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WELCOME TO THE 2015 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP The American Athletic Conference Softball Championship will feature all seven conference teams, No. 1 UCF, No. 2 Tulsa, No. 3 Houston, No. 4 East Carolina, No. 5 USF, No. 6 Memphis and No. 7 UConn, at UCF Softball Complex on the campus of University of Central Florida from May 7-9. The quarterfinals and semifinals on May 7 and 8, respectively, will air live on The American Digital Network at www.TheAmerican.org/dn. The championship game will be televised live on ESPN2 on Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. ET. The official bracket, championship information, results and team information can be found at Championship Central at www.TheAmerican.org/softball.
Facebook.com/AmericanConf
@American_SBall #AmericanSB
May 7
Thursday
May 8
May 9
Friday Saturday
#3 Houston GAME 1 11 a.m. ET
Winner GAME 1 GAME 4 3 p.m. ET
#6 Memphis
Winner Semifinal 1 #2 Tulsa GAME 2 1:30 p.m. ET
Winner GAME 2 GAME 6 1 p.m. ET
#7 UConn
2015 AMERICAN SOFTBALL CHAMPION
#1 UCF GAME 5 5:30 p.m. ET
Winner Semifinal 2 #4 East Carolina GAME 3 4 p.m. ET
Winner GAME 3
#5 USF
2015 WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES May 28-June 3, 2015 will mark the 34th annual NCAA Women’s College World Series, the premier event for college softball held annually at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. This will be the 25th time that the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium has served as the host site. The WCWS features the top eight teams in the nation squaring off in a double-elimination tournament format, all vying for the NCAA Division I Softball Championship. Sixty-four teams will enter the qualifying bracket, with 31 teams receiving automatic bids and the remaining 33 atlarge selections by the Division I Softball Committee. Regional competition will be held May 15-17 on campus sites, with the Super Regionals following the next weekend on eight campus sites.
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201 5 MAJOR AWA RD WI N N E R S A ND A LL -C O N FE R E N C E TEAMS ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Jessica Ujvari, UCF
*P – Mackenzie Audas, UCF *P – Shelby Turnier, UCF C – Lee Ann Spivey, USF 1B – Julie Kernen, Tulsa *2B – Kahley Novak, UCF SS – Casey Alcorn, East Carolina 3B – Farrah Sullivan, UCF OF – Linnea Goodman, UCF OF – Maddy Schroeder, UCF OF – Maddie Withee, Tulsa *UTL/P – Karla Claudio, USF DP/UTL (Non-P) – Jessica Ujvari, UCF
PITCHER OF THE YEAR Shelby Turnier, UCF ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Kyler Trosclair, Memphis COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR *UCF Jessica Ujvari, UCF
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM P – Bailey Erwin, Tulsa P – Caitlin Sill, Tulsa C – Catherine Horner, Tulsa IF – Brittany Solis, UCF IF – Selena Hernandez, Houston IF – Courtney Klingler, Houston IF – Kristen Wyckoff, USF IF – Maggie Withee, Tulsa OF – Katie St. Pierre, Houston OF – Jodi Edmiston, Tulsa OF – Erica Sampson, Tulsa UTL/P – Katie Brignac, Memphis DP/UTL (Non-P) – Brittany Walker, Tulsa
Shelby Turnier, UCF
[*] Denotes unanimous selection Ties are not broken
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FINAL STANDINGS
American School Record Pct.
^UCF 15/15 Tulsa Houston East Carolina USF Memphis UConn
Overall Record Pct.
