LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire softball team is loading up the bus for Hattiesburg, Mississippi to take part in the 2017 NAIA National Championship Opening Round.
Southeastern won its opening round bracket last season as the top seed in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Fire enter this year's tournament as the No. 3 seed in the Magnolia State.
During The Sun Conference Tournament, the Fire held off elimination three times during play on Friday, following a loss to Thomas on the first day. Freshman
Sam Holcomb was a big part of getting the Fire to the final day of play, going 6-for-10 and posting a 1.400 slugging percentage, driving in seven of SEU's 20 runs that day with two homers and two doubles.
In the circle,
Lindsie Scholwinski pitched 33.2 of a possible 34 innings, posting a 1.46 ERA, striking out 24 against two walks. Of 135 total batters faced, the senior allowed just seven extra base hits.
Play in Hattiesburg begins on Monday at 11 a.m. Central Time as the Fire take on No. 2 seed Southern Oregon University. The Raiders enter the contest with a 40-12 mark, and were ranked 20
th in the final NAIA Coaches' Top 25. They won the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament for the first time in program history with a pair of wins over regular season champion Corban.
SOU is led by junior Kelsey Randall, a three-time Gold Glove selection at shortstop and was a First-Team All-CCC selection. She posted a conference best 79 hits in the regular season, and is hitting .455 with eight doubles and eight triples. She's also stolen 29 bases.
Freshman Karlee Coughlin is the top pitcher, posting a 15-1 record with wins in each of her first 13 decisions. During her rookie year, Coughlin has held opponents to a .232 batting average.
The top seed in the bracket is seventh-ranked and host William Carey. The Crusaders are making their fourth-straight appearance in the Opening Round, and were the second at-large team to make the tournament.
Southeastern and WCU met twice during the regular season during SEU's Spring Break trip to Alabama. The Crusaders won both contests by the scores of 6-1 and 3-0.
The pitching staff for WCU has been phenomenal this season, ranking fifth in the nation in opponent batting average at .197 and in ERA at 1.31. The Crusaders posted a 42-9 record, and were 20-4 in the Southern States Athletic Conference.
In the Opening Round, the Crusaders are 9-2 all-time and are in search of their third title.
The fourth team in the Hattiesburg Bracket is Indiana University Southeast, which qualified as the River States Conference Tournament Runner-Up. The Grenadiers are making their fourth appearance in the Opening Round, and are 2-6 in their previous three. IUS was 28-21 this season, and posted a .304 team batting average.
With a win, the Fire will take on the William Carey-IU Southeast winner at 10 a.m. Central on Tuesday. With a loss, they will see the loser of that game at 12:30 p.m. Central in an elimination game.
For additional information on the Hattiesburg Bracket, visit the
Tournament Page.
