8 May 2000
CONTACT: Stew Salowitz, 309-556-3206
and/or head coach Mandy Neal, (309) 556-3348
IWU in NCAA Regional Softball Tournament
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- For the third time since 1994, the Illinois Wesleyan University softball team will be represented in the NCAA Division III regional softball tournament.
The 28-17 Titans are the No. 4 seed in the regional that begins Friday at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. IWU will play the first game of the regional at 9 a.m. (Central time) against No. 5 seed Anderson (Ind.), which is 28-19.
The second game will pit No. 3 seed Wittenberg (30-12) against No. 6 seed Buffalo State (27-12). The day's third game has the host school and No. 1 seed, Muskingum (43-3), playing the winner of the IWU/Anderson game, followed by No. 2 seeded Alma (36-6) against the winner of the Wittenberg/Buffalo State contest.
Play will continue Saturday, Sunday, and possibly Monday.
IWU, which is 0-4 in two previous NCAA appearances, earned an automatic bid into the NCAA event by virtue of winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament last weekend.
In 1994 the Titans lost in the first round to defending champion Central (Iowa), 6-0, and Simpson, 5-0. In 1996, IWU also met a defending champion in its first game and was shutout by Chapman, 3-0, before bowing to Calvin, 5-0.
The regional schedule (seeds in parentheses):
FRIDAY, MAY 12
9 a.m. - GAME 1 - Illinois Wesleyan (#4) vs. Anderson [Ind.] (28-19, #5)
GAME 2 - Wittenberg (30-12, #3) vs. Buffalo State [N.Y.] (27-12, #6)
GAME 3 - Muskingum (43-3, #1) vs. Winner Game 1
GAME 4 - Alma [Mich.] (36-6, #2) vs. Winner Game 2SATURDAY, MAY 13
GAME 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
GAME 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
GAME 7 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
GAME 8 - Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6SUNDAY, MAY 14
GAME 9 - Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8
GAME 10 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9MONDAY, MAY 15
GAME 11 - only if Winner Game 9 defeats Winner Game 7 in Game 10