16-2 .889 46-7 .868 12-6 .667 34-17 .667 10-7 .588 27-26 .509 7-11 .389 16-36 .308 6-10 .375 35-19 .648 6-12 .333 19-33 .365 4-13 .235 18-34 .346
[^] American regular-season champion
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 23 March 2 March 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4
Erica Sampson, OF/C, Sr., Tulsa Julie Kernen, 1B, Sr., Tulsa Julie Kernen, 1B, Sr., Tulsa Cierra Mangum, 3B, Jr., Memphis Julana Shrum, P/DP, Jr., Houston Lee Ann Spivey, C, Jr., USF Brittany Walker, RF, So., Tulsa Karla Claudio, P/UTL, Sr., USF Selena Hernandez, IF, Sr., Houston Kahley Novak, 2B, Sr., UCF Jessica Ujvari, DP, Jr., UCF Karlie Smith, 3B, Fr., East Carolina Catherine Horner, C, Jr., Tulsa
THE AMERICAN IN THE NATIONAL POLLS USA Today/NFCA & ESPN.com/USA Softball
UCF East Carolina USF Tulsa Preseason rv/rv -/- -/rv 21/22 Feb. 10 rv/rv -/rv rv/rv 22/24 Feb. 17 19/19 -/- -/- rv/25 Feb. 24 17/15 -/- -/- rv/rv March 3 18/15 -/- -/- -/March 10 20/20 -/- -/- -/March 17 20/20 -/- -/- -/March 24 18/19 -/- -/- -/March 31 16/18 -/- -/- -/April 7 17/18 -/- -/- -/April 14 15/17 -/- -/- -/April 21 13/15 -/- -/- -/April 28 15/16 -/- -/- -/May 5 15/15 -/- -/- -/May 12 -/- -/- -/- -/Final -/- -/- -/- -/-
WEEKLY HONOR ROLL Feb. 9 - Mary-Sloan Bradford, OF, Fr., East Carolina; Samantha McCloskey, C, Jr., UCF; Erica Nunn, P, Jr., USF; Selena Hernandez, IF, Jr., Houston; Lee Ann Spivey, C, Jr., USF Feb. 16 - Juli Weber, OF, So., USF; Samantha McCloskey, C, Jr., UCF; Katie St. Pierre, CF, Jr., Houston; Brooke Lee, 2B/SS, Fr., Memphis; Bailey Erwin, P, Sr., Tulsa Feb. 23 - Linnea Goodman, OF, So., UCF; Emily Watson, P, Fr., Tulsa; Alyson Ambler, IF/OF, Jr., UConn; Lauren Evans, 1B, Fr., USF; Selena Hernandez, SS, Jr., Houston March 2 - Juli Weber, OF, So., USF; Lindsay Crowdus, CF, So., Memphis; Jordan Richwood, P, Sr., Memphis; Farrah Sullivan, 3B/1B, Sr., UCF; Kaylin Crumpton, LF, Fr., Houston March 9 - Emily O’Donnell, 3B/SS, Sr., UConn; Astin Donovan, OF, Fr., USF; Mackenzie Audas, P, Sr., UCF; Kristen Wyckoff, 2B, So., USF; Kahley Novak, 2B, Sr., UCF March 16 - Susan Wysocki, P, R-Fr., USF; Kahley Novak, 2B, Sr., UCF; Monica Santos, IF, Jr., USF; Lindsay Crowdus, CF, So., Memphis; Kayla Holland, IF, Sr., Houston March 23 - Kris Davila, IF/C, Sr., Houston; Lee Ann Spivey, C, Jr., USF; Emily O’Donnell, 3B/SS, Sr., UConn; Maddy Schroeder, OF, Sr., UCF; Erica Nunn, P, Jr., USF
PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Feb. 9 Feb. 16 Feb. 23 March 2 March 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 April 6 April 13 April 20 April 27 May 4
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Mackenzie Audas, Sr., UCF Shelby Turnier, Jr., UCF Mackenzie Audas, Sr., UCF Mackenzie Audas, Sr., UCF Karla Claudio, Sr., USF Mackenzie Audas, Sr., UCF Shelby Turnier, Jr., UCF Shelby Turnier, Jr., UCF Shelby Turnier, Jr., UCF Shelby Turnier, Jr., UCF Mackenzie Audas, Sr., UCF Shelby Miller, So., Houston Jordan Richwood, Sr., Memphis
March 30 - Abby Wynne, C, Sr., East Carolina; Linnea Goodman, OF, So., UCF; Julie Kernan, 1B, Sr., Tulsa; Maddy Schroeder, OF, Sr.; Caitlin Sill, P, Jr., Tulsa April 6 - Brittany Solis, SS, So., UCF; Abby Wynne, C, Sr., East Carolina; Lexi Gifford, SS/3B, Jr., UConn; Lauren Evans, IF, Fr., USF; Shelby Miller, P/UTL, So., Houston April 13 - Alyssa Gardea, OF, Jr., UConn; Kalyn Cenal, 1B, Jr., UCF; Brittany Vaughn, 3B, So., Memphis; Jordan Richwood, P, Sr., Memphis; Kristen Wyckoff, 2B, So., USF April 20 - Lauren Duggan, P, Sr., UConn; Courtney Klingler, C, Jr., Houston; Julana Shrum, P, Jr., Houston; Lee Ann Spivey, C/OF, Jr., USF April 27 - Addison Maxwell, RF/C, Fr., Memphis; Courtney Klingler, C, Jr., Houston; Lydia Ritchie, P, So., East Carolina; Lee Ann Spivey, C/OF, Jr., USF; Kalyn Cenal, 1B, Jr., UCF May 4 - Linnea Goodman, OF, So., UCF; Selena Hernandez, IF, Sr., Houston; Caitlin Sill, P, Jr., Tulsa; Haleigh Ross, C, So., Memphis; Mackenzie Audas, P, Sr., UCF
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UCF KNIGHTS 1 5 / 1 5
