2012 MEAC Softball Championships Bracket

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University softball team will compete in the 2012 MEAC Championships, which will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex, as the No. 4 seed from the Northern Division.

This is Hampton's first appearance in the MEAC Championships since 2010.

The Lady Pirates (23-31, 9-9 MEAC) will open play on Thursday at 10 a.m. against Savannah State (24-22, 12-3 MEAC), the top seed in the MEAC Southern Division.

The Lady Pirates saw a 10-win improvement this season and ended the regular season by winning 10 out of their last 18 games. During conference play, Hampton swept Howard and Maryland Eastern Shore, while also taking two out of three from Morgan State.

Hampton was 18-5 at home this season, and the Lady Pirates come into the MEAC Championships with a 4-9 mark on neutral sites.

Hampton is 4-0 all-time against Savannah State, with the last meeting coming on Feb. 13, 2010 – when the Lady Pirates won 8-1 as part of the Tiny Last Fast-Pitch Tournament.

Prior to last season, the two teams hadn't met since 2003.

Delaware State will be the Northern Division's top seed for the second straight season, while Coppin State earned the No. 2 seed and Norfolk State claimed the North's No. 3 seed.

Defending MEAC champion Bethune-Cookman is the Southern Division's No. 2 seed, while Florida A&M and North Carolina A&T earned the South's No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, respectively.

The top four teams in each division qualify for the two-game elimination MEAC Championships; Howard, Morgan State, Maryland Eastern Shore, South Carolina State and North Carolina Central did not advance this season.

To learn more about the 2012 MEAC Softball Championships, visit www.MEACsports.com.

For more information on Hampton University softball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.