Wildcats open against Lady Savages

ACU looking for first LSC softball championship

IRVING -- Abilene Christian returns to the Lone Star Conference Post-Season Softball Tournament for the first time since 2001 this weekend, and the Wildcats will not only be playing for a conference title, but they'll also have an eye on the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament.

ACU enters the tournament at 30-18 overall after finishing as the LSC South Division runner-up to defending LSC and NCAA Division II national champion Angelo State.  The Wildcats and Rambelles split a four-game series last weekend in Abilene with the Rambelles winning the division title with an 8-3 win over ACU in the series finale.

The Wildcats will begin what they hope is a lengthy run through the post-season at 7 p.m. Thursday when they take on Southeastern Oklahoma State in a first-round tournament game at Southwest Park softball complex.  The game can be heard on KYYW 1470 AM.  An ACU win would put them in the winner's bracket game at 11 a.m. Friday against LSC North Division champion Central Oklahoma.  A loss to Southeastern Oklahoma State would drop ACU into the loser's bracket where it would play at 1 p.m. Friday in an elimination game.

ACU enters the tournament clinging to the sixth and final berth in the regional tournament, which will be played May 12-15, and will likely be in either San Angelo (at Angelo State) or San Antonio (at St. Mary's).  The Wildcats have never qualified for the NCAA post-season in softball, but they have a legitimate chance to reach the tournament this season.

The Wildcats are 4-4 this season against three of the teams ranked

below them (1-2 vs. No. 7 SE Oklahoma State, 2-2 vs. No. 9 Tarleton State and No. 10 vs. Fort Hays State).  If the Wildcats don't win the LSC tournament title and earn the league's automatic berth into the regional tournament, they need either Angelo State, Central Oklahoma or Midwestern State to win the league title.

An upset by Southeastern Oklahoma State or Tarleton State would probably push the Wildcats out of the regional tournament picture.

Another scenario that could drop ACU out of the regional tournament would be a team besides No. 2 St. Mary's winning the Heartland Conference title, or a team other than No. 4 Regis (Colo.) winning the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament title.

ACU is 1-2 against Southeastern Oklahoma State this season with a 13-4 win over the Lady Savages at the LSC First-Pitch Tournament and a doubleheader loss at Southeastern on March 24.  That record could easily be reversed if the Wildcats hadn't allowed three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to lose the first game of the March 24 doubleheader, 9-8.

As they have been all season, the Wildcats will be led offensively by senior first baseman Katie Bryan, who is in the midst of the greatest offensive season in ACU softball history.  She's hitting a team-best .422 and leads the LSC in home runs (15) and RBI (54) while slugging at a .823 clip.  She's No. 3 in NCAA Division II in both home runs and RBI.

Senior third baseman Valerie Malkinson has been almost as effective, hitting .386 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI while playing a stellar third base with only eight errors in 185 chances in the field. Junior rightfielder Jade Wilson has added even more power with 10 home runs and 51 RBI to go along with a .326 average.

ACU has already shattered the previous school record for home runs in a season (25, set in 2003) having blasted 55 round-trippers entering the conference tournament.

ACU's pitching staff has been solid all season with junior transfer Jennifer Leal carrying a 21-9 record and 4.11 ERA into Thursday's game against SOSU.  Sophomore Allison Crouse has been solid the last two weeks, and is 3-1 in her last four starts, improving her record to 8-7 on the season while lowering her ERA to 5.15.

Southeastern Oklahoma State (44-22 overall) enters the tournament having lost four of its last six games, although the Lady Savages pummeled NCAA Division III Texas Wesleyan on Tuesday, winning 8-0 and 10-0.

Emily McNamara leads the Lady Savages with a .361 batting average to go along with two home runs and 29 RBI.  Kylie Ferguson is the top power threat with seven home runs and a team-best 42 RBI.  The pitching staff -- which has a combined 2.19 ERA -- is led by Christian Cearley, who is 21-11 with a 2.03 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 220 2/3 innings.  Carly Goodnight is 19-11 with 209 strikeouts and a 2.05 ERA in 188 innings of work.