No. 1-ranked Softball Set to Host NAIA Opening Round
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Cottey (MO) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
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Our Lady of the Lake | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 0 |
SAN ANTONIO (May 7, 2024) – The No. 1-ranked Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) softball team is set to host the San Antonio Bracket of the Opening Round for the 43rd Annual NAIA Softball National Championship. The event takes place May 13-15 at 10 host cities. The San Antonio Bracket will be held at the St. Mary's University Softball Field located a few miles from the OLLU main campus at One Camino Santa Maria.
The 2024 Opening Round features an expanded field of 48 teams. There will be two opening round sites that will feature four teams and eight which will be five-team brackets, each played in double elimination format. The winner of each will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series at the South Commons Complex in Columbus, Ga., from May 23-29.
Joining No. 1 seed OLLU are No. 2 seed Hope International University (HIU) from Fullerton, Calif., No. 3 seed Evangel University (EU) from Springfield, Mo., and No. 4 seed Cottey College (CC) from Nevada, Mo.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
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DATE/TIME |
GAME INFORMATION |
LIVE STATS |
LIVE-STREAMING |
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May 13 |
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Game One: 12 p.m. |
No. 2 HIU vs. No. 3 EU |
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Game Two: 2:30 p.m. |
No. 1 OLLU vs. No. 4 CC |
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May 14 |
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Game Three: 12 p.m. |
Loser Game One vs. Loser Game Two |
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Game Four: 2:30 p.m. |
Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two |
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Game Five: 5 p.m. |
Winner Game Three vs. Loser Game Four |
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May 15 |
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Game Six: 12 p.m. |
Winner Game Four vs. Winner Game Five |
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Game Seven: 2:30 p.m. |
Winner Game Six vs. Loser Game Six (if necessary) |
The Saints (50-3) won the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) regular-season for the third consecutive year with a perfect 24-0 mark. The women are ranked first in the NAIA and have held that position since March 6. The Saints entered the RRAC Tournament Championship with a 43-game winning streak. They defeated Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) and Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) on the first day. OLLU's 45-game winning streak was snapped on Sunday when LSU-Alexandria (LSUA) beat the Saints 3-1. OLLU dropped to the loser's bracket where they downed TAMUT for a second time. The Saints faced LSUA again in the championship, needing to win twice to claim the title. The Generals beat the Saints again to earn the RRAC Tournament title without a loss.
HIU finished the regular season at 35-15 overall and are the No. 2 seed. The Royals lost to NAIA No. 19-ranked Vanguard Universiy at the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Postseason Tournament. HIU went 10-10 in conference play with an 18-4 away mark. This is the second appearance in the NAIA Opening Round for the program. The Royals are ranked No. 23 in the NAIA.
EU is the No. 3 seed and is 36-8 on the year. The Valor won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Tournament over Friends University by winning twice on Friday. The Valor had won 14 of their previous 15 regular-season matchups prior to the conference tournament. This will be Evangel's second time in the NAIA Opening Round, as well.
No. 4 seed CC arrives in San Antonio with a 31-19 overall record. They won the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Softball Tournament to earn the automatic bid to the opening round. The Comets defeated Missouri Baptist University 3-0, Central Baptist College 5-4 and William Baptist University 3-2. The Comets bring a four-game winning streak into the opening round.
The Saints have faced HIU and EU in the past. OLLU defeated HIU twice last season in the opening round to secure a spot in the NAIA World Series. The Royals beat the Saints in their first meeting at the opening round. The Saints are also 2-1 against Evangel. Their last meeting was in 2011.
Visit OLLU's tournament page for updates and links to stats and streaming.
