Wildcats earn first regional berth

ACU to take on Angelo State in Thursday's first round

ABILENE - Abilene Christian's record-setting 2005 softball season will continue into NCAA play as the Wildcats on Monday earned the program's first invitation to the NCAA Division II South Central Region softball tournament.

ACU -- which finished the season at 30-20 and runner-up in the LSC South Division -- is the No. 6 seed in the six-team tournament, which will be played at St. Mary's University in San Antonio.  The Wildcats will take on No. 3 seed and defending NCAA Division II national champion Angelo State at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Rattler Field.

The other teams in the field are top-seeded St. Mary's, No. 2 Central Oklahoma, No. 3 Angelo State, No. 4 Midwestern State and No. 5 Regis (Colo.).  St. Mary's won the 2002 NCAA Division II national title, and lost in last year's regional championship game to Angelo State.

ACU is 7-7 against the other five teams in the tournament field, having played every team in 2005 except Central Oklahoma.  The Wildcats of second-year head coach Chantiel Wilson were 3-2 against Midwestern State, 2-2 against Angelo State, 1-3 against St. Mary's and 1-0 against Regis.

Wilson -- named last month as the LSC South Division Coach of the Year -- led the Wildcats to a 13-7 conference mark, setting a school record for most wins in a conference season.  ACU had a chance to win the LSC South Division in the last game of the season, but dropped an 8-3 decision to Angelo State to give the Rambelles the title.

Still, though, the Wildcats had the LSC South Division Player of the Year in senior first baseman Katie Bryan, and will now be playing in the regional tournament for the first time in school history.

ACU has undergone a quick rebuilding phase under Wilson, who took over after the 2003 season ended with a 24-31 record.  Prior to the 2005 season, ACU had not recorded a winning season since a 31-22 mark in 1998, which also marked the last time ACU had won 30 games in a season.