From OCU Sports Info.
Richard Tortorelli, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University hosts the NAIA Softball Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket starting Monday at Ann Lacy Stadium.
Seventh-ranked Spring Hill (Ala.), 16th-ranked Oklahoma City, 25th-ranked Kansas Wesleyan and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) compete for a berth in the NAIA Softball World Series in a double-elimination tournament May 12-14. The championship game is set for noon Wednesday with an if-necessary game scheduled 3 p.m. that day.
The second-seeded Stars (49-11) are led by first-team all-Sooner Athletic Conference selections Jocelin Diaz, Kyndra Holasek and Kylee Rounsaville. Oklahoma City won its 17th SAC Tournament crown on Saturday, scoring 45 runs in four games of the tournament along the way.
Diaz, a junior outfielder from Maracay, Venezuela, ranks 12th nationally with 60 RBIs this season. She has accumulated a .400 average, 16 doubles and eight home runs.
Holasek, a sophomore shortstop from Mustang, Okla., paces the NAIA with 108 hits, 22 doubles, 166 total bases, 75 runs scored and 210 at-bats. Holasek has supplied the Stars with a .514 average, 10 homers, 60 RBIs and 28 stolen bases. Rounsaville, a junior catcher from Mustang, Okla., has produced a .316 average with 16 doubles, eight homers and 59 RBIs.
OCU leads the NAIA in runs scored (459), while ranking second in runs batted in (393), third in doubles (111) and fourth in hits (563). To see how OCU ranks among NAIA statistical leaders, click here. The Stars face Kansas Wesleyan noon Monday.
No. 1 seed Spring Hill comes off capturing the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament. SSAC West Division pitcher of the year Caroline Segrara leads the Badgers with her NAIA-high 36 wins, 311 innings pitched and 406 strikeouts. Spring Hill (40-12) meets MidAmerica Nazarene at 3 p.m. Monday.
Third seed Kansas Wesleyan (38-7) advanced to NAIA Championship Opening Round after being the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season champion. KCAC newcomer of the year Daria Leid ranks second in the league with a 1.76 ERA while going 15-3 with 119 strikeouts in 127 innings pitched.
Fourth-seeded MidAmerica Nazarene reached the Heartland of America Athletic Conference Tournament final to secure its Opening-Round berth. Lynsey Keith fuels the Pioneers (26-13) with a team-high .374 batting average and seven homers while driving in 31 runs.
The 10 opening-round tournament winners will comprise the field for the NAIA Softball World Series on May 23-29in Columbus, Ga. The NAIA adopted the Opening-Round format for softball for the first time last year. The NAIA introduced the Opening Round in other championship sports in 2008-09.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students 18 and under per session. Tournament games will be available via live video at a rate of $8.95 per game or in a tournament package for $19.95.
OCU owns national championships won in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2007 and finished as NAIA runner-up in 1986, 1993, 1999, 2010 and 2012.