*Florida – The Gators are looking to make their fourth consecutive trip to the College World Series, a place they have been quite comfortable at, going 7-6 in three consecutive trips, including a runner-up finish two years ago.  As in previous seasons, the Gators faced a challenging schedule, one that saw them go 22-9 against the 17 NCAA teams they faced.

To say Florida has a powerful lineup would be an understatement.  Four players have hit more than 15 home runs and those same four have over 50 RBI.  Megan Bush leads the way with 20 dingers and 72 runners batted in.  Fellow senior and SEC Player of the Year Kelsey Bruder (17 home runs, 63 RBI) is right behind her.  Other power hitters in the lineup include Aja Paculba (15 round trippers and 54 RBI), Brittany Schutte (17 homers, 52 RBI) and Cheyenne Coyle (13 home runs, 46 RBI).

The Gators use a two-pitcher rotation, headlined by stud freshman Hannah Rogers and Stephanie Brombacher.  The team has relied heavily on Rogers, as Brombacher was out for an extended period of time with an injury.  Since Brombacher has come back, however, Florida has tried to use both of them, usually in the same game.  Rogers has a 30-5 record and 1.6 ERA, while Brombacher has impressive stats as well (17-2, 1.08).

UCLA – The defending national champions come into the NCAA Tournament unseeded after going 33-17.  The Bruins have never been to the state of Florida for the postseason or played in Gainesville. UCLA has appeared in five tournaments in Florida and owns a record of 30-2. Against their Regional opponents UCLA is 3-2 vs. the Gators, 1-0 vs. Bethune-Cookman and has not faced Jacksonville.  They’ve faced 15 teams that made the Tournament and went 13-17 against those teams.

The Bruins have six players hitting over ,300 on the season.  They are a power hitting team, having knocked 64 balls out of the park, compared to 25 for their opponents.  Andrea Harrison leads the team in average (.392), hits (58), home runs (13), RBI (46), slugging percentage (.730) and on-base percentage (.503).  Kellie Fox is hitting .352, knocked out 11 homers and brought in 45 RBI, all second best on the team.  GiOnna DiSalvatore leads the team in doubles, while B.B. Bates is the third member of the double-digit home run club (10) and third with 39 RBI.

Two pitchers on the Bruins staff, Donna Kerr and Jessica Hall, have similar stats.  Hall has started 24 games, while Kerr 23; Both have appeared in 31 games.  Hall has accumulated a 16-8 record and 2.61 ERA.  Kerr has a 12-record with 2.46 ERA.  Kerr has punched out 167 batters, while Hall has 113 K’s.

Bethune-Cookman – Bethune-Cookman earned their invite when they defeated Delaware State for their second consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title.  It is also the second consecutive year they have gone to Gainesville for the NCAA Tournament and third overall.  Their first time, in 2005, they defeated the Gators and South Florida twice to win the Regional and move on to the Super Regional round.

Allison Garcia is the team’s offensive stud.  She hits .374, has 61 hits, nine home runs and 56 RBI, all team highs.  Michelle Banuelos-Smith is second on the team with a .367 average.  She is tied for second in RBI with 40, with Ashton Hinds.  Hinds leads the team with 20 steals

Not only is Garcia their top hitter, she is also the team’s top pitcher.  She has a 26-11 record and has a 3.54 ERA.  She has struck out 133 batters on the season.

Jacksonville – A 7-1 victory over Lipscomb secured the program’s first A-Sun Tournament Championship.  The title also seals the Dolphins (43-14) first NCAA Tournament berth.  The team comes in on a 15-game winning streak, their last loss coming to Lipscomb at the beginning of April.  The Dolphins do have an impressive win over Texas A&M earlier in the season.

Sarah Simon and Amanda Schmidt lead the team offensively.  Both women have a team-high nine home runs, but Schmidt leads the team with 48 RBI, while Simon has 40.  Schmidt boasts a .301 average and leads the team with 12 doubles, while Simon leads the team with a .371 average and added 10 doubles.  Kayla Ouellet leads the team with 21 steals.

Sarah Sigrest and Olivia Kline make up the Dolphin pitching staff.  Sigrest has put together a 26-5 record, while boasting a nifty 1.01 ERA.  She has also struck out 200 opponents.  Kline’s put together a 15-6 record and 1.5 ERA.