NCAA Tournament Preview: Softball to Make NCAA Debut vs. No. 11 Christopher Newport

SEGUIN, Texas - The Emmanuel College softball program is set to take on No. 11 Christopher Newport University in the opening round of the 2021 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament at Ed Kruse Stadium on the Texas Lutheran University campus this Friday at 4:00 PM. The Saints bring a 20-4 overall record to the contest while the Captains don a 28-12 mark heading into the tournament.

SEASON AT A GLANCE

Emmanuel:

• The Saints rank first in the GNAC in strikeouts (162) and head into the dance ranked 45^th in the nation in strikeout to walks ratio at 3.06
• EC ranked second the GNAC while ranking 44th nationally in team ERA (2.28)
• At the plate, Emmanuel ranked second in the GNAC in team average (.328), OBP (.402) and slugging percentage (.488)
• The Saints led the league in triples (6) and stolen bases (49), ranking 45^th national in stolen bases per game (2.04)
• In the field, EC posted a .952 fielding percentage to rank second in the GNAC on the season
• The Saints are 20-1 on the year when holding opponents to six or fewer runs and 17-0 when scoring five or more runs

CNU:

• The Captains enter the NCAA tourney with a 28-12 mark including a 4-2 record in the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference (C2C)
• CNU led the C2C while ranking 17^th in the nation in runs scored (261)
• They also led the C2C in hits (325), doubles (64), walks (173), stolen bases (62), and OBP (.431)
• In the pitching circle, CNU ranked second in the C2C with a 2.87 ERA and first in strikeouts at 215 but did allow a league-high 28 home runs on the season
• In the field, the Captains topped the C2C with a .961 fielding percentage, turning a league-best 11 double plays on the season
• CNU was 22-5 on the season when scoring five or more runs and  6-6 on the year when scoring four or fewer runs

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Emmanuel:

• (#3) First year shortstop Olivia Conti (Cranston, R.I.) – The GNAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Conference pick ranked third in the GNAC with a .436 average on 34 hits while also scoring 27 runs to rank third. Conti was tied for second in the league with 11 stolen bases and added 14 RBI. A tough out all season long, the shortstop posted a .482 on-base percentage (4^th in GNAC) while slugging .667 (5^th in GNAC). She hit safely in 22 of 24 games on the season and enters the NCAA tournament riding a 16-game hitting streak.
• (#6) Senior pitcher Megan Long (Greenville, R.I.) – Named the GNAC Pitcher of the Year and a First Team selection, she boasts a 10-2 record with a 1.53 ERA and 91 strikeouts to lead the GNAC in wins, K's and rank second in ERA among pitchers with at least 40 innings logged. Earlier this season, Long pitched the program's first-ever perfect game on April 17 vs. Anna Maria and also tossed a complete-game shutout in Game 1 of the GNAC Championship series to blank Johnson & Wales, 8-0, earning GNAC Tournament MVP honors. The senior becomes the third player in program history to earn GNAC Pitcher of the Year honors, joining former teammate Megan Kieselback '19 and Jill Kilcoyne '17 in the elite club.
• (#18) Sophomore designated player/pitcher Tianna Dawe (Lynn, Mass.) – A First Team All-Conference honoree, she batted .383 to rank 15^th in the GNAC, collecting 12 extra base hits to account for an .851 slugging percentage which ranks second in the GNAC. Dawe led the Saints and ranked third in the conference with four home runs while her 19 RBI ranked sixth in the league to go along with 13 runs scored. In the pitching circle, Dawe shared the league-lead with 10 wins with Long, posting a 10-2 record with a 2.53 ERA. She registered 62 strikeouts over 72 innings of action and has won 10 straight decisions entering the NCAA tournament.

CNU:

• (#27) Junior third baseman Kaitlyn Hasty (Chesapeake, Va.) - Named All-American in 2019, was selected the National Rookie of the Year following the 2019 campaign and most recently earned All-Region honors for the 2021 campaign. She is hitting a team-high .402 and also has registered team bests in home runs (10) and runs batted in (37) this season. Hasty raised her batting average 35 points, hit two home runs, and drove in seven last weekend at the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was selected to the All-Tournament squad and was also a C2C All-Conference second team selection this spring.
• (#18) Sophomore pitcher Grace Vallejos (Fairfax, Va.) – Tabbed to the All-Region team and has recorded a 12-6 record this year with a 1.69 earned run average. She has struck out 146 batters in 120 innings, the fourth-highest strikeout total in program history. For her efforts, Vallejos was honored as a first team All-Conference pick.
• (#13) Junior outfielder Caitlin Abernethy (Price George, Va.) – Another All-Region selection, she raised her batting average 29 points at the C2C Tournament last weekend and is now second on the team at .394 behind Hasty. She has a team-high 43 base hits this season for the Captains. Abernethy received first team All-Conference accolades from the C2C.

COACHES' CORNER
Olivia Berry – Emmanuel – (74-42, .638) – 4th collegiate season
Named the 2021 GNAC Coach of the Year, Berry has helped transform the EC Softball program since rejoining the staff as the Head Coach in 2018. The Saints skipper has posted an impressive 39-11 record in GNAC action (.780) and helped the program advance to the GNAC Championship series in 2018 and 2019, capturing the program's first regular-season GNAC crown in 2019. She's mentored a total of 21 All-Conference players including a conference-record 10 honorees this season and has also coached two NFCA All-Region players and one CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection.

Keith Parr – CNU - (588-185-1, .790) – 18th collegiate season
Parr has enjoyed great success since taking over the Captains in 2003 to rejoin his alma mater. He's lead CNU to a first place conference finish in 11 of his 18 seasons and has been named the USA South Coach of the Year four times (2004, 2007, 2009 and 2011) and the Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year twice (2015 and 2018). He has also received statewide recognition from VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors), which has named him Division II-III Coach of the Year in 2004, 2010, 2011, and 2014 and he's also developed 12 All-Americans to date.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Captains are no strangers to the NCAA tournament making their 14^th consecutive and 18^th overall appearance in the big dance. CNU earned National Runner Up honors back in 2011, a third place finish in 2010 and appearances in the Super Regional in 2014, 2015 and 2019

The is the first-ever NCAA tournament appearance for the Saints who captured the program's first GNAC Championship on May 8 by defeating Johnson & Wales University in the GNAC Championship series by 8-0 and 10-2 scores.

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING

This marks the first time that the two programs will compete against one another.

FAN INFO & TICKETS
Fans will be allowed at the regional tournament. Fan capacity will be capped at 50 percent. The 50 percent number for Ed Kruse Stadium is 386 fans. Admittance for each game will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Tickets are $5 per game. The stadium will be cleared of fans after each game.

The NCAA has instituted a championship-wide mask policy. Masks are required at all times when not actively eating or drinking. Fans are also encouraged to use social distancing at the stadium. 

COVERAGE
This weekend's NCAA D-III Softball Tournament will be streamed live on the web, produced by the Texan Lutheran University Athletic Communications team. To tune into the live action, click on one of the links below:

TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

LIVE STREAM

LIVE STATS

2021 NCAA D-III SOFTBALL DIGITAL PROGRAM

2021 NCAA D-III SOFTBALL BRACKET (Sequin Region)

2021 NCAA D-III SOFTBALL BRACKET (Full Bracket)