Dixie State softball: A look at the 8 teams in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Division II National softball tournament begins Wednesday and with Dixie State returning for the second year in a row, this time as the highest-ranked team in the field of eight, we’ve put together a glance at all the teams vying for the 2015 National Championship.

Game 1
No. 24 Shorter Hawks (Rome, Ga.) vs. No. 7 St. Mary’s Rattlers (San Antonio, Tex.)
Game time: May 21, 1 p.m. Central Time

SHORTER (41-15) (10-6 against ranked teams)
topnav_logoHow they got here: Shorter won the Gulf South Conference Tournament gaining an automatic bid in the South Regional as the 4th seed. After beating ranked teams #2 Valdosta State and #12 Alabama Huntsville in the regional, Shorter defeated Florida Institute of Technology in the Super Regional to advance.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-C Paige Rowland (.333 BA, Caught 14/40 stealing), SS Kendall Johnson (.387 BA, .649 Slg), OF Niki Cook (.390 BA, .490 OB) 2nd Team-P Amanda Blanchard (18-4, 2.40 ERA)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.301 (7)
Pitching ERA-2.43 (6)
Fielding Percentage-.968 (4)

The Hawks were undefeated prior to their conference games. Twelve of their 15 losses have come in conference play. The GSC had four teams in the final rankings, namely: #2 Valdosta State, #12 Alabama Huntsville, #19 No. Alabama and Shorter at 24. Shorter vaulted into the rankings on the last week of the season by winning the conference tournament. Niki Cook has stolen 59 of 61 bases, good for second in the nation.

ST. MARY’S (Tex.) (48-10) (6-3 against ranked teams)
rattlerHow they got here: The Rattlers won the Heartland Conference Tournament earning the automatic bid to the South Central Regional as the 2nd seed. After beating #18 Metro State in the regional, St. Mary’s defeated Tarleton State in the Super Regional to advance.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-P Vianna Gutierrez-Touchtone (28-5, 1.33 ERA, .429 BA, .848 slg), 3B Nicole Sardelich (.464 BA, .782 Slg) 2nd Team-OF Taylor Vidrine (.330 BA, .602 Slg)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.304 (6)
Pitching ERA-1.79 (3)
Fielding Percentage-.966 (6)

The Rattlers are a senior-laden team that barely missed making nationals last year, losing to eventual champion West Texas A&M in the Super Regional. The Heartland Conference is not rife with powerhouses, but St. Mary’s performed very well in the early season non-conference schedules, beating many top programs. Nicole Sardelich just dropped from the top 10 in the nation in batting average.

Game 2
#10 Indianapolis Greyhounds (Indianapolis, IN) vs. #6 North Georgia Nighthawks (Dahlonaga, GA)
Game time: May 21, 3:30 p.m. Central Time

INDIANAPOLIS (47-13) (9-7 against ranked teams)
unidyHow they got here: The Greyhounds lost in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship game to the #1 nationally ranked University of Missouri-St. Louis, receiving an at-large bid in the Midwest Region with the 2nd seed. After beating ranked #23 Ashland in the regional, Indianapolis defeated UMSL in the Super Regional. It was the only regional that was not swept by the winner.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-P Morgan Foley (38-8, 1.08 ERA), OF Casey Williamson (.353 BA, .665 Slg), DP Taylor Russell (.325 BA, .610 Slg) 2nd Team-OF Erika Goodwin (.338 BA, .975 Fld)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.306 (5)
Pitching ERA-184 (5)
Fielding Percentage-.960 (8)

Competing in the GLVC with other ranked teams, #1 USML and #17 Southern Indiana, the Greyhounds got plenty of action against tough competition. The Greyhounds lost to North Georgia 5-3 in their first invitational in early February. Morgan Foley is first in the nation in strikeouts (438) and eighth in the nation individually in pitching ERA. Taylor Russell is 10th in the nation in RBIs (64).

NORTH GEORGIA (49-7) (6-1 against ranked teams)
ngaHow they got here: The Nighthawks won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship game against #8 Georgia College receiving the automatic bid and #1 seed in the Southeast Regional. After winning the regional North Georgia swept Georgia College in the Super Regional.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-P Courtney Poole (42-3, 0.95 ERA), 1B Kim McMillan (.446 BA, .872 Slg) 2nd Team-OF Meagan May (.347 BA, .983 Fld)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.307 (3)
Pitching ERA-1.11 (1)
Fielding Percentage-.972 (2)

North Georgia has an impressive record and stats but they have only won against two ranked teams. They have five wins against Georgia College and an earlier win over Indianapolis. They pitch Poole almost exclusively. She has appeared in 50 of 56 games as a pitcher, starting 45. That may pose a problem with multiple games against better hitting teams as the tournament draws to the end. North Georgia is the top team in the nation in pitching ERA. Courtney Poole is second individually in that category and fourth in the nation in strikeouts (335). Kim McMillan is fourth individually in on-base percentage and sixth in slugging percentage.

