Contact:             Doug Aiken
                           (714) 997-6900

Release Date:   May 3, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Chapman To Host Softball Regionals, Earns #2 Seed In West

ORANGE – The Chapman University women’s softball team has earned its second consecutive berth in the NCAA regional playoffs, and its eighth in the past ten years. The announcement came via the internet early Monday morning. Chapman (32-8) will host the five-team tournament at Hart Park beginning this Friday and will be the number two seed. It is the first time since 2000 that the Panthers have hosted a regional playoff.

The Panthers will face #3 seed Cal State Hayward (28-6-1) in the first round of the double-elimination regional championships on Friday, May 7 at 2:30 pm. The Pioneers, along with the Panthers, were one of eight Pool ‘B’ (at-large) teams selected by the NCAA. It is Hayward’s first appearance in the NCAA playoffs since earning a berth in the Division II championships in 1992. East Texas Baptist University (40-3), the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference champions, will be the top-ranked team in the tournament. Fourth-seeded SCIAC champion University of La Verne (27-12) and fifth-seeded Northwest Conference champion Linfield, Ore. (33-7) round out the field of five.

The West Region may be one of the toughest in the nation, featuring four of the top-25 teams in Division III, according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. ETBU is currently number one in the country, followed by #13 Chapman, #17 Linfield and #25 Cal State Hayward. La Verne also spent several weeks in the top-25 this season.

Chapman was selected to its eighth Division III playoff on the strength of a 19-4 record versus West Region opponents, including wins over Hayward, Linfield and a double-header split with La Verne. The Panthers currently rank fifth in Division III in team batting with a .356 average, and they are averaging over 6.6 runs per game. Under head coach Janet Lloyd the Panthers have won five regional championships and her record as head coach ranks among the top 10 in Division III (330-105; .759).
 

NCAA Division III West Region Championships Schedule

Friday, May 7
Game 1: #4 La Verne vs. #5 Linfield; 12:00 pm
Game 2: #2 Chapman vs. #3 Cal State Hayward; 2:30 pm
Game 3: #1 East Texas Baptist vs. Winner of Game 1; 5:00 pm
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2; 7:30 pm (loser eliminated)

Saturday, May 8
Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3; 12:00 pm
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4; 2:30 pm (loser eliminated)
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 5; 5:00 pm (loser eliminated)

Saturday, May 17
Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7; 12:00 pm
Game 9: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 8; 2:30 pm (if necessary)
 

NCAA West Region Championships Site: http://www1.chapman.edu/athletics/03-04/softball/regionals/index.html
For more info log on to the NCAA website: http://www.ncaasports.com/softball/womens
West Region bracket: http://di.sportsline.com/images/ncaasports/brackets/d3_wsoft_chapman_bracket_2004.pdf
 
 

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