TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (April 23, 2015) - The Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) has released pairings and game times for the upcoming state softball tournament in Vero Beach, Fla., May 1-3.
The 2015 tournament signals a couple of changes for the event - a new location (Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach) and a new format. Gone are the two separate eight-team tournaments. In its place comes a 16-team, double-elimination event, with four participating teams from each of the FCSAA's four conferences. The final two teams left in the tournament will advance to the NJCAA Tournament in St. George, Utah, and play a one-game state championship game.
All ten teams ranked in the FCSAA Softball Coaches' Poll are in the event, led by No. 1 College of Central Florida. The Patriots will open postseason play against No. 7 and defending FCSAA State Champion Tallahassee Community College at noon, Friday, May 1. The game marks a rematch of last year's state championship game and is also one of three opening round pairings between ranked teams.
The others are No. 2 Seminole State College vs. No. 10 Pensacola State College (May 1, 10 am) and No. 3 Chipola College vs. No. 8 St. Johns River State College (May 1, noon).
Other 10 a.m. first round pairings are State College of Florida vs. Eastern Florida State College, St. Petersburg College vs. Miami Dade College and Florida State College at Jacksonville vs. Northwest Florida State College.
Other noon first round pairings are Polk State College vs. Palm Beach State College and Hillsborough Community College vs. Indian River State College.