Game 3
#21 California University-Pennsylvania Vulcans (California, PA) vs. #4 Dixie State University Red Storm (St. George, UT)
Game time: 6 p.m. Central Time

CALIFORNIA (Pa.) (41-11) (3-1 against ranked teams)
caluHow they got here: The Vulcans won the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Tournament receiving the automatic bid in the Atlantic Region as the 2nd seed. After winning the regional they swept #22 West Virgina Wesleyan in the Super Regional.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-P Alex Sagl (27-4, 1.27), 1B Lindsay Reicoff (.401 BA, .859 Slg), SS Emily Price (.384 BA, .654 Slg) 2nd Team-OF Kaity Finley (.393 BA)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.341 (2)
Pitching ERA-1.79 (4)
Fielding Percentage-.967 (5)

The Vulcans have only defeated one ranked team (3-0 against West Virginia Wesleyan). They have a weak conference and played very soft competition in non-conference action. They are the last school to win back-to-back national championships in 1997-8. Lindsay Reicoff is 10th in slugging percentage in the nation.

DIXIE STATE (49-7) (7-4 against ranked teams)
dsulogoHow they got here: The Red Storm won the Pacific West Conference with a 31-1 season record. The PacWest does not have a tournament. They received the automatic bid and the 2nd seed in the West Region. After defeating #11 Cal Baptist in the regional, they swept Sonoma State in the Super Regional.
All Region Performers: 1st Team-P Michelle Duncan (29-0, 1.24 ERA), C Marla Reiter (.383 BA, .695 Slg, Caught 7/11 stealing), 2B Nicole Chavez (.399 BA, .707 Slg), OF Courtney Hine (.447 BA, .545 OB), OF Janessa Bassett (.468 BA, .705 Slg, .551 OB, 44/47 SB)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.350 (1)
Pitching ERA-1.72 (2)
Fielding Percentage-.972 (1)

The Red Storm started the season 6-5 in the early invitationals. They have since gone 43-2, including going 31-1 in the Pac West Conference. Dixie is the only team returning from last year’s nationals. They are the top-ranked team in the field and are the team to beat. Cal-PA actually matches up with them well statistically. Despite rankings, probably the best first-round match-up. Janessa Bassett leads the nation in triples (11), is ninth in the nation in batting average and ninth in stolen bases. Michelle Duncan is 10th in the nation in ERA. Nicole Chavez is sixth in the nation in RBIs (68). Dixie State is the only school in the country to be in the top 10 for both batting average and earned run average.

Game 4
Adelphi Panthers (Garden City, NY) vs. #20 Central Missouri Jennies (Warrensburg, MO)
Game time: 8:30 p.m. Central Time

ADELPHI (30-20) (5-5 against ranked teams)
adelphiHow they got here: The Panthers lost to #15 Southern New Hampshire in the Northeast 10 Conference Tournament. They gained an at-large bid in the East Region as the 3rd seed. After beating #14 Caldwell in the regionals, Adelphi swept Southern New Hampshire in the Super Regional.
All Region Performers: 1st team-3B Brenna Martini (.419 BA, .743 Slg) 2nd Team-P Lindsay Mapes (18-9, 2.00 ERA), OF Krista King (.351 BA, 14/17 SB)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.284 (8)
Pitching ERA-3.27 (8)
Fielding Percentage- .969 (3)

The Panthers started the season 0-11 with their first 12 games on the road. Their late season push in a weak region got them the at-large bid. Don’t be fooled by the percentages. They have improved greatly, winning 19 of their last 23 games.

CENTRAL MISSOURI (49-14) (5-5 against ranked teams)
ucmHow they got here: The Jennies won the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament championship game to secure the automatic bid and the 2nd seed in the Central Regional. They swept #9 Augustana in the Super Regional.
All Region Performers: 2nd Team-P Katie Shockley (27-6, 1.98 ERA), 1B Lauren Mabe (.411 BA, .677 Slg)
Team Percentages & Ranking Among 8 Remaining Teams:
Batting Average-.307 (4)
Pitching ERA-2.54 (7)
Fielding Percentage-.963 (7)

The Jennies are on an eight-game winning streak, second only to Dixie State. They get an easy match-up to begin the tournament, but it is all uphill after that. This team is young and inexperienced. That being said, Adelphi is a good team for them to face in the first round.

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