For Immediate Release
Newport News, VA – The field for the 2013 USCAA Softball National Championship is set. Gaining bids to the Small College World Series are Briarcliffe College, Carlow University, WVU Tech, Iowa Wesleyan College, St. Mary of the Woods College, Lindenwood University-Belleville, Ave Maria University, Penn State Mont Alto, University of Virginia-Lynchburg, and PSUAC Champion and tournament host institution Penn State Beaver.
The number one overall seed in the tournament is Briarcliffe College. Briarcliffe College, a semi-finalist in 2012, returns former USCAA All-American Jillian McGovern to the mound. Of the teams in the tournament, Briarcliffe has the highest team batting average at .359. The number two seed, Carlow University, beat Briarcliffe in the semi-finals of the winner’s bracket last year before losing games to tournament finalists St. Mary of the Woods College and Spalding University.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology and Iowa Wesleyan College will be making their first appearance in the Softball Small College World Series. WVU Tech went 20-14 on the season, and sits in the top-five of all USCAA Softball playing institutions in home runs and batting average. Iowa Wesleyan is one of the rare teams in this tournament that has a win against Briarcliffe on the year. From 2000-2010 St. Mary of the Woods won seven USCAA Softball National Championships, but has been shut out since 2008. As the fifth seed, they’ll be looking to avenge their National Championship loss to Spalding University last year.
The sixth seed is Lindenwood University-Belleville Lynx, who returns for the second straight season to Akron. The Lynx are fourth in the USCAA in hits, fourth in RBI’s, second in home runs, and third in total bases. The Ave Maria University Gyrenes will also be making their first ever appearance at the USCAA Softball National Championship. The speedy Gyrenes, second in the USCAA with 126 stolen bases, played the most games of any USCAA softball team this season. The Penn State Beaver Lions enter the Small College World Series after another PSUAC Championship. The eighth-seeded Lions will be eyeing a potential second round matchup against Briarcliffe, looking for revenge from their season ending loss in the tournament last year.
The University of Virginia-Lynchburg Dragons, the nine seed, enter the tournament with the most runs, home runs, and RBI’s of any USCAA softball team. Penn State Mont Alto rounds out the first-ever field of ten at the Softball National Championship. Mont Alto is third in doubles, runs, RBI’s and batting average in the USCAA. The complete bracket with game times is linked below.
The 2013 USCAA Baseball National Championship will be in Akron, Ohio at Firestone Stadium on May 13th-15th. If you would like more information on USCAA Softball or the Softball National Championship please visit the tournament website.
-USCAA
2013 Softball Small College World Series Bracket
USCAA Softball National Championship Seeding:
#1 Briarcliffe College
#2 Carlow University
#3 WVU Tech
#4 Iowa Wesleyan College
#5 St. Mary of the Woods College
#6 Lindenwood University-Belleville
#7 Ave Maria University
#8 Penn State Beaver
#9 University of Virginia-Lynchburg
#10 Penn State Mont Alto