The Florida Gators and FSU Seminoles are aiming to extend dominant softball seasons, while four other in-state schools are aiming to pull off major upsets during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gainesville Regional features the host Gators (53-5), UCF (36-20), FAU (50-7) and Alabama State (27-24).
"Our crowd will be very important this weekend," UF coach Tim Walton said. "Playing at home is important, as our fans are very important to us and our opponent. I tell our team all the time, when the crowd gets going and everyone is doing the Gator Chomp, this place turns into a really cool environment and a tough place for our opponents to play.