46-7 O VE RA L L , 1 6 -2 A M E R IC A N • N O . 1 S E E D Location....................................................................Orlando, Fla. Nickname......................................................................... Knights Colors........................................................................Black & Gold Enrollment...........................................................................60,810 Founded..................................................................................1963 Director of Athletics............................................Todd Stansbury Head Coach............................................... Renee Luers-Gillispie Assistant Coaches................ Tiffany Patteson & Hillary Barrow Softball Contact...................................................Megan Herboth Website.................................................... www.UCFKnights.com Twitter...................................................................@UCF_Softball
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • • •
Leads the nation in earned run average; they have led the NCAA in this category for eight consecutive weeks They are also the only program with a pair of pitchers with ERAs that rank top 10 in the nation Won 11 of their final 12 conference games to close the regular season Since debuting in the national polls on Feb. 17, UCF has remained in the top 20 for 10 consecutive weeks
H ead C oach R enee L uers -G illispie
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 6 7 11 at 14 vs. 14 vs. 15 vs. 20 vs. 21 vs. at 22 at vs. 25 at 27 28 MARCH 1 2 6 7 8 10 11 13 14 15 21 at at 22 at 25 at 26 at 28 29 APRIL 1 3 at at 4 at 8 at 11 12 17 at at 18 at 22 at 25 MAY 2 3 8
UCF Invitational (Orlando, Fla.) George Mason Boston College Boston College George Mason RV/RV South Carolina Dot Richardson Invitational (Clermont, Fla.) No. 18/18 Missouri Arkansas No. 13/12 Minnesota Bank of Hawai’i Invitational (Honolulu, Hawai’i) No. 17/16 Washington UTEP Hawai’i Hawai’i No. 17/16 Washington No. 1/1 Florida (SEC Network +) Wilson/DeMarini Tournament (Orlando, Fla.) Princeton Iowa Florida A&M
W, 7-0 W, 4-0 W, 3-0 W, 10-1 (6) W, 4-1 W, 1-0 W, 6-1 W, 4-0 L, 3-4 W, 3-0 W, 4-0 W, 6-0 W, 4-2 L, 1-2 W, 3-2 L, 2-3 Canceled
LIU Brooklyn Maryland UCF Knights Invitational (Orlando, Fla.) Kent State Bradley Kent State Michigan State Mercer South Dakota Northern Illinois Northern Illinois UCF Spring Fling Tournament (Orlando, Fla.) Monmouth Fairfield Butler UC Irvine RV/NR James Madison East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina* FIU RV/NR Florida Atlantic UConn* UConn* UConn*
W, 8-3 W, 10-2 (5) W, 5-1 W, 2-1 L, 1-2 W, 2-0 W, 8-0 W, 3-0 W, 8-3 W, 2-0 W, 2-1 W, 2-1 W, 6-1
Stetson Tulsa* Tulsa* Tulsa* Stetson Houston* Houston* Houston* Memphis* Memphis* Memphis* Bethune-Cookman North Florida
Canceled W, 2-1 (16) L, 4-5 W, 3-0 W, 9-2 W, 2-0 W, 13-0 (5) W, 8-2 W, 8-3 W, 9-0 (5) W, 6-1 Canceled W, 5-0
USF* USF* USF* TBD @
W, 2-0 W, 8-6 L, 0-1 W, 3-0 W, 5-1 W, 8-0 (6) W, 7-2 W, 5-1 W, 4-2 W, 6-1
W, 2-1 L, 2-3 W, 6-1 5:30 P.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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UCF S oftball C omplex C apacity : 600 S enior M ackenzie A udas
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Linnea Goodman, .373 • SLUGGING PCT.: Jessica Ujvari, .523 • ON-BASE PCT.: Farrah Sullivan, .419 • RUNS SCORED: Kahley Novak, 36 • HITS: Linnea Goodman, 69 • RUNS BATTED IN: Kalyn Cenal, 36 • DOUBLES: Samantha McCloskey, 9 • TRIPLES: Kahley Novak, 4 • HOME RUNS: Kalyn Cenal, 11
R o st e r No. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 22 23 24 44
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Name Kahley Novak Brittany Solis Andrea Neswiacheny Willow Kalinen Megan Greenwell Shelby Turnier Maddy Schroeder Kalyn Cenal Blaire Kelley Samantha McCloskey Mackenzie Huhn Taylor Wagner Kirsten Foster Linnea Goodman Jessica Ujvari Farrah Sullivan Jamie Ujvari Jasmine Acevedo Kaitlyn Steckel Mariah Garcia Mackenzie Audas Courtney Rotton
Pos. SS/2B INF SS/2B OF OF P/DP OF C/1B OF 1B/DP P OF INF OF C 3B P OF 2B/SS OF P INF
Yr. Sr. So. So. So. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. RS Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Jr. RS So. Jr. Jr. Sr. Fr.
