The top-seed and host Stetson University softball team will attempt to capture the conference title and earn the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament this weekend at the 2007 Atlantic Sun Conference Softball Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The six-team double elimination tournament runs Thursday through Saturday at Patricia Wilson Field in DeLand, with the winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Stetson will face sixth-seed Mercer in the opening round at 1 p.m. Thursday afternoon. The tournament kicks off with no. 3 ETSU facing no. 4 Lipscomb at 9 a.m., followed by no. 2 Gardner-Webb vs. no. 5 Campbell at 11 a.m.

The Hatters (39-19 overall) earned the league's top-seed for the second straight year by virtue of a 13-5 record in conference play. Kennesaw State (14-4) won the A-Sun regular season title but is not eligible for postseason play until 2010 during its reclassification to Division I.

The Hatters played well over the last month of the regular season, winning nine of their last 12 games overall and nine of their last 10 in conference play. Stetson enters the tournament owning the top team ERA in the conference (1.83) as well as and one of the best defenses in the nation (2.2 runs allowed/game).

Stetson will be hosting the conference tournament for the first time since 1994, back when the team played at the city-owned Sperling Sports Complex. This will be the first year the tournament has been held on campus, and fans coming to Patricia Wilson Field will be greeted by several facility enhancements.

Over the past two months, workers have been constructing a large, two-story press box complete with a ticket office and staff lounge on the ground floor, and a radio booth, VIP room, kitchenette, and spacious press area on the second floor. While the anticipated new spectator seating area will not be fully complete for the tournament, there will be ample bleacher seating and space available for fold-out chairs. Already one of the finest playing surfaces and beautifully landscaped facilities in the region, Patricia Wilson Field is sure to give fans and participants alike a true championship experience.

Stetson has already secured the bid to host the tournament in 2008 as well.

The Hatters hope to put their home field advantage to good use. In five seasons at Patricia Wilson Field, the Hatters are 150-40, good for a .789 winning percentage. Stetson's record in Atlantic Sun games is even more impressive: 46-6 (.885), including an 8-2 mark this season. The Hatters have won seven straight and 19 of their last 21 conference games at home.

In an tournament oddity, each of the tournament champions over past 11 years are no longer A-Sun members. Florida Atlantic, winners of nine of the last 10 league titles, has since changed conference affiliations (Sun Belt), as has 2005 winner UCF (C-USA) and 1996 winner Jacksonville State (OVC). That makes 1995 winner Campbell the most recent of the present Atlantic Sun schools to claim the conference championship. Other than the Camels, the Hatters are the only other current team to have won the A-Sun tournament. Stetson won three straight titles from 1986-88 when the league was called the New South Women's Athletic Conference and did not carry an automatic NCAA bid.

Tournament passes are $25 for adults and $20 for students/seniors. Single day tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students/seniors. Patricia Wilson Field is located on Arizona Ave. between Amelia Ave. and Garfield Ave. With spring semester complete, ample parking is available in the Smith and Nemec hall parking lots off of Arizona Ave., as well as in the wooded area off Garfield Ave.

Live video streaming of all the tournament games can be viewed live over the internet at www.gohatters.com. Fans can sign up for a HatterVision video account for only $9.95.

No. 1 Stetson (39-19, 13-5 Atlantic Sun)

Team Summary: Expectations are high for the Hatters, who enter as the top-seed as well as the tournament hosts. Predicted as the preseason favorites to win the title, Stetson will clearly have a target on its back from the start of the tournament. But another 40-win season will be of little consolation if the Hatters are not celebrating on Saturday. Stetson will be making its eighth consecutive postseason appearance, the longest active streak in the A-Sun.

Team Stats: Stetson has relied on consistent pitching and solid defense this season. The Hatters own the best ERA in the Atlantic Sun at 1.83 and rank second in fielding pct. (.973). Offensively, the team's batting average ranks fifth at .277. Stetson has struggled to score runs at times this year, having been shutout eight times and no-hit twice. But over the last month the Hatters have averaged over five runs per game.

Key Players: LF Sherrel Fountain (.373 BA, 25 SB), 1B Andrea Migliori (.345, 14 HR, 50 RBI), SS Lindsay Wightman (.345, 6 HR, 34 RBI). Migliori was the 2006 Atlantic Sun Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Key Pitchers: Erica Demers (17-5, 1.75 ERA), Heather Colding (13-10, 1.76 ERA), Amanda Lindsey (9-4, 1.96 ERA).

