The 2019 SLIAC Softball Tournament could be considered a cinderella field. While three-time defending champion Greenville University is back as the #3 seed the other three teams have combined for just six previous appearances. Eureka College was picked 6th in the preseason poll but went on to capture the program's first ever SLIAC regular season title and the tournament's top seed. Meanwhile #2 seed Iowa Wesleyan University was picked 8th in the poll and are making their first ever trip to the postseason and #4 seed Spalding University is making their first tournament trip since 2015. Games are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Fulton, Mo. All tournament games will be broadcast thanks to CollegeCasts.
Eureka brings a 24-6 record into the tournament, going 14-4 in conference play during the regular season. They have won six straight and feature the most potent offensive attack in the tournament. The Red Devils have crossed the plate 244 times, averaging 8.1 runs per game. They lead the nation in team batting average (.410) and are also top five in doubles, on-base-percentage, and scoring. The top four hitters in their lineup are all hitting above .430 this season and features the nation's batting average leader in Sydney Shubert (.617). She is surrounded by leadoff hitter Raelyn Payne (.450 average) and Morgan Osborn (.439 average). Junior Morgan Ledbetter has the envious role of hitting behind all three and ranks 11th in the nation in both home runs (12) and runs batted in (48) while batting .525 this season. The Red Devil lineup isn't contained to just the top four hitters though as a whopping six Red Devils have driven in at least 20 runs this season. In the circle Eureka is led by junior Erin Smith. Smith put together a 14-3 record while striking 68 and holding a conference best 1.74 earned-run average.
This years Tigers softball team becomes the first female program at Iowa Wesleyan to qualify for the postseason since arriving in NCAA Division III. After totaling just seven wins last season the Tigers put together a 26-9 overall record this season, going 13-5 in the SLIAC, the first time they have had a winning conference record since joining the league. Iowa Wesleyan is hitting .336 as a team, averaging 5.8 runs per game. While the Tigers hit just 10 home runs on the season they have gap power, leading the SLIAC with 74 doubles. Transfer Morgan Christner has played a big role for the Tigers at both the plate and in the circle. She is hitting .427 with 37 runs batted but her bigger impact may be with the ball where she went 17-3 with a 2.08 earned-run average and a league high 184 strikeouts; currently ranking 7th nationally in strikeouts. Leadoff hitter Kayla Ford is hitting .420 this season and has scored 34 runs. The middle of the order finds Ashley Machholz (.349 average), Emma McDanel (.314 average and 25 RBI), Christner, and Alex Eyman (.378 average and 34 RBI).
This has been an incredible year for these young ladies. We had only 4 players, all starters return from last year's squad and brought in 13 new players to the program. They worked hard in the off season to prepare for the regular season. We surprised people but the coaching staff felt there was something special with this team. With Morgan and Emma in the circle they were capable of having us in games. Offensively, we have had a number of players step up during the course of the season. We have had a number of players come through with key hits in close games. Defensively as a whole has been strong behind our pitching. They believe in each other and are excited to get to the Conference tournament." - IOWA wesleyan head coach mike hampton
Greenville will have a chance to defend their three consecutive SLIAC Tournament titles this weekend and become just the second program in conference history to win at least four in a row. The Panthers were 20-12 this season, going 13-5 in the SLIAC. They are hitting .347 as a team and average 6.9 runs per game this season. The Panthers are a solid all-around offensive team that ranks in the top three in runs, doubles, triples, home runs, and steals with a pitching staff that recorded a SLIAC best 3.14 mark. Beth Mersinger anchors their lineup, hitting .430 with 9 home runs and a SLIAC best 47 RBI. Kayla Zimmerman is hitting .429 and is tied for the league lead with 18 stolen bases while Megan Barrett (.425) and Deidra Holzhauer (.404) are also hitting above .400 this season. Kendall Farr is hitting .344 with 6 home runs and 22 RBI while tying for the team lead with 11 walks. Maegan Stone leads a deep pitching staff that has had four different players make apperances. Stone is 8-2 this season with a 2.60 E.R.A. and a team leading 36 strikeouts. Caitie Opp has made a team high 10 starts, picking up three wins to go with her 3.75 E.R.A.
We lost quite a bit of talent from last year. Replacing the offense we lost was a big question mark coming into the season. Our program centerpiece is our culture, which trusts that every players commits to being better on a daily basis. We believe that each and every year it is the next person in line and it is their time to step up and carry the load. Several people have carried us at different times throughout the year in different ways.." - greenville head coach buddy foster
Spalding finished 26-13 during the regular season, tying for 2nd place with a 13-5 record. The Golden Eagles are hitting .326 as a team and averaging 6.2 runs per game. Their offensive attack starts with leadoff hitter Ally Klein. The sophomore infielder is hitting .402 this season and driven in 21 from her leadoff spot while tying for the league lead with 18 stolen bases. At the cleanup spot Grace Sweat is hitting .376 with 6 home runs and a team high 32 RBI. The Golden Eagles have run producers from top to bottom with 11 different players driving in double figures. Olivia Carter is a dual threat for Spalding, hitting .389 with 26 RBI and a 14-6 pitching record with 67 strikeouts and a 3.06 earned-run average. Freshman Chloe Skorija has gone 8-5 with one save while striking out 31 and holding a 2.79 E.R.A.
It has been an exciting year watching the young players start to find themselves and grow. The few upperclassmen we have welcomed the freshmen and helped them adjust to the college game. The growth of this team throughout the year has been exceptional. There were some growing pains early in the year, but when everybody started to understand their role and buy in to the team first mentality the team took off. Plenty of room for improvement but we are gaining valuable experience with every game played. i am Excited to see where this team can end up once they reach their potential." - spalding head coach art williams
2019 Tournament Schedule
Game 1: #1 Eureka vs. #4 Spalding, 5 p.m. on 5/2
Game 2: #2 Iowa Wesleyan vs. #3 Greenville, 7 p.m. on 5/2
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 1 p.m. on 5/3
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 3 p.m. on 5/3
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3, 5 p.m. on 5/3
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 1 p.m. on 5/4
Game 7: If necessary immediately following Game 6 on 5/4
Credits:
Created with an image by Tris0 - "softball baseball ball"