Champ Central
Bracket
The American Digital Network
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The seven-team, single-elimination 2016 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship is set to take place at the Collins Family Softball Complex on the campus of the University of Tulsa, beginning Thursday, May 12.
The quarterfinals will begin Thursday with No. 4-seeded Houston (26-28, 9-9 American) and No. 5-seeded Memphis (26-30, 7-11 American) opening tournament play. The first pitch is set for Noon ET/11 a.m. CT. The two teams concluded the regular season last weekend with a three-game series in Houston. The Cougars completed the series sweep on Sunday, with Courtney Klingler’s two-run home run that lifted the team to a 4-3 win over the Tigers.
Houston compiled a .274 batting average in conference play, led by freshman Maya Thomas, with a.393 batting average. Klinger led the conference in RBIs, with 17 in league play. The Cougars won their last two conference series of the season over UConn (April 29-30) and Memphis (May 6-8). Houston won one regular-season game against all of the rest of its conference opponents, including a 5-2 win on April 3 that snapped USF’s 23-game win streak. In the circle, freshman Savannah Heebner leads the Cougars with a 2.15 ERA and 5-0 record in conference play.
As a team, Memphis hit .236 in conference play. Lindsey Stickrod led the Tigers with a .315 batting average and 17 hits. Memphis claimed three conference series in 2016 against UConn (March 24-26), East Carolina (April 8-10) and Tulsa (April 30-May 1). The Tigers also beat UCF, 5-4, on April 23. Hannah Harrell and Brittany Seale are part of a three-way tie to lead The American in walks, with 10 in conference play. Overall, Harrell leads all players with 27 stolen bases in the 2016 season. Pitcher Molly Smith owns a team-best 3.25 ERA and 5-7 record in conference play.
In game two of Thursday’s quarterfinals, No. 2 seed UCF (35-19, 12-4 American) will face No. 7 seed UConn (19-31, 4-12 American) at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT. The teams played one game during the regular season, as two games of the series were canceled due to inclement weather. The Knights won the lone game against the Huskies, 1-0, in Storrs, Conn.
UCF freshman Cassady Brewer led the conference with a .455 batting average and .547 on-base percentage in league play. She also totaled a team-best eight multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games. With 12 wins in American play, the Knights finished their third-straight season without losing a conference series. The team led the league with a .985 fielding percentage and 1.45 ERA. Senior pitcher Shelby Turnier led the Knights with a 9-2 record and 1.20 ERA, while Manami Calixto compiled a 3-1 record and team-best 1.15 ERA. Turnier struck out 62 batters and limited opposing batters to a .138 average - the lowest in The American.
UConn won its regular-season series against East Carolina (April 15-17), and also recorded wins against Houston and Memphis. Lexi Gifford led the team with a .306 batting average and 15 hits in the Huskies’ 16 conference games. Freshman pitcher Jill Stockley logged six starts with four complete games in league play. She produced a 3-5 record and had team-best 3.37 ERA.
The third quarterfinal game will be played on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT, as No. 3-seeded Tulsa (32-18, 9-9 American) hosts No. 6-seeded East Carolina (23-30, 5-13 American). The Hurricane swept the three-game series against the Pirates in April.
Tulsa led The American in runs scored (90), as Shelby Estocado paced the conference with 27 runs scored, followed by Maggie Withee with 16. The Hurricane also had the most RBIs in conference play (83), as Estocado (15) and Maddie Withee (14) had the second- and third-highest totals in the league, respectively. Withee led the team with a .415 batting average, while leading the conference in hits (27) in league play. Jodi Edmiston’s nine stolen bases in conference play were the most in The American. Senior Caitlin Sill led the Hurricane pitching staff with a 2.49 ERA in 12 appearances and finished with a 5-6 record in conference play.
As a team, East Carolina tallied three triples and 11 home runs in conference play, to tie for the highest totals in each category. Ciara Ervin led the league with two triples in American play. Sophomore Karlie Smith had the second-highest on-base percentage (.466). Although limited by injury, Lydia Ritchie made 14 appearances in the circle, and threw three complete games for a 2-6 record in conference play. She posted a 3.88 ERA and totaled 48 strikeouts in 56 innings in the circle.
USF (43-13, 15-3 American) clinched the No. 1 seed and the regular season title with a win over UCF last weekend. The Bulls will have a quarterfinal bye, and play in Friday's semifinals against the winner of No. 5-seeded Memphis and No. 4-seeded Houston.
USF led the conference in a number of offensive categories, including batting average (.310), slugging percentage (.443), on-base percentage (.390), hits (145) and total bases (207). Juli Weber paced the team with a .390 batting average and 23 hits, while recording a league-high six doubles. Teammate Lee Ann Spivey led The American in slugging percentage (.765), total bases (39) and home runs (seven) in conference play. Senior pitcher Erica Nunn led the conference with a 0.74 ERA. She also recorded a league-leading 90 strikeouts and 12 wins in 17 appearances in American play.
Tickets are on sale through Tulsa Athletics. Fans can purchase tickets online at TulsaHurricane.com, by calling 918.631.GoTU (4688) or stopping by the Reynolds Center Athletic Ticket Office, Monday-Friday, 8:30-5 p.m.
All-session tickets are priced at $20 for adults and $10 for youth, ages 2-17. Single session tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth. A group ticket rate is available for groups of 15 or more for $3.00 per ticket. Group tickets must be purchased in advance of the tournament.
All of the quarterfinal and semifinal games will be broadcast on the American Digital Network at
www.TheAmerican.org/dn.The championship game is set for Noon ET/11 a.m. CT on Saturday, and will be televised on ESPN.
The tournament champion will receive the conference’s automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Women’s College World Series bracket.
2016 American Athletic Conference Softball Championship
Collins Family Softball Complex - Tulsa, Okla.
Quarterfinals - Thursday, May 12
(All games on The American Digital Network)
Game 1 – No. 5 Memphis vs. No. 4 Houston, Noon ET/11 a.m. CT
Game 2 – No. 7 UConn vs. No. 2 UCF 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT
Game 3 – No. 3 Tulsa vs. No. 6 East Carolina, 5 p.m. ET/4 p.m. CT
Semifinals - Friday, May 13
(All games on The American Digital Network)
Game 4 – Game 1 winner vs. No. 1 USF, 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Game 5 – Game 3 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. CT
Championship - Saturday, May 14
(Televised live on ESPN)
Game 6 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Noon ET/11 a.m. CT