Farmers Branch, Texas ?? The American Southwest Conference?s annual First Pitch Softball Tournament is slated for Friday-Saturday (March 2-3) at Oran Good Park. All of the league?s 15 softball teams will be in action as well as special guest Southwestern, playing two cross-divisional games each day. Action gets underway at 10 a.m. both days.
The games do not count toward conference records, only overall and in-region, but bragging rights are at stake. Last season, the East Division defeated the West 23-5. Southwestern will serve as a West Division team.
Three ASC teams enter the tournament nationally ranked in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III Top 25 Poll, released Feb. 29. Texas-Tyler is ranked No. 2, Louisiana College is No. 21 and East Texas Baptist is tied for No. 23.
All ASC preseason players of the year will be in action: junior third baseman Joey Cronin of Texas-Tyler; sophomore first baseman Brooke Smitherman and senior right-handed pitcher Kim Mason of Mississippi College; senior catcher Taylor Namey of Hardin-Simmons; and sophomore left-hander Teyler Schiefelbein of Concordia Texas.
Louisiana College has won a record 31 consecutive games at the ASC First Pitch Softball Tournament, with its last loss coming in the 2004 season to Texas Lutheran. Texas-Tyler has won 21 straight at the event, while Mississippi College has prevailed in 23 of its last 25 contests – including eight in a row.
NOTES: Admission each day is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens, school age children (K-12) and students at ASC member schools (with valid 2011-12 ID). No complimentary pass lists are accepted. . . . Official tournament black, long-sleeve T-shirts are available for $15 each. Conference merchandise will also be for sale, including caps ($15), beanies ($10) and ear warmers ($10). Only cash will be accepted. Schedule/Roster sheets are free . . . This is the ninth consecutive year that the ASC First Pitch Softball Tournament has been held in Farmers Branch, TX. . . . No pets are allowed inside Oran Good Park. . . . The address of the event is: 13300 Dennis Lane; Farmers Branch, TX. . . . Each day’s results, a photo gallery and post-tournament video interviews will be available on the conference’s website (ASCsports.org), Facebook Page, and Twitter Feed (@ASC_sports). To talk about and find scores during the tournament on Twitter: #firstpitch
2012 ASC FIRST PITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
“East vs. West”
March 2-3 / Oran Good Park / Farmers Branch, TX
(Game DO NOT count toward division record)
[F4] = Field 4 / [F5] = Field 5 / [F3] = Field 3 / [F6] = Field 6
Friday, March 2
West Division (second team listed) is home team and will be in first base dugout.
10:00 AM
LeTourneau vs. Concordia Texas, [F4]
No. 23 East Texas Baptist vs. Hardin-Simmons, [F5]
Texas-Dallas vs. Sul Ross State, [F3]
Mississippi College vs. Texas Lutheran, [F6]
12:30 P.M.
No. 21 Louisiana College vs. Schreiner, [F4]
Centenary vs. Howard Payne, [F5]
Ozarks vs. Southwestern, [F3]
No. 2 Texas-Tyler vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, [F6]
3:00 P.M.
Mississippi College vs. Sul Ross State, [F4]
LeTourneau vs. Texas Lutheran, [F5]
No. 23 East Texas Baptist vs. Concordia Texas, [F3]
Ozarks vs. Hardin-Simmons, [F6]
5:30 P.M.
No. 2 Texas-Tyler vs. Southwestern, [F4]
No. 21 Louisiana College vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, [F5]
Centenary vs. Schreiner, [F3]
Texas-Dallas vs. Howard Payne, [F6]
Saturday, March 3
East Division (second team listed) is home team and will be in first base dugout.
10:00 AM
Hardin-Simmons vs. No. 2 Texas-Tyler, [F4]
Sul Ross State vs. LeTourneau, [F5]
Texas Lutheran vs. No. 23 East Texas Baptist, [F3]
Concordia Texas vs. Ozarks, [F6]
12:30 P.M.
Howard Payne vs. Mississippi College, [F4]
Southwestern vs. No. 21 Louisiana College, [F5]
Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Centenary, [F3]
Schreiner vs. Texas-Dallas, [F6]
3:00 P.M.
Texas Lutheran vs. Ozarks, [F4]
Concordia Texas vs. No. 2 Texas-Tyler, [F5]
Hardin-Simmons vs. No. 21 Louisiana College, [F3]
Sul Ross State vs. No. 23 East Texas Baptist, [F6]
5:30 P.M.
Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Texas-Dallas, [F4]
Schreiner vs. Mississippi College, [F5]
Howard Payne vs. LeTourneau, [F3]
Southwestern vs. Centenary, [F6]
Topics: Athletics