Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman Earn Bids To NCAA Softball Regional Tournament
INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2007 NCAA Division II Softball Regional Championships. Lenoir-Rhyne College and Carson-Newman College both earned bids.
Eight teams will participate at each of eight regional sites in double-elimination tournaments to determine the final eight championship participants. Regional competition will be held May 10-14.
Lenoir-Rhyne is the No. 2 seed in the South Atlantic Region tournament, which will be held at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga., beginning Thursday. The Bears will face Georgia College and State University (31-19) in the first round at 1:30 p.m. Lenoir-Rhyne beat GCSU twice during the regular season.
The Bears, the South Atlantic Conference regular season and Food Lion SAC Tournament champions, are currently 48-8 on the year and are in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. Lenoir-Rhyne is ranked No. 9 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division II National Poll.
The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles earned the No. 4 seed for the 2007 NCAA Division II Softball South Atlantic Regional tournament beginning May 10 at Columbus, Georgia.
The Lady Eagles (34-14) will take on fifth seeded USC Upstate at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 10. The Lady Eagles split a doubleheader with the Spartans on February 26 in South Carolina, winning the first game 10-6 before dropping the second 9-3. No. 3 seed Augusta State will take on Armstrong Atlantic in the first game at 11:00 a.m. followed by second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne versus Georgia College & State University at 1:30 p.m. Top-seeded Columbus State will take on eighth-seeded Coker at 7:00 p.m. to finish the first round of the double elimination tournament.
Should the Lady Eagles defeat USC Upstate, they would take on the winner of the Columbus State-Coker game at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 11. With a loss against Upstate, the Lady Eagles would play the Columbus State-Coker loser at 1:30 on Friday.
Lady Eagle fans may follow the team's run through the NCAA South Atlantic regional tournament by listening to the team's webcast at www.carsonnewmaneagles.com and view live stats at csucougars.athleticsite.com/webcast.asp.
Winners will advance to the finals hosted by Ashland University May 17-21, at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.