MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Horizon League Champion RMU softball team (30-16) is heading to Tallahassee, Florida, for the NCAA Regional, where they will face the host and No. 5 national seed, Florida State, in their opening game on Friday, May 16 at 2:30 PM. The game will be played at JoAnne Graf Field at Seminole Softball Complex and will be streamed live on the ACC Network with commentary from Mark Neely (play-by-play) and Carol Bruggeman (analyst). The four-team regional also includes Auburn and South Florida.
HORIZON LEAGUE CHAMPIONS CROWNED
RMU enters the NCAA Tournament on a high note after a dominant 3-0 run to capture their first Horizon League Championship this past weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.
In their tournament opener, the Colonials edged out Green Bay 4-3 in eight innings, with
Courtney Poulich and
Mary Brant each recording two hits. Poulich contributed a home run and two RBI, while senior
Madison DeVault pitched a stellar eight innings, striking out 11.
Logan Black provided the game-winning heroics with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
RMU continued their winning streak with a decisive 10-2 mercy-rule victory over Purdue Fort Wayne in the second game. The offensive charge was led by Poulich,
Alaina Koutsogiani, and
Katlyn Jardine, each driving in two runs, while Black and Brant each tallied two hits. DeVault once again pitched a complete game, striking out three and allowing just one earned run in five innings.
The championship game saw the Colonials face Purdue Fort Wayne for the second time. After a tight six innings with only a solo home run from Poulich on the board, the Mastodons took a brief lead in the top of the seventh. However, freshman
Sequoia Dunlap answered with a clutch solo home run to left field, tying the game and forcing extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, freshman
Mary Brant delivered the championship-winning blow, launching a two-run home run to center field for a 4-2 victory, securing RMU's first Horizon League title.
#HLSB STATISTICAL LEADERS
Following their Horizon League Championship run, several Colonials rank among the conference's best:
- Courtney Poulich leads the league in home runs (15), is second in slugging percentage (.785), runs scored (44), and RBI (52).
- Kaylyn Hopf and Mary Brant both sit in the top five in batting average (.367).
- Katlyn Jardine is fourth in on-base percentage (.434) and second in walks (24).
- Madison DeVault leads the conference in ERA (2.41) and opposing batting average (.200) after pitching all 21 innings of the #HLSB Championship.
As a team, RMU led the Horizon League in batting average (.308), runs scored (285), triples (14), home runs (48), RBI (255), slugging percentage (.512), and on-base percentage (.379). Their pitching staff also boasted the lowest opposing batting average in the conference (.252).
CHASING PROGRAM RECORDS
- Courtney Poulich is now tied for the most runs scored in a single season with 44, needing just one more to surpass Gwen Leidy's record set in 1997.
- Alaina Koutsogiani ranks second all-time in career runs scored with 117, trailing only Jaci Timko (130), who played from 2009-12.
- The team's 285 runs scored this season are the second-most in program history, just shy of the 293 runs scored by the 1997 squad.
MILESTONE WATCH
ALL-TIME VS. REGIONAL OPPONENTS
RMU has faced Florida State six times previously, securing one victory in 1994. This will be the first meeting between the two programs since 2004. The Colonials have played the University of South Florida a total of 11 times, from 1992 to 2007. RMU's last victory against the Bulls came in 1993. The Colonials have never faced Auburn and will possibly face them for the first time this weekend.
SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
No. 5 Florida State (46-9, 18-3 ACC) enters the Regional after finishing as the runner-up in the ACC Tournament, falling to No. 14 Clemson. The Seminoles' offense is led by USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 Finalist, sophomore infielder Isa Torres, who boasts a team-best .447 batting average and 64 runs scored. Senior Katie Dack leads the team with 14 home runs. Their pitching staff has an impressive 2.23 ERA, with freshman Jazzy Francik leading the way with a 1.62 ERA and 82 strikeouts. Ashtyn Danley and Julia Apsel each have 12 wins.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Auburn (32-22, 6-18 SEC) comes into the Regional after a loss in their opening game of the SEC Tournament. Freshman AnnaLea Adams leads the Tigers with a .408 batting average and a .696 slugging percentage, while senior Icess Tresvik has a team-high 11 home runs. Sophomore SJ Geurin has been the ace of their pitching staff, with a 2.79 ERA, 20 wins, five shutouts, and 91 strikeouts.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF (43-14-1, 20-6-1 AAC) enters the NCAA Tournament as the American Athletic Conference Champions. Junior outfielder Alexa Galligani leads the Bulls with a .361 batting average. Junior Camille Ortiz-Martinez boasts a team-high .661 slugging percentage and .490 on-base percentage, while sophomore Alex Wilkes leads the team with 11 home runs. In the circle, Belle Sardja has a 1.79 ERA and nine saves, while redshirt junior Payton Dixon has recorded 19 wins and a team-high 105 strikeouts.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This marks RMU's fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their first since 2005. Their previous appearances saw them face Maine in 1994 and Niagara in 1998 in a Play-in series. In 2005, they competed in the Stanford Super Regional against No. 4 Stanford and No. 16 Missouri. The Colonials will be aiming for their first-ever NCAA Regional win this weekend in Tallahassee, Fla.
TICKETS
A limited number of tickets are available for purchase. Please visit
Seminoles.com/tickets for more information or contact the FSU Ticket Office at 850-644-1830 or via email at ticketoffice@seminoles.com.
UP NEXT - TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 16th
Game 1: USF vs. Auburn at 12:00 PM
Game 2: RMU vs. FSU at 2:30 PM OR 35 minutes following Game 1
Saturday, May 17th
Game 3: 1:00 PM (Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2)
Game 4: 3:30 PM (Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2)
Game 5: 6:00 PM (Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3)
Sunday, May 18th
Game 6: 12:00 PM (Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5)
Game 7: 2:30 PM (Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 if necessary)
For more information about the Tallahassee Regional, click
here.
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