LINFIELD WILDCATS
COACH: Jackson Vaughan (24th year)
COACHES: Jamie Vasas, Amanda Knopf, Jordan Bennett, Emily Allen STUDENT ASSISTANTS: Brady Crenshaw, Jackson Pfeifer
CHAPMAN PANTHERS
JOHNSON & WALES WILDCATS
LEWIS & CLARK PIONEERS
TEAM-BY-TEAM PREVIEW
LINFIELD WILDCATS (38-5, 25-3 NWC)
•Linfield won the NWC Tournament for a seventh consecutive season and 12th time in program history. The Wildcats secured the NWC regular-season title for the 18th time overall and a fourth straight year.
•Linfield features Division III’s top offense, leading the country in runs (398), hits (490), home runs (85), average (.406), RBIs (379) and slugging percentage (.696).
•Claire Seats has been one of the top batters in Division III this spring, hitting .476 while leading the nation with 152 total bases and 72 RBIs.
•Brynn Nelson’s 67 hits ranked in the top 10 in the Division III, while Cydney Hess is top 10 with 54 RBIs, and top 25 in homers (14) along with Jacey Leyvas and Ashlyn Aven, who have 13 and 11, respectively. Kaili Saathoff is top 10 nationally with 56 runs scored.
•Pitching ace Tyler McNeley leads the NWC with a 25-2 record with 23 complete games and 10 shutouts, all ranking third in Division III.
CHAPMAN PANTHERS (31-9,
15-6 SCIAC)
•Chapman earned the SCIAC’s automatic berth to the NCAA playoffs by winning the league’s championship tournament.
•Miranda Murphy leads the Panthers offensively with a .402 average, .552 OBP and .561 slugging percentage. Her six triples lead the SCIAC as do her 34 walks, third-most of any player in Division III.
•Mia Reyes is second on the team in average (.337) and OBP (.405).
Mo Lynch leads the team with six doubles while Ilianna Serna is the Panthers’ RBI leader with 28.
•Chapman has won games on the strength of its pitching and defense, allowing the fewest total runs (104) and earned runs (84) in the SCIAC.
The Panthers’ 2.09 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and .232 opponent batting average all lead the SCIAC as do their 210 strikeouts.
•Rose Malen headlines the Chapman staff with a 15-4 record to pace the SCIAC. She also leads the league with 15 complete games and seven shutouts.
LEWIS & CLARK PIONEERS (31-11, 21-7 NWC)
•With 31 victories, L&C set new program records for overall and NWC wins to finish second in the league standings and runner-up in the NWC championship tournament for a second straight year.
•Lewis & Clark ranks second in the NWC in runs (284), hits (389), RBIs (254), average (.348), on-base percentage (.410) and doubles (28).
•Sam Gildersleeve leads the Pios with a .390 batting average while sit-ting eighth in the NWC in slugging percentage (.675).
•Lacey Marglin second on the team with a .390 average. McKenna Dahir is second in both OBP (.468) and slugging pct. (.588). Four additional Lewis & Clark players join Gildersleeve with at least 20 RBIs, namely Mari Alvarez, Gina Ozuna and Emily Patton
•The Pioneers have three solid pitching options in Maggie O’Leary, Ryan Jurischk and Charlize Pope. O’Leary leads the team with a 3.30 ERA, striking out 103 batters. Her 20-8 record and 33 appearances rank among the top 15 in Division III. Pope and Jurischk have combined for an 11-3 record in 41 appearances.
JOHNSON & WALES-PROVIDENCE
WILDCATS (29-15, 15-3 GNAC)
•The Wildcats hail from the Great Northeast Athletic Conference and are making their sixth appearance in an NCAA Regional. J&W-P ranks among the top 25 nationally and lead the GNAC in hits (408) and home runs (27). They own the GNAC’s top offense with 290 runs and lead the league in average (.333), and RBIs (252).
•Mady Lyons leads JWU with an .825 slugging percentage while hitting .438 with a .468 on-base percentage, 60 hits, 13 home runs, 54 RBI and 113 total bases. Mackenzie Clee tops the Wildcats and is top 5 in the GNAC with a .446 average, .507 OBP, and 54 hits. Morgan Pettellier is second on the squad with seven homers and 33 RBI while Caroline Amorelli is third in both with three homers and 31 RBI.
•J&W-P pitchers carry a 2.86 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP with Katie Scheid and Jillian Reed splitting the bulk of JWU’s pitching duties. Scheid has posted a 14-7 record with a 3.05 ERA and 75 strikeouts while Reed has registered a 12-3 record with a 3.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts.
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, MAY 15
Game 1, 2:30 p.m.
Linfield vs. Johnson & Wales Game 2, 5 p.m.
Chapman vs. Lewis & Clark
FRIDAY, MAY 16
Game 3, noon
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 Game 4, 2:30 p.m.
Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 Game 5, 5 p.m.
Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3
SATURDAY, MAY 17
Game 6, noon
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 Game 7, 2:30 p.m., if necessary
Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6
*The designated home team is listed first for Games 1 and 2. The designated home team for all subsequent games will be determined by the tournament director.
FACILITY INFORMATION
Artificial noisemakers are not permitted in or around the facility.
Excellent sportsmanship is expected from participants and spectators associated with all teams.
Additional restrooms are available inside Withnell Commons or at the football concessions building.
Meara Sain
Rose Malen
Maggie O’Leary
Amanda Madigan