FLORENCE, SC – The Francis Marion University softball program, the automatic qualifier from Conference Carolinas, learned on Monday morning (May 11) that it will host one of the two NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Tournaments this week (May 14-16).

The 64-team NCAA Tournament field, which includes automatic qualifiers and at-large selections, was announced Monday morning.  Four teams will participate at each of 16 sub-regional sites in double-elimination tournaments, with all competition taking place May 14-16.  The tournament at FMU is one of two host sites in the Southeast Region, as top-seeded University of North Georgia will host four teams as well.

Francis Marion (44-11) will be the second seed in the regional and will face seventh-seeded Carson-Newman University (40-12) on Thursday at 3 p.m.  Third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University (39-13) will play six-seeded Anderson University (38-13) at 6 p.m. in Thursday's other first-round game. 

The winners from Thursday's contests will play at 1 p.m. on Friday, while the losers will play at 4 p.m.  A second elimination game will follow at 7 p.m.  The championship game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m., with an "if necessary" game at 4 p.m.  Daily admission to the FMU Softball Stadium will be $10.  No pets are allowed in the Griffin Athletic Complex.

The winner of each sub-regional will advance to the NCAA II Super Regionals, May 21-22 at on-campus sites.  The Super Regional winner will advance to the NCAA Division II College World Series, May 28-June 3 at Frost Stadium at Warner Park in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Patriots won their fourth straight Conference Carolinas Tournament championship in FMU's fifth year as a conference member. Carson-Newman, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Anderson all earned at-large invitations out of the South Atlantic Conference.  FMU did not face any of the three other teams in its sub-regional this season.                                                                                          

This is Francis Marion's seventh-ever bid to the NCAA national tournament and its fifth in a row.  It is also the second straight year that Francis Marion has hosted a sub-regional.                   

FMU went 3-0 in last year's sub-regional, and then lost to UNG in the final game of the Super Regional.  Francis Marion advanced to the Division II World Series in 2008.  It will also be the program's 12th national tournament invitation all-time, including AIAW and NAIA affiliation.

Francis Marion was 3-0 against teams in this year's field of 64 during the 2026 regular season.

FMU leads the all-time series with Carson-Newman 7-5, but the two programs have not met since a 5-3 Patriot win in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
 
 
FLORENCE, SC Sub-Regional for the Southeast Region of NCAA Division II
Thursday, May 14
Game 1 - 3 pm #2 Francis Marion University (44-11) vs #7 Carson-Newman University (40-12)
Game 2 - 6 pm #3 Lenoir-Rhyne University (39-13) vs #6 Anderson University (38-13)
Friday, May 15
Game 3 - 1 pm Game 1 winner vs Game 2 winner
Game 4 - 4 pm Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser
Game 5 - 7 pm Game 3 loser vs Game 4 winner
Saturday, May 16
Game 6 - 1 pm Game 3 winner vs Game 5 winner
Game 7 - 4 pm IF NECESSARY Game