B/T Hometown/Previous School L/R Clermont, Fla./East Ridge HS R/R West Hills, Calif./Chaminade College Prep L/R Jacksonville, Fla./Bishop Snyder HS L/R Scottsdale, Ariz./New Mexico L/L Miami, Fla./Miami Palmetto Senior HS R/R Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens HS L/R Jacksonville, Fla./The Bolles School R/R Tampa, Fla./Thomas Jefferson Senior HS R/R Ocala, Fla./Trinity Catholic HS R/R Palm Harbor, Fla./Palm Harbor University HS L/L North Palm Beach, Fla./William T. Dwyer HS R/R Lakeland, Fla./Bartow Senior HS R/R Clermont, Fla./East Ridge HS L/R Long Beach, Calif./Millikan HS R/R Pensacola, Fla./South Carolina-Upstate R/R Waynesboro, Miss./Wayne County HS R/R Pensacola, Fla./South Carolina-Upstate R/R Largo, Fla./Osceola Fundamental HS R/R Tampa, Fla./Plant HS L/R Houston, Texas/Macarthur Senior HS R/R Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS R/R Clermont, Fla./East Ridge
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UCONN HUSKIES
18-34 OVERALL, 4-13 AMERICAN • NO. 7 SEED Location................................................................... Storrs, Conn. Nickname......................................................................... Huskies Colors................................................National Flag Blue & White Enrollment...........................................................................30,474 Founded..................................................................................1881 Director of Athletics..............................................Warde Manuel Head Coach............................................................. Jen McIntyre Assistant Coaches..... Chrissy Schoonmaker & Adrienne Clark Softball Contact..........................................................Jeff Piascik Website............................................... www.UConnHuskies.com Twitter................................................................ @UConnSoftball
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • •
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Has a 26-15 all-time record in conference tournaments Head Coach Jen McIntyre is in her first season at UConn. She was honored in the fall as the Division I Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for her work with Boston University during the 2014 season Senior third baseman Emily O’Donnell’s 0.30 doubles/gm mark is the best in the conference
H ead C oach J en M c I ntyre
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 20 vs. at 21 at vs. 22 vs. 27 vs. vs. 28 vs. vs. MARCH 1 vs. 6 at vs. 7 vs. vs. 8 vs. 13 vs. vs. 14 vs. vs. 15 vs. 17 at 18 vs. 20 vs. vs. 21 vs. vs. 22 vs. 28 at at 29 at 31 at APRIL 1 at 3 4 8 at 9 at 11 12 14 at 15 18 19 22 23 at 25 at 26 at 29 30 MAY 2 3 7 vs.
