May 11, 2001

RALEIGH, N.C.--The University of North Carolina will host the Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Championship Friday through Sunday, May 11-13, at Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh. Play begins Friday at 3 p.m. with a game between fourth-seeded Georgia Tech and fifth-seeded Maryland. At 5 p.m, the Tar Heels, seeded second in the tournament, face third-seeded Virginia. At 7 p.m., Florida State, the top seed, plays the winner of the Georgia Tech-Maryland game.

Games in the double elimination format are scheduled for 1, 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday, with the championship game is set for 1 p.m. If necessary to decide the title, a rematch of the championship game will be played at 4:30 p.m.

North Carolina is hosting the tournament for the first time since 1996, when the event also was at Walnut Creek. The Tar Heels were the runner-up that season, marking the program's highest finish in the nine-year history of the tournament.

Florida State, ranked 16th in the nation in the final regular-season poll, is the defending champion. In the 2000 Tournament, held in Tallahassee, FSU beat Virginia 2-0 to claim the crown.

Schedule:
May 11
3 p.m.-Game 1: No. 4 Georgia Tech (24-27, 2-6 ACC) vs. No. 5 Maryland (37-21, 1-7 ACC)
5 p.m.-Game 2: No. 2 North Carolina (34-17-1, 6-2 ACC) vs. No. 3 Virginia (51-15, 4-4 ACC)
7 p.m.-Game 3: No. 1 Florida State (52-8, 7-1 ACC) vs. Game 1 winner
May 12
1 p.m.-Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser
3 p.m.-Game 5: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner
5 p.m.-Game 6: Game 4 winner vs. Game 3 loser
May 13
11 a.m.-Game 7: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser
1 p.m.-Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner
4:30 p.m.-Game 9: If necessary, rematch of Game 8

Admission: $5 for adults and students 13 and older, Children 12 and under admitted free, Players wearing their youth team uniforms will be admitted free.