SCAC Softball Tournament Preview (4/22-2/24)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Livestats (For All Games)
Video (For All Games)
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas softball team prepares for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament (SCAC) that will be hosted April 22-24 at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Dallas opens the double-elimination tournament as the number three seed. It is the second season in a row for the Lady Crusaders to finish third and they will take on the number six seed, Schreiner University.
It is a rematch from last season's Tournament-Opener for Dallas, as the Mountaineers claimed a 4-2 victory. Schreiner was the hosting site that spring, and the Lady Crusaders had gone 4-0 in the regular season at the time. This year, UD and the Mountaineers split the season-series two wins apiece last weekend in Kerrville, Texas. The scores were: (L, 4-0 |W, 7-2 |L,4-5 |W,6-3).
Dallas enters 19-21 overall and went 13-11 during SCAC action. The Lady Crusaders matched a personal best in conference victories for the second straight season. This will be the first time UD plays at Trinity Softball Field in 2016 and are 10-12 overall away from the friendly confines in Irving, Texas. This includes 1-1 on neutral turf.
The winner of this contest advances to play at 6 p.m. versus Trinity University, who is the number two seed. The loser plays an elimination game on Saturday at 10 a.m. View complete bracket below.
WORTH NOTING
- Dallas won a season-high seven straight games. This included the team's lone four-game sweep at Austin College.
- The Lady Crusaders have played six extra-inning games this campaign. All have gone eight frames, and UD is 3-3 overall.
- Dallas has celebrated three walk-off wins this season, including a walk-off home run by senior Erin Begle (Houston, Texas).
- UD has allowed six walk-offs.
- Junior Avery Finch (Jamul Calif.) broke two program records last weekend at Schreiner. The centerfielder shattered her personal single-season stolen bases mark with 31.
- The steal that Finch tied her previous milestone, would propel her atop of the career record leaderboard with 77. She currently has 78.
- Dallas raced past the 2015 squad's stolen base school record (96) easily, and currently have 119 for second in the conference.
- The Lady Crusaders also broke the home run record as a team with 18. That broke the feat by one, which was held by the 2014 squad.
- Junior Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) anchors the pitching staff for the third straight year she has been on the team. Lee boasts five career records for the school. This includes: appearances (91), innings pitched (505), shutouts (11), saves (2), and wins (39).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Begle headlines a potent lineup that is hitting .294 as a unit this season. The shortstop leads many offensive categories including: batting average (.375), doubles (13), home runs (5), and runs batted in (29). Begle has etched career-highs in doubles, home runs, and RBIs. The five homers are tied second in the SCAC.
- Finch paces the team with 45 base knocks, 28 runs scored, four triples, and 31 stolen bases. Her single-season record ranks second in the SCAC and first in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).
- Juniors Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas) and Lyda Tesauro (Hollywood, Fl.) round out the top three batting averages with a .354 and .341, respectively.
- Kotlar is posting career numbers with her average and 40 hits. Eight have been doubles, two for triples, and three homers. She is also second with 22 RBI.
- Tesauro is tied with Begle with 42 hits and the other player with double-digits in two-baggers (11). She has 19 RBI.
- Finch, freshman Melanie Savala (Bryan, Texas), Tesauro, freshman Roma Thornton (Wharton, Texas), and Kotlar have all swiped double figures in stolen bags. The quintet have snagged 31, 17, 14, 11, and 10 in that respective order.
- Freshman Stephanie Cervantes (.300) heated up last week to get back even at hitting a .300-clip. This included belting two of her three home runs this season and compiling five RBI.
- Lee has pitched 31 games in the circle, including 21 starts. Lee has spun a 3.01 ERA in an SCAC-leading 160.2 innings, and is tied for first in the SCAC with 14 winning decisions. Lee has thrown 19 complete games and struck out 59 opponents.
A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION
No. 1-Seed
#3 Texas Lutheran University (37-2, 23-1 SCAC). The Bulldogs are poised for their third straight SCAC Tournament Championship since joining the conference in 2014. The lone blemish during league play this spring was at Southwestern University. That ended a 49-game winning streak against SCAC foes. TLU ranks third in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25.