Head Coach: Frank Griffin, 11th season at Stetson

Final Word: While new rivalries will undoubtedly be formed this weekend, the Hatters know they won't have to face Florida Atlantic, a team that has eliminated Stetson from the tournament five times in the past seven years. Stetson hopes its traditional strong play at home continues in the postseason.

Team Summary: Gardner-Webb is making its third-ever appearance in the A-Sun tournament, but the Runnin' Bulldogs are still in search of their first postseason victory. After starting the season 2-9, the Bulldogs turned their season around, winning 20 of their next 25 games. An strong run in conference play including wins over Kennesaw State, Stetson, and ETSU (twice) lifted Gardner-Webb to a third-place finish in the Atlantic Sun standings. The Bulldogs are a confident group heading into the tournament and hope to be competing for the title come Saturday.

Team Stats: One of the top slugging teams in the Atlantic Sun, the Bulldogs own a .298 team batting average and have hit 47 home runs, led by Emily Sherrill's 12 dingers. However, the pitchers (3.32 ERA) have surrendered 45 home runs on the season and the defense allows an average of over four runs per game.

Key Players: 3B Abbie Looper (.360, 30 SB), UT Emily Sherrill (.315, 12 HR, 48 RBI), 1B Joanna Ward (.324, 10 HR, 30 RBI), SS Lindsey Whitfield (.374, 8 HR, 26 RBI)

Key Pitchers: Taryn Beck (17-10, 2.36 ERA), Alison Coffey (8-8, 3.48 ERA). Beck shutout the Hatters in DeLand on Mar. 31.

Head Coach: Tom Cole, Seventh season at Gardner-Webb

Final Word: The Bulldogs are hoping to follow the lead of their men's soccer team, who won their respective A-Sun tournament across the street at the Stetson Soccer Field back in November, also as the no. 2 seed.

Team Summary: In just their second season in the Atlantic Sun Conference, ETSU has already positioned itself among the top teams in the league. In last year's tournament, the fifth-seeded Bucs won two games and reached the "final three" before being eliminated by Stetson. This season, after a sluggish non-conference season, ETSU jumped out to a 9-3 start in A-Sun play and found itself atop of the standings. Included in that stretch was a six-game conference winning streak that saw the Bucs score 69 runs (11.5/game). However, the team posted just a 3-7 mark down the stretch (1-5 A-Sun) and slipped to fourth-place in the standings.

Team Stats: Like Gardner-Webb, ETSU often relies on its offense. The Bucs hit at a .284 clip and average over 4.6 runs per game. The team's 31 home runs are spread over nine different players. On the flip side, the team ERA of 3.80 is sixth in the A-Sun and opponents hit .297 against Bucs pitching. The defense has committed 73 errors.

Key Players: 3B Jessica Hackworth (.336, 3 HR, 33 RBI), SS Stephanie Gaynord (.314, 7 HR, 26 RBI), DP Amanda Haverman (.311, 6 HR, 36 RBI). Gaynord hit .522 with seven home runs vs. A-Sun opponents.

Key Pitchers: Darci Gilbert (10-13, 3.54 ERA), Mary Catherine Vercoe (10-10, 3.96 ERA), Marissa Hardy (5-3, 2.16 ERA)

Head Coach: Andrea Mangrum, Second season at ETSU

Final Word: The Bucs are a young team but have proven to be a dangerous squad. Just ask Monica Abbott, Tennessee's ace who served up two home runs to freshman Katy Jett in the same game. A strong performance by the pitchers may help the Bucs make a run deep into the tournament.

Team Summary: While the Hatters have home field advantage for the tournament, the Bisons hope their return trip to Patricia Wilson Field is as successful as their previous visit. Lipscomb split a doubleheader with Stetson on Mar. 21, then went 4-1 to capture the Stetson Invitational tournament Mar. 23-25, which included another victory over the Hatters. Picked 10th in the preseason poll, the Bisons jumped out to a 7-2 record in conference play but have slipped of late, winning just three times over the last 14 games overall. The future is very bright for this team that often features five freshmen in the starting line-up. Lipscomb will be making its second trip to postseason play (0-2 in 2005).

