MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois softball team, entering The Summit League Tournament as the No. 3 seed, heads to Fargo, N.D. to face the sixth-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the opening round of play Wednesday (May 10) at 5:30 p.m... The winner will move on to face the No. 2 North Dakota State Bison on Thursday at 2:30 p.m... The opening round of contests is single elimination, and the remainder of the tournament is double elimination.Â
SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Western Illinois has appeared in 22 league tournaments, having won the tournament title four times... WIU won its first title in 1993, and then won it back-to-back years in 2000 and 2001... Most recently Western won the tournament crown in 2008... The Leathernecks' overall record in league tournament play is 38-33.
RECENT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES: In the last three years WIU has made it to the postseason every year, but has struggled to advance... Western is 1-4 during the last three league tournament appearances... In 2014, No. 5 WIU lost its opening round to No. 4 IUPUI before eliminating No. 6 SDSU in the losers bracket, and being eliminated by No. 1 NDSUÂ the next game... In 2015 No. 4 WIU was eliminated by No. 5 SDSU in the opening round, 7-6... In 2016 the No. 3 Leathernecks lost to No. 6 IUPUI in round one, 3-2, and were eliminated.
LAST TIME OUT: WIU wrapped up its regular season versus the Jackrabbits last weekend (May 6-7)... SDSU swept the Leathernecks in Saturday's doubleheader, winning game one 6-5 and game two 4-3... WIU bounced back Sunday and topped SDSU 3-2...
SERIES HISTORY WITH SDSU: Western leads the all-time series 21-9... The Leathernecks dropped the first-ever meeting between the two programs in 2008, 12-9, but won the first-ever series between the two teams, 2-1, downing the Jackrabbits 16-9 and 6-1 in games two and three... During the last two years, WIU has won each series 2-1... During that same time frame, SDSU topped the Leathernecks 7-6 in the 2015 Summit League Tournament... This season in Brookings the Jacks took 2-of-3 from the Leathernecks.
NATIONAL INVITATIONAL SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: Tournament officials for the National Invitational Softball Championship have announced the teams under consideration for the 2017 debut of the event and Western Illinois is one of those teams... There will be 48 teams in the tournament: 32 automatic qualifiers (the highest seeded team from each conference's own regular season standings after the NCAA's selections), 12 teams based on May 14's final RPI rankings, and four teams will be determined from the season's body of work... The regional round will take place at four locations May 16-18 and the championship round (final eight teams) will take place May 21-24.
RECORD WATCH: As a team, WIU has 33 home runs this season which ranks tied for fourth all-time in program history, six away from moving into sole possession of third place and 18 away from setting a new program record (50 in 2001)... Western has 143 walks this season, second most ever in season at WIU, 22 away from setting a new record (164 in 2000)... The Leatherneck pitching staff has recorded 331 strikeouts which ranks third all-time, 21 away from second and 200 away from the all-time record (531 in 2000)... WIU has only given up 71 walks this season which currently ranks third all-time in a season with postseason to be played.
EMILY IRA IN THE RECORD BOOKS: Emily Ira has 22 complete games, which in the ninth most ever in a season at WIU, and she has 212 strikeouts, which ranks third all-time in a season, 22 away from second place.
HOELTING NEARING 'TOP 10' IN HOME RUNS: Holly Hoelting has seven home runs, two away from breaking into WIU's 'Top 10', and she has been walked 25 times this season, tied for 9th most in a season.
KELSEY MARLOW'S HITS AND TRIPLES:Â Kelsey Marlow has five triples this season which is tied for eighth most ever in a season at WIU... The all-time record is nine (Gail Scott - 1978)... She is also nine hits away from breaking into the top 10 for hits in a season as she enters the tournament with 52.
SUMMIT LEAGUE WEEKLY HONORS: Emily Ira was tabbed Pitcher of the Week three times in the month of April, four times this season (3/13, 4/3, 4/10, 4/24) and five times during her career… Aly Compton earned her first career Player of the Week honor on April 10th of this season.
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