Troy Firehouse Invitational (Troy, Ala.) Kennesaw State Troy Troy Evansville Northern Illinois Wilson/DeMarini Tournament (Auburn, Ala.) SIU Edwardsville NR/RV Ohio State Texas State Texas State Samford Mizuno Classic (Stillwater, Okla.) Oklahoma State UMKC Evansville UMKC Evansville San Diego Classic II (San Diego, Calif.) UNLV Utah Valley BYU New Mexico State San Diego San Diego State No. 18/17 Arizona Louisville Slugger Invitational (Stockton, Calif.) Grand Canyon Cal State Northridge Cal State Northridge Pacific Grand Canyon No. 18/19 UCF* No.18/19 UCF* No. 18/19 UCF* UMass Albany USF* USF* USF* Providence Rhode Island Memphis* Memphis* Memphis* Hartford Central Connecticut State Houston* Houston* Houston* Boston College Fairfield East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina* Quinnipiac UMass Tulsa* Tulsa* Tulsa* No. 2 seed Tulsa @
W, 4-2 L, 5-6 (8) L, 0-10 (5) W, 6-3 W, 8-7 (8) W, 2-1 L, 1-5 L, 1-7 L, 0-9 (5) L, 4-8 W 8-2 L, 7-10 W, 10-5 L, 2-9 L, 2-5 W, 3-2 L, 3-4 L, 1-4 L, 4-5 L, 1-2 W, 11-4 L, 0-12 (5) L, 2-11 (6) L, 1-7 L, 0-8 (5) W, 7-4 W, 5-3 L, 1-2 L, 1-2 L, 1-6 Postponed L, 1-2 L, 2-3 W, 8-7 Canceled Canceled W, 8-0 (6) L, 0-12 W, 8-7 W, 4-3 W, 5-0 L, 1-3 L, 1-2 L, 1-4 L, 3-4 L, 0-5 W, 5-2 W, 3-1 L, 3-15 (5) L, 0-12 (5) L, 4-5 W, 4-2 (9) L, 2-5 L, 0-8 (5) L, 0-9 (6) 1:30 P.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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at the
B urrill F amily F ield C onnecticut S oftball S tadium J unior L exi G ifford
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Emily O’Donnell, .353 • SLUGGING PCT.: Emily O’Donnell, .593 • ON-BASE PCT.: Taylor Townsend, .436 • RUNS SCORED: Lexi Gifford, 28 • HITS: Emily O’Donnell, 53 • RUNS BATTED IN: Emily O’Donnell, 32 • DOUBLES: Emily O’Donnell, 14 • TRIPLES: Alyssa Gardea, 3 • HOME RUNS: Emily O’Donnell, 6
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EAST CAROLINA PIRATES
16-3 6 O VE RA L L , 7 - 11 A M E R IC A N • N O . 4 S E E D Location............................................................... Greenville, N.C. Nickname...........................................................................Pirates Colors......................................................................Purple & Gold Enrollment...........................................................................27,000 Founded..................................................................................1907 Director of Athletics............................................... Jeff Compher Interim Head Coach.................................................Steve Jaecks Interim Assistant Coach.............................................Keli Harrell Graduate Assistant Coach................................ Alex Fieldhouse Softball Contact.....................................................Lindy Zamora Website..................................................... www.ECUPirates.com Twitter...................................................................@ECUAthletics
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • •
Makes its first-ever appearance in the American Athletic Conference Championship as the No. 4 seed Finished out regular season play with a 5-1 mark in its final six decisions The Pirates utilize four pitchers who have amassed 200 strikeouts over 345.0 innings of work
I nterim H ead C oach S teve J aecks
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 6 7 8 12 13 14 20 Canceled 21 22 27 vs. vs. MARCH 1 vs. vs. 5 vs. 6 vs. 7 vs. vs. 8 at 10 at 14 vs. at 15 vs. at 18 at 21 22 25 at at 28 at at 29 at APRIL 3 at at 4 at 8 11 12 15 18 at at 19 at 23 25 26 MAY 7 vs.
Pirate Classic (Greenville, N.C.) Oakland W, 7-3 Delaware State W, 10-0 (5) RV/RV South Carolina L, 2-11 Longwood W, 4-3 (8) Oakland W, 9-1 (5) RV/RV South Carolina W, 1-0 Pirate Clash (Greenville, N.C.) Marshall L, 4-5 (9) Bucknell L, 2-16 (5) East Tennesse State L, 8-9 Pirate Invitational (Greenville, N.C.) Kennesaw State Canceled Lafayette Seton Hall RV/RV Virginia Tech Seton Hall RV/RV Virginia Tech USF Under Armour Invitational (Clearwater, Fla.) Central Arkansas Maine Illinois Georgia State Hawai’i Spring Fling Tournament (Honolulu, Hawai’i) Oregon State RV/NR Utah Longwood Oregon State Hawai’i Hawai’i OU Tournament II (Norman, Okla.) Iowa No. 6/6 Oklahoma Iowa No. 6