Team Stats: Lipscomb brings an A-Sun-best .307 team batting average into the tournament, along with a conference-leading 51 home runs (1.0/game). Junior Heather Collins and freshman Abby Keese share the team lead with 14 home runs apiece. The Bisons can score runs (4.8/game), but they give up a lot of runs as well (4.5/game). The young pitching staff maintains a 4.06 team ERA - seventh in the A-Sun. The defense fields at a solid .966 clip.

Key Players: SS Abby Keese (.364, 14 HR, 37 RBI), 1B Heather Collins (.370, 14 HR, 53 RBI), 3B Kellie Sirus (.323, 10 HR, 44 RBI), CF Lauren Dortwegt (.364, 37 R, 12 SB). Keese hit four home runs at Patricia Wilson Field earlier this season.

Key Pitchers: Christen Campbell (17-14, 2.90 ERA), Christy Grisham (1-3, 7.73 ERA). Kim Jacobson (7-9, 5.49 ERA) has been out of action since Apr. 7.

Head Coach: Kristen Peck, Second season at Lipscomb

Final Word: The bracket set-up is not in Lipscomb's favor. First-round opponent ETSU outscored the Bisons 25-1 in a doubleheader sweep, and an opening round loss could potentially send Lipscomb to an elimination game against top-seed Stetson. But if the bats are hot, beware the Bisons.

Team Summary: Call them the defending champions. Does it matter that this year's freshmen were only six years old when Campbell last won the conference tournament in 1995? The Camels are last of the current A-Sun schools to win capture the league title and the only active member to play in the NCAA Division I tournament. However, Campbell will have an uphill climb if it hopes to add another title to the trophy case. The Camels do not score many runs (2.3/game against A-Sun opponents) and they rely almost entirely on junior Lauren Caviness in the circle. Caviness has pitched over 240 innings this season and saw action in 15 of the team's 18 conference games.

Team Stats: Offensively, the team's .244 batting average is near the bottom of the league, but the Camels have hit 26 home runs and have stolen a conference-best 92 bases, 43 of those by Jessica Huffman. The 2.60 team ERA is quite good, as is the opponents .236 batting average and .966 team fielding percentage.

Key Players: CF Jessica Huffman (.312, 5 HR, 43 SB), 3B Shayla Cullum (.322, 6 HR, 29 RBI), LF Courtney Quinn (.280, 5 HR, 26 RBI).

Key Pitchers: Lauren Caviness (13-22, 2.20 ERA), Brittany Stanley (11-10, 2.84 ERA), Kelly Weaver (3-6, 3.18 ERA).  Caviness set the Campbell career and single-season strikeout records this season.

Head Coach: Drew Peterson, Seventh season at Campbell

Final Word: Campbell's first-round opponent, Gardner-Webb, is a team the Camels swept at the end of the regular season. The pitchers should keep the Camels in games, but the offense will need to find a way to generate some runs.

Team Summary: About a month ago, the Bears seemed to have little chance of qualifying for the conference tournament. A coaching change just prior to the start of the season followed by a 7-36, 0-5 A-Sun mark through 43 games left Mercer at the bottom of the conference looking up. But a 7-6 finish in league play including wins over Kennesaw State, ETSU and Gardner-Webb have left the Bears as one of the hottest teams entering the tournament. Jamie Madruga hit her league-leading 15th home run on Monday at Georgia Tech. Mercer will be making its fourth tournament appearance in the past five years (3-6).

Team Stats: Due to their tough start, the Bears find themselves near the bottom of the league in hitting (.239), pitching (5.57 ERA), and defense (.943 fielding pct.). The team ERA against A-Sun opponents is much better (3.73 ERA).

Key Players: 1B Jamie Madruga (.389, 16 2B, 15 HR, 42 RBI), DP Ashley Anderson (.287, 1 HR, 20 RBI). Madruga has 15 of the team's 18 home runs.

Key Pitchers: Stephanie Rossman (7-16, 4.09 ERA), Nikki Bylak (3-10, 5.56 ERA), April Cunningham (2-14, 6.67 ERA)

Head Coach: Mike Raynor, First season at Mercer

Final Word: The Bears hope to carry momentum from their late season surge into the conference tournament. Mercer has never won the A-Sun title and has not made the A-Sun championship round since 1989.