NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. - The Franklin Pierce Ravens are the No. 1 seed in the NCAA East Region softball bracket, announced by the national office Monday morning. The Northeast 10 regular season champions headline a group of four conference teams in the field, making up half the East Region selections. League regular season runner-up Adelphi is the No. 2 seed and, along with FPU, will host a pod of the regional. Conference champion Assumption and runner-up Southern New Hampshire slot in as seeds five and six.
The news continues a string of history for Franklin Pierce. This spring is the third time FPU has been selected for the national tournament and the first time it's been the No. 1 seed. Pierce went two and out in 2023 and made its tournament debut in 2022, winning a game before bowing out on day three. The Ravens enter the postseason already boasting a school-record 40 wins on the season and their first NE10 regular season title.
Adelphi is the No. 2 seed in the region on the heels of a 35 win season and an 11 win improvement from a year ago. Adelphi is led by all-NE10 pitcher Jenna Plue, who threw to a 2.95 ERA and 175 strikeouts this year.
Assumption is seeking to keep its momentum rolling after walking-off the NE10 Championship final. Maddy Bland's three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh inning delivered the Greyhounds their first conference trophy since 2012. The Hounds were dubbed the No. 5 seed in the region, pitting them against No. 4 Caldwell out of the CACC. The game is maybe the most interesting first-round matchup of the entire tournament with a pair of sisters as opposing head coaches. Stacey Mayer leads Assumption, while her sister Lindsay leads Caldwell for her third season. Their father, Mark, is an assistnat at AU. That game will be played in Rindge at the site of Assumption's conference title victory.
The final NE10 team in the field is the conference championship runner-up, Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen are led by NE10 Pitcher of the Year Julianna Colbert, who has ranked in the top 10 nationally in strikeouts all season.
NCAA OPENING GAMES SCHEDULE
*No. 1 Franklin Pierce vs. No. 8 Mercy, May 14 @ 2pm
*No. 4 Caldwell vs. No. 5 Assumption, May 14 @ 4:30pm
^No. 2 Adelphi vs. No. 7 Bridgeport, May 14 @ 12pm
^No. 3 STAC vs. No. 6 SNHU, May 14 @ 2:30pm
*Games played at Franklin Pierce
^Games played at Adelphi
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 1 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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