CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Gathered in Downtown Chattanooga among friends, family and fans, the Mocs softball team discovered its future in the NCAA Regionals: Auburn, Ala.,to face No. 28 South Alabama. Tennessee Tech will also make the trip to take on Auburn. The Mocs take the field at 4 p.m. ET on Friday.

Receiving the Southern Conference's automatic bid after winning the league's tournament championship Saturday, the Mocs locked up the program's tenth regional trip.  UTC first appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and returned the next four years (2000-04).  Chattanooga qualified again in 2008, 2009, 2011 and most recently in 2014.

The Mocs traveled to Seattle in its first year, Tallahassee, Fla., in 2002 and Athens, Ga., in 2004.  The remaining five years were all spent in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at the University of Alabama.  Overall, UTC is 6-18 in regional appearances.  Its most successful rounds came in 2002 and 2011 when Chattanooga won two games each.  The Mocs advanced in the championship game both years, taking on Florida State in '02 and Alabama in '11. 

All-time, Chattanooga is 2-1 against the Jaguars. The two teams met earlier this season at the South Alabama Invitational where the Mocs snapped the host's seven-game winning streak. With homeruns from Criket Blanco and Nicole Osterman, Chattanooga sealed a 3-1 victory.

For more information about the NCAA Tournament and a bracket of the 64-team field, click here.