GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Bethune-Cookman makes its first NCAA Regional Appearance since 2012 Friday when the Wildcats meet second-seeded Florida at 7:30 p.m. -- weather permitting.

Also in the regional field: Ohio State and USF.

It's B-CU's tenth post-season appearance and ninth regional. Five of those of regionals have been in Gainesville, including the famed 2005 regional  where the Wildcats earned an at-large berth and defeated Florida and South Florida for the championship and a berth in the Super Regionals at Texas.

FIRST PITCHES:

• This is the Wildcats' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012, when it played Texas A&M and Texas State in College Station, Texas.
• This is Head Coach Laura Watten's first appearance as the Wildcats Head Coach in a NCAA Regional since returning to B-CU in 2015. Her last appearance? 2005.
• Watten needs  three victories to reach 700 career coaching victories and iIs currently tied with Notre Dame's Deanna Gumpf for 45^th among for victories among active Division I coaches
• The Wildcats are 8-19 overall in post-season play.
• The Wildcats enter the tournament on a 7-game winning streak, including a 4-game run through the MEAC tournament.
• B-CU is second in the nation in stolen bases per game (2.91)
•  Sophomore Ryan Jackson is 19^th in the nation in home runs (17) and is also fourth in being hit by pitch (.45 per game)

 
STAT LEADERS:
AVG:       Ryan Jackson, .351
Hits:        Ryan Jackson, 59
Runs:      Ryan Jackson, 54
RBI:         Ryan Jackson, 52
2B:          Iesha Waters, 13
3B:          Iesha Waters, 5
HR:          Ryan Jackson, 17
SB:          Iesha Waters, 31
WINS:     Alexis Bermudez, 13
Ks:           Victoria Guzman, 76
ERA:        Alexis Bermudez, 3.11
Saves:     Victoria Guzman, 5
 
B-CU (34-21) VS. FLORIDA (50-8)
Series: Florida leads 16-2
Last Meeting: 2017 (Florida 15-7)

• This was Watten's first game back in Gainesville since her 2005 team won the NCAA Gainesville [Fla.] Regional.
• The Wildcats' runs were their first in Gainesville since that regional (B-CU had played in four regional games in Gainesville in the meantime).
• B-CU scored three in the first. Florida answered with nine.
• It was the still the most runs by a Gator opponent that season
• B-CU was without Ryan Jackson (injured).

 
RYAN JACKSON FACTS

• Sophomore already has TWO MEAC Player Of The Year Awards
• Set school single-season HR record with 17
• Is already 2^nd all-time with 32 dingers (Amber Jackson, now head coach at Delaware State) had 34.
• Needs one RBI for 100 career RBI

FRIDAY'S COVERAGE:  ESPNU will televise, with Kevin Brown on play-by-play and former Oklahoma standout Erin Miller on color commentary. It will also be available on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. Click here for live stats and follow our official twitter feed  -- @bcusoftball -- for pithy in-game updates.