Three of the top five SCAC leading hitters are on the Bulldogs' squad. Taylor Yancey highlights the trio with a .487 batting average, 56 hits, 20 doubles, and 43 RBI. Heather Hummel is hitting .427 with nine home runs and is third in doubles with two behind Jennifer Gallagher's 15. Nicole Snow is hitting .419 that completes the trio hitting north of .400. Taylor Grissom is tied with Lee in the SCAC with total victories (14). In 80.2 innings, Grissom has an unblemished record and 39 strikeouts. Amanda Lochte leads the club with 52 punchouts in 77.1 innings. She is 12-1.
(SERIES VS. DALLAS: TLU went 4-0)
No. 2-Seed
Trinity University (24-14, 17-7 SCAC) claimed the number two seed for the second straight season. The host site of this year's tournament will face the winner between Dallas and Schreiner at 6 p.m. The Tigers notched a 17-3 home record this season. Trinity was the runner-up in 2015, falling to TLU in 7-1 fashion.
Emily Fleischman leads the offense with a .481 batting average, 13 stolen bases, and ranks second on the team with 39 hits. Rebecca Berreth leads with 47 hits, nine doubles, three triples, three home runs, and 26 RBI. Kaci Wellik matches Berreth with three long balls, and has been lights out in the circle. Wellik comes in the tournament with the most strikeouts at 108, and has gone 12-6 with 111.1 innings tossed.
(SERIES VS. DALLAS: Split 2-2)
No. 4-Seed
Southwestern University (18-22, 11-13 SCAC) repeated as the fourth-seeded team for the second year in a row. The Pirates are the last team to win the SCAC Tournament before TLU joined. Southwestern went 6-20 in games away from home this season. Last year, Southwestern eliminated UD, 8-6, in an elimination contest. The Pirates will take on Centenary College at 12 p.m. in the tournament's lid-lifter.
Marissa Irvin has collected a team-high 52 hits. Celeste Silvas is close behind with 49 knocks and has a team-most 15 stolen bases. Irvin and Taylor Curtis have also eclipsed double-digits in steals with 10 apiece. Run production has come from Stacy Rosengren with 30 RBI. Paige McShan, Amelia Fuchs, and Curtis are tied with three home runs each. The trio has combined for nine of SU's 11 round-trippers. McShan has driven in 27 runners and Berkeley Bacon is closely after with 25 ribbies. Chandler Smith ranks second in the league with 13 wins, and has thrown 150.1 innings.
(SERIES VS. DALLAS: UD won 3-1)
No. 5-Seed
Centenary College of Louisiana (20-20, 9-15 SCAC) returns to the tournament for the first time since 2013, and will be seeking its first ever SCAC Tournament victory. The Ladies join the league in 2013. In their best finish since becoming affiliated, the Ladies ended the regular season with a 3-1 series win at Austin College. The Maroon and White are 10-12 on the road and play Southwestern at 12 p.m.
Wendy Gillet ranks third in the SCAC with a .425 batting average and rounds out the top five with 37 RBI. That mark is behind fellow teammate, Michelle Tasin, who is tied for second in runs driven in at 39. Tasin is hitting .409, which is fifth in the batting average column. Anna Dunn is tied with Gillet for the team-lead in homers (4) and the duo are tied for third in the league. Dunn is hitting .356 and Emily Sexton has stolen 25 bases. Five arms have pitched at least 10 innings in the circle for the Maroon and White, with Nichole Aldridge anchoring the innings with 122. She has 74 strikeouts, 3.21 ERA, and 9-13 record. Haley Miller is 5-4 with two saves in 67.2 innings.
(SERIES VS. DALLAS: Split 2-2)
No.6-Seed
Schreiner University (9-29, 7-17 SCAC) clinched the final spot of the SCAC Tournament last weekend after the combination of winning on a walk-off versus Dallas and Centenary topping Austin College. The Mountaineers split the final three conference series, to go 6-6 in that span. Despite being the six-seed in 2015, Schreiner utilized home field and went 2-3. Trinity would defeat the Mountaineers in game nine of the weekend. The Mountaineers have Dallas in game two on Friday.
Sydney Christopher leads the offense with a .377 batting average. She is tied with Samantha Cordon with 40 base knocks. The duo are the two players to have double-digits in runs batted in with 21 and 10, respectively. Christopher has pounded four home runs. Alyssa Reyes is the team-leader with seven doubles. Nichole Schoenherr and Christopher follow closely with six apiece. Jessica Vrana carries the staff with 151 innings and 76 strikeouts. She is 6-17. Lorena Espinoza has posted a 3-11 record in 93.2 innings.
(SERIES VS. DALLAS: Split 2-2)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
Softball Twitter: @UDallasSoftball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics