CONWAY, S.C. – The Coastal Carolina softball team is heading north for its seventh NCAA postseason appearance, competing in the Durham Regional beginning May 16. The Chanticleers will face the Georgia Bulldogs tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET.
 
LAST TIME OUT

• Coastal Carolina edged James Madison on Saturday afternoon to capture the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Tournament title.
• The win secured the Chanticleers' first Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and their first conference tournament crown since winning the Big South in 2012.
• The No. 7-seeded Chanticleers had to win four games en route to the title, defeating Southern Miss 7-2 in the first round, Marshall 5-2 in the quarterfinals, Louisiana 6-1 in the semifinals, and James Madison 3-2 in the championship.
• Delaney Keith led the team throughout the tournament with a .583 batting average, while Keirstin Roose and McKennah Metzger each drove in five RBIs.
• Nicolette Picone earned Sun Belt Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after pitching every inning for the Chants, posting a 1.50 ERA with 17 strikeouts.
• Keith, Metzger, and Roose were also named to the all-tournament team.

HISTORY AGAINST
Georgia

• Coastal Carolina holds a 0-2 all-time record against Georgia.
• The teams last met in May 2012 during NCAA postseason play, when the Chants suffered a 13-3, five-inning loss in the opening round of the Athens Regional.

Duke

• The Chanticleers are 2-0 all-time against Duke.
• The teams last met in February 2019, when Coastal earned an 11-4 win in Durham, N.C.
• Coastal has outscored the Blue Devils 14-5 in the series.

Howard

• This will be Coastal Carolina's first-ever meeting with Howard.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Georgia

• Georgia enters the tournament with a 31-20 overall record and a 7-16 mark in SEC play.
• The Bulldogs fell to Arkansas 5-1 in the second round of the SEC Tournament after defeating Kentucky 8-0 in the opener.
• Georgia went 6-12 against ranked opponents this season, highlighted by wins over No. 3 LSU, No. 7 Tennessee, and No. 9 South Carolina.
• Jaydyn Goodwin leads the team with 10 home runs and 57 hits, while Sarah Gordon has a team-high 46 RBIs.
• Lilli Backes leads the pitching staff with a 3.40 ERA, a 14-9 record, and 131 strikeouts.

Duke

• Regional host and No. 14 national seed Duke went 38-16 on the season, including a 16-8 record in ACC play.
• The Blue Devils advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals after shutting out Stanford 7-0 in the quarterfinals, but fell 3-2 to Florida State in the semis.
• Thessa Malau'ulu was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Dani Drogemuller, Ana Gold, Aminah Vega, and D'Auna Jennings also earned All-ACC honors.
• Seven starters are batting over .300, with Vega leading the team at .433 with 78 hits. Gold tops the team with 55 RBIs and 13 home runs.
• Drogemuller (17-8) and Cassidy Curd (13-7) anchor the pitching staff, combining for 229 strikeouts.

Howard

• Howard finished the season 31-18 overall and 20-1 in MEAC play.
• The Bison won their third MEAC Tournament title on Saturday with a 6-1 win over South Carolina State.
• Howard had 11 players earn All-MEAC honors, with Lauryn Jones named MEAC Rookie of the Year.
• Lealani Ricks leads the team with a .377 batting average, while Alyssa Vasquez paces the Bison with four triples and 32 RBIs.
• Ameenah Ballenger holds a 12-5 record in the circle, while Julia Holt leads the pitching staff with 94 strikeouts and a 4.10 ERA.

For complete coverage of CCU softball, follow the Chanticleers on social media at @CoastalSoftball (X), @GoCCUSports (Instagram), and facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.