Columbia Regional Final appearance, Liberty won the 2019 NISC Lynchburg Regional to advance to the NISC National round for the second time. The Lady Flames made their second appearance in a Regional final in 2021, eliminating Eastern Kentucky and No. 9 national seed Tennessee. The following year, Liberty went 1-2 at the Durham Regional, including an upset of No. 19 Georgia in the first round.
Players Mentioned
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