ANGOLA, Ind.-- The Trine softball team will be looking to capture its second NCAA Regional title as the team will play host to the 2016 NCAA® Division III Softball Regional Championship.
The Thunder open postseason play Thursday at 3:30 p.m. against Greenville College. Trine earned one of 19 automatic-qualifying bids in the NCAA Division III Softball postseason after tying for a fifth-consecutive Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship. The Thunder finished the regular-season 30-12 overall to clinch its sixth-consecutive 30-win season. Trine has won one NCAA Regional title, which came in the team's last NCAA postseason appearance on its home field in 2014. This year will mark the ninth-straight NCAA Regionals appearance for the Thunder.
Information on the tickets, parking and other accommodations for the Angola Regional can be found HERE.
Trine is led by six All-MIAA performers. First Team selections included third baseman Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind. / Warsaw), first baseman Kaylee Fox (Vermilion, Ohio / Edison) and pitcher Justine Robles (Long Beach, Calif. / Lakewood). Outfielder Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn. / Wilson Central), pitcher Bre Cooper (Beech Grove, Ind. / Beech Grove) and catcher Rachell Noble (Indianapolis, Ind. / Decatur Central) were named to the Second Team.
The Thunder once again ranked as the top offensive team in the MIAA during the regular-season, leading the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, runs per game, home runs per game and on-base percentage. Trine finished second in the MIAA in ERA and fielding percentage.
University of Chicago and Wheaton College make up the other half of the regional bracket and open tournament play Thursday at 1 p.m.
The tournament follows double-elimination format. More information on each team in the regional and a game schedule can be found below.
Greenville College
The Lady Panthers qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time after winning the 2016 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Softball Tournament. Greenville owns an overall record of 23-20-1.
Pitcher / utility player Brianna Anderson was named the MVP of the SLIAC Tournament. Tiffany Samsoe and Laney Thacker led the Lady Panthers in the power department with seven home runs apiece. Samsoe knocked in a team-high 42 runs. Senior outfielder Bryn McKie batted .465 with a .676 slugging percentage. Greenville slugged .488 as a team to rank third in the SLIAC in that category.
The Thunder and Lady Panthers shared one common opponent this season. Trine went 2-2 against Hope College, while Greenville was defeated 12-3 in five innings by the Flying Dutch.
University of Chicago
The Maroons were a second team to earn an at-large bid to the Angola Regional, finishing 25-8 overall. UChicago earned its 10th Regional bid since 2000. The Maroons swept first round opponent Wheaton with a pair of 1-0 victories in a doubleheader earlier this season.
Three All-University Athletic Association selections highlight the Maroons' lineup. First baseman Kathleen Kohn was a first team selection, while pitcher Molly Moran and infielder Colleen Bennett earned second team honors. UChicago led the UAA in batting average, ERA, fielding percentage and home runs per game.
UChicago went 4-0 against MIAA teams this season, sweeping doubleheaders against Kalamazoo and Hope. Trine earned a 4-2 record against those teams.
Wheaton College
The Thunder won its first ever College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Tournament title, dropping its first game but rallying back to win out and claim the automatic bid. Wheaton finished the season 31-12 overall.
Katie Thornton gives the Thunder a superb all-around talent with a campaign that saw the senior win the CCIW's Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors. Thornton ranked seventh in the nation in ERA during the regular season. Second baseman Christina Sandstedt, center fielder Katie Yergler and first baseman Kelly Thornton also earned first team all-conference honors.
Wheaton owned a 7-2 record against common opponents with Trine. Wheaton went 6-2 against teams from the MIAA this season.
The game schedule for the tournament is listed below.
2016 NCAA DIVISION III SOFTBALL REGIONAL SCHEDULE
| Thursday, May 12 | ||
| Game One | University of Chicago (H) vs. Wheaton | 1 p.m. |
| Game Two | Trine (H) vs. Greenville | 3:30 p.m. |
| Friday, May 13 | ||
| Game Three | Game One Winner vs. Game Two Winner | 11 a.m. |
| Game Four | Game Two Loser vs. Game Two Loser | 1:30 p.m. |
| Game Five | Game Three Loser vs. Game Four Winner | 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, May 14 | ||
| Game Six | Game Three Winner vs. Game Five Winner | Noon |
| Game Seven | Game Six Teams (if necessary) | 2:30 p.m. |
H- designates home team in matchup.