Preparation Under Way for NCAA Softball Regional

Eight teams are in Lincoln today preparing for the NCAA Softball Region 5 Tournament, May 20-23 at Bowlin Stadium. Each team will have the opportunity to practice for one hour at Bowlin Stadium Wednesday before gathering for an ice cream social tonight. Huskers.com will talk to each coach throughout the day as they share their thoughts on the regional.

Florida Atlantic Head Coach Joan Joyce
On participating in the Lincoln Regional
"We're all excited and glad to be here. Most of us have never been to Nebraska, but we've heard they have great facilities. It's always nice to come to a facility like this, and we're just excited to be here for the NCAA Tournament."

On first-round opponent, sixth-seeded Creighton
"We don't really know much about them. I've never seen them play in my 10 years of coaching, but we're not a huge scouting team. We kind of go by the seat of our pants and worry about ourselves and doing what we need to do. We do try to look at the opposing pitcher, but we can do that when she's warming up."

Creighton Head Coach Brent Vigness
On coming to Lincoln for the second consecutive year
"We were hoping if we won the Missouri Valley Tournament that we would come to Lincoln. From a travel standpoint and for our fans and parents, playing in Lincoln is great. These are all advantages for us, as well as familiarity with the field."

On the Bluejays' preparations for their first game
"We won't do a lot of things different. As this point in the season, you just stick to what got you here. We know Florida Atlantic has 54 wins and that Coach Joyce is one of the legends in the game. We know they'll be well-coached. It's a tough opening-round draw for us."

Lehigh Head Coach Fran Troyan
On being in a regional
"It's a great feeling to be out here at a complex like this, playing one of the top teams and maybe the top pitcher. We're going to come out and play to win."

On facing the host Huskers
"All we know is that Peaches James was named [National] Player of the Week for the second time this season and one of our players was named Engineering Student of the Month. What we can control is how we play. No matter who we play, our talent level doesn't change. It will be exciting to see how our talent matches up. It's David vs. Goliath in a lot of ways, but every once in a while, David comes out on top.

Nebraska Head Coach Rhonda Revelle
On hosting a regional
"The biggest thing is that we're in our own beds and are in familiar surroundings. I thought we had a great approach last week at the Big 12 Conference Tournament, and I'm looking for the same relaxed intensity. Sometimes when you're at home, you might press a little more."

On Lehigh, the Huskers' first-round opponent
"Any team that wins 40 games is a good team. We don't know a whole lot about them. We know they have three very capable pitchers and we could see any one of them. Because we don't know a lot about them, we have to focus on our play and make sure we're doing the things we need to do."

Mississippi State Head Coach Jay Miller
On coming to Lincoln for the second straight year
"I think coming back here helps. The kids are nervous, but our starters played here last year and that helps settle their jitters and gives them some familiarity with their surroundings."

On facing Iowa
"We haven't faced Iowa this season, but I've played against Gayle's teams for the last 25 years. We know Iowa will be well-coached and very fundamentally sound. We'll have to play well to beat them."

Iowa Head Coach Gayle Blevins
On getting into the tournament as an at-large selection and coming to Lincoln
"I was a little anxious [during the selection show] since we were an at-large team. There was some tension about getting selected, maybe more so for me than for the players. If we don't have the luxury of playing at home, it's nice to be at a place where are fans can still come and support us."

On Iowa's first-round opponent, Mississippi State
"Jay [Miller] is a great coach. He does a super job with his kids and they play hard for him. They make things happen with their speed and quickness. It will be a very tough game for us."

Maine Head Coach Deb Smith
On being in the Lincoln Regional
"[Bowlin Stadium] is a beautiful field. The humidity might bother us a little bit, but the field is quality all the way around and we're excited to be here. I know the girls are really excited."

On facing top-seeded California
"The girls are a little more nervous today. We'll try to settle them down and get them to remember what they did to get here. I'm not sure we can completely get rid of the jitters, but hopefuly we can get rid of them by the first or second inning. We will absolutely play our hardest against them."

California Head Coach Diane Ninemire
On being the top seed for the first time in program history
"We haven't always gained the respect we've deserved. We've really done it on the field. This is our 19th straight NCAA Regional, the longest streak in the Pac 10. We have our goals and we're not going to let anyone affect us. We go out and try to play to the best of our abilities."

On facing eighth-seeded Maine
"We've never played Maine, and I don't know a lot about them. It doesn't matter who we're playing, we just need to play to the best of our ability and play the best we can. We can only control how well we execute."