BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The 2017 NAIA Softball Opening Round Championship gets underway on Monday, May 15 at Michael Buchanon Park as all four teams will play their first round games.
The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, as two-seeded Campbellsville plays three-seeded Freed-Hardeman University. The second game is between top-seeded University of St. Francis and four-seed Indiana Wesleyan at 3:30 p.m. ET.
All games throughout the Opening Round will be streamed on the Campbellsville University Sports Network and live stats will be streamed on Dakstats and StatBroadcast. Fans can also follow the CU Tournament Central Page at the link above for all information regarding the Bowling Green Bracket.
Teams got their first look at Buchanon Park today. The park, which is owned and operated by the Warren County Parks and Recreation Department, features more than almost 10 diamonds. This week, the NAIA Opening Round will be played on the "Purple Field" all the way in the back of the park. The park also includes a pair of football and softball fields, a new walking trail and a new gymnasium is expected to be completed by next year.
The Mid-South Conference and Campbellsville have partnered with the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to host the tournament his week at Buchanon Park - the same location for the MSC Tournament the previous three seasons.
Taking a look at the teams:
No. 1-seed University of St. Francis (41-5)
Led by Amanda Jensen in her fifth season at the helm, the Fighting Saints enters the Opening Round after winning the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a 6-2 win over Olivet Nazarene. USF is making its second appearance in the Opening Round and is 2-2 in those two seasons. Jansen actually was an All-American shortstop at Olivet and played professionally for the Chicago Bandits.
Entering the tournament by winning 21 of the last 23 games, St. Francis jumped inside the NAIA Top 10 at No. 9 in this past weeks final regular season edition of the Coaches' Poll.
The strongest aspect of St. Francis is the pitching staff and mainly Morghan Dieringer. The junior from New Lenox, Ill. brings in a 24-4 record and sub-one ERA at 0.89. She ranks sixth in wins (24) and saves (4), eighth in ERA (0.89), 13
th in opponent batting average (.185) and 16
th in hits allowed per nine innings (4.69). Dieringer has struck out 214 batters in 180.2 innings this season.
In addition, Taylor Barsz has a 1.45 ERA and 11-0 record in 16 overall games and 13 starts, while Jensen Tchorzynski is 6-1 overall and carries in a 1.78 ERA.
Offensively, Paige Egan leads the Fighting Saints with a .422 average—hitting mainly from the nine hole this season. The power hitters are Kayla Garcia, Brooke Karraker and Ally Balandis. Garcia leads the team with 11 home runs and is hitting .378 overall, while Karraker has seven bombs and second on the team with 50 RBI. Balandis leads the Fighting Saints with 52 RBI and is third with six home runs. The trio has combined to deliver in 147 of the 285 RBI for USF this year.
No. 2-seed Campbellsville (37-13)
Coach
Shannon Wathen's Lady Tigers are hosting the tournament for the first time in program history and are competing in their third straight NAIA Opening Round. CU won the 2015 Beaufort Bracket in Bluffton, S.C. and played in its first NAIA World Series that season. CU has a 5-3 record in the Opening Round and is one of 14 teams in the field with a Opening Round title.
This year, the Lady Tigers were put out of the Mid-South Conference Tournament early by falling to eventual champion University of the Cumberlands and rival Georgetown College.
Led by the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year,
Jacqueline Roof, and the Freshman of the Year,
Tori Humphrey, CU is hitting .329 on the season as a team. Roof is hitting .420 and has 11home runs and a team-high 48 RBI. She also leads the team with a .753 slugging percentage and 12 stolen bases. Humphrey is hitting .450 with eight home runs and second on the team with 38 RBI. She is slugging .750 with 16 doubles and one triple.
CU also has
Brittany Rippy (.348),
Alexis Smith (.333),
Mia Aldridge (.333),
Brianna Scott (.317) and
Hailey Szpila (.308) all hitting above the century mark.
In the circle, the Lady Tigers are led by
Neely Quint. Quint has been a major force in the circle the previous three seasons. This year she carries in an 18-6 record, 2.28 ERA, tossed 138 innings and opponents are hitting .242 off the junior from Brookport, Ill.
Rachel Denkins enters the tournament as one of the biggest weapons in the circle as well. She tossed 18 innings in the MSC Tournament two weeks ago at this very park and did not allow an earned run.
Morgan Gailor has struggled the last few weeks of the season but has the tools to be one of the best pitchers as well.
No. 3-seed Freed-Hardeman University
Freed-Hardeman is coached Todd Humphrey, who is in his 17
th season at the helm of the Lady Lions. FHU brings in a 24-12 overall record and qualified as the very last at-large selection into the Opening Round. The Lady Lions are making their second appearance and have a 1-2 record in those two seasons.
FHU is coming in short-handed with the lowest roster total of the tournament (14 players). Caitlyn Carter leads the Lady Lions with a .445 average and is tied of the team-lead with two home runs. Freed-Hardeman isn't a big power team with only nine total home runs and 154 runs scored.
In the circle, FHU is led by a pair of 10-win hurlers – Makenzie Prince and Mallory Spurlock. Prince has tossed in 16 games this season with a 10-5 record and 1.11 ERA. She leads the Lady Lions by tossing 107.2 innings. Spurlock boasts a 2.13 ERA and 10-3 record in 75.2 innings.
No. 4-seed Indiana Wesleyan University
The Wildcats are led by six-year coaching veteran Steve Babinski and are making their third appearance to the Opening Round. IWU has a 2-4 record in those three seasons.
IWU qualified for the Opening Round by finishing Runner-Up in the Crossroads League Tournament, falling 1-0 to Marian University.
The Wildcats have some pop in their lineup with 57 team home runs and 386 runs scores.
Kaisey Carson leads the Wildcats by hitting .508 on the year – which ranks fourth in the country. Her 99 hits are tops on the team along with her 20 home runs and 81 RBI. The 99 hits and 20 home runs ranks third in the NAIA, while the 81 RBI is second.
In addition, Carson also is the ace in the circle for IWU. She brings in a 22-8 record and 1.78 ERA with 24 complete games and five shutouts.
Kristen Exposito is hitting .389 with 13 home runs and has driven in 57 runs. She is followed by Sara Kritzer's 10 home runs and 35 RBI.
In addition to coverage of the NAIA Softball Opening Round, CU Sports Information Director, and Lady Tiger travel companion, Jordan Alves, will keep fans updated with periodic behind-the-scenes features on www.campbellsvilletigers.com and photo galleries on Facebook at Campbellsville Tigers. To follow Lady Tiger softball go to Twitter @CvilleLTS or @CvilleTigers.
Complete coverage of Campbellsville's trip to the NAIA Softball Opening Round can be found on the CU Tournament Central page HERE
