EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana softball team received an at-large bid to play in the 2015 NCAA II Midwest Region Tournament in an announcement made by the national office Monday morning.
USI (37-9), the No. 5 seed, is making its second trip in three years to the NCAA II Tournament and its fifth in program history. The Screaming Eagles are one of four teams to play in the University of Missouri-St. Louis bracket Friday through Sunday in St. Louis, with the winner advancing to play in the best-of-three NCAA II Midwest Super-Regional May 15-16 at a site to be determined.
The Eagles open the tournament Friday at noon (CDT) against the No. 4 seed Grand Valley State University (32-15), which posted a 1-2 record at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament last weekend.
The Tritons (44-6), who captured this year's Great Lakes Valley Conference Championship and earned the No. 1 seed, will play winner of the GLIAC Conference Championship and No. 8 seed Wayne State University Friday at 2:30 p.m.
If the Eagles win their opening round game, they will play the winner of the UMSL-Wayne State game Saturday at 11 a.m.. A loss in the opening-round game would force the Eagles to play the loser of the UMSL-Wayne State game in the elimination bracket Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
The No. 2 seed, University of Indianapolis (42-12), plays host to the remaining regional selections, as it opens against Great Midwest Athletic Conference member and No. 7 seed Trevecca Nazarene University (38-8) Friday; while Ashland University (38-8), the No. 3 seed, will face No. 6 seed Truman State University (33-14) Friday.
Friday, May 8Game 1 - #4 Grand Valley State (32-15) vs. #5 Southern Indiana (37-9), Noon
Game 2 - #1 Missouri-St. Louis (44-6) vs. #8 Wayne State (Mich.) (42-18), 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 9Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 11:00 a.m.
Game 4 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 1:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 10Game 6 (Championship game) - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, Noon
Game 7 (Championship game, if necessary) - Same teams as above, 2:30 p.m.
