CLERMONT, Fla. — The Sun Conference Softball Tournament presented by Holiday Inn Express Clermont returns to the National Training Center for the fourth consecutive year with the seven-team, double-elimination tournament scheduled for April 30-May 2.
The 2015 event figures to be an exciting one after the most successful regular season in Sun Conference softball history. Three conference teams enter the tournament ranked in the top 20 in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll and Sun Conference teams have notched a number of wins over high-profile non-conference opponents.
The tournament champion will earn an automatic berth in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, which will be played from May 11-13 at 10 campus sites with the winners from the 10 double-elimination brackets advancing to the NAIA Softball World Series in Sioux City, iowa.
No. 1 Southeastern (38-10, 14-1)
The Fire enter the tournament as the league's hottest team, having won nine straight and 15 of 16 to claim the first regular-season conference title in the program's brief history. The winning streak has included doubleheader sweeps of ranked opponents USCB and Thomas.
Southeastern boasts a powerful offense led by Cat Maldonado (.422, 16 HR, 56 RBIs), Anna Martin (.454, 7 HR, 35 RBIs) and Sam Gale (.384, 7 HR, 48 RBIs). The Fire have swiped 116 bases — sixth-most in the NAIA — with five players stealing at least 10 and Bri Girardin leading the way with 27 steals without being caught.
The Fire have four solid pitchers with Susan Hinks (18-5, 2.20 ERA) and Maldonado (11-1, 2.31) leading the way.
No. 2 USCB (34-11, 13-3)
The Sand Sharks held down the top spot in the conference standings for much of the season while reeling off a school-record 19-game winning streak before dropping a pair of games at Southeastern on April 18. USCB has finished second or better in the regular season in each of the program's four years of existence and was the tournament champion in 2013 and runner-up in 2014.
USCB has smacked 44 home runs with Haley Brown (.365, 13 HR, 37 RBIs) and Maddie Byrd (.336, 12 HR, 44 RBIs) leading the power surge, while Missy Hughes (.451, 22 runs) has helped set the table.
The Sand Sharks boast the last two Sun Conference Pitchers of the Year in Kristy Cook (19-4, 1.54 ERA) and Ashlie Layman (11-6, 3.53).
No. 3 Thomas (34-11, 12-4)
The Night Hawks made a splash with strong showings in early-season tournaments and were the top-ranked team in the conference for most of the season. They had a 10-game winning streak interrupted by doubleheader sweeps at USCB and Southeastern but rebounded to win their final six games of the regular season.
Thomas can generate runs in a number of ways, as speedsters Chandler Seay (.379, 26 SBs, 36 runs) and Alex VanWagner (.372, 30 SBs, 33 runs) can manufacture runs and Kelsey Connolly (.310, 8 HR, 32 RBIs) and Michael Cooper (.303, 7 HR, 27 RBIs) provide the pop.
The Night Hawks boast two standout pitchers in Katie Lopes (11-4, 1.88 ERA) and Ashley Sikes (15-6, 2.07).
No. 4 Embry-Riddle (23-19, 8-8)
The 2014 regular-season champion Eagles are back in the tournament under first-year coach Kelsi Dunne, and they've won four straight and eight of their last 11 entering postseason play.
The Eagles haven't generated much offense and have been forced to rearrange the lineup since losing catcher Anna Battison, but Kailah Rain (.328, 14 RBIs, 10 SBs) has been a disruptive force.
Embry-Riddle's strength is its pitching staff led by Raquelli Bianco (14-7, 3.07 ERA) and Robi Zimmerman (8-12, 3.06).
No. 5 Warner (15-19-1, 8-8)
The Royals have dropped four straight and eight of 10 entering the tournament after playing the top three teams in the conference over the final two weeks of the regular season.
Erika Shick (.306, 4 HR, 16 RBIs) and Makenzie Garcia (.305, 18 RBIs) lead the Royals at the plate and leadoff hitter Jelisa Potter (.240, 9 SBs) is disruptive when she gets on base.
Chelsie Valentine (10-6, 2.44) is the ace of the pitching staff, and Brittany Winget (3-5, 3.53) is a solid No. 2 pitcher who plays shortstop when she is not in the circle.
No. 6 Ave Maria (23-25, 7-9)
The Gyrenes have dropped three straight and five of their last six entering the tournament, but they split with No. 17 USCB on the final weekend of the season to add to a resume that includes several wins over teams who are ranked or receiving votes.
Ave Maria boasts two of the top hitters in the league in center fielder Kingsley Avery (.455, 19 RBIs, 28 SBs) and Cheyenne Benson (.346, 3 HR, 34 RBIs).
Benson (10-13, 1.99 ERA) also anchors the pitching staff along with left-hander Emily Lemin (8-11, 3.39).
No. 7 St. Thomas (7-21, 5-11)
The defending tournament champion Bobcats squeaked into the field by winning five of their last seven games, including a pair of one-run victories at Northwood on the final day of the regular season to clinch the No. 7 seed.
The Bobcats have struggled at the plate for much of the season but traditionally have success in the tournament manufacturing runs with the short game. Cristina Sacramento (.333, 10 RBIs) leads the team at the plate, and Christina Horton (.284, 10 SBs) and Jessica Matias (.274, 14 SBs) are dangerous on the bases.
Sacramento (4-9, 3.36 ERA) and Carson Catasus (2-6, 4.10) are the team's top pitchers.
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Tournament week begins with the conference awards banquet at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and play gets underway with five games Thursday starting at 9 a.m. Visit the 2015 Sun Conference Softball Tournament Headquarters for updates throughout the week and to find links to live stats and video for each game.
