The Florida Gators will chase their third consecutive softball championship when the NCAA tournament begins Friday at 16 regional sites.
Florida (53-5), the top seed in the tournament, will open Friday in Gainesville, Fla., against Alabama State (28-25).
Last year's runner-up, Michigan (46-5), is the No. 2 seed and will face Valparaiso (18-32) in the opening round.
The other regional sites are: Athens, Ga., Lexington, Ky., Tallashassee, Fla., Eugene, Ore., Los Angeles, Knoxville, Tenn., Auburn, Ala., Norman, Okla., Lafayette, La., Seattle, Tuscaloosa, Ala., Harrisonburg, Va., Baton Rouge and Columbia, Mo.
The Southeastern Conference led the way for the second consecutive year with 11 teams in the field; the Pac-12 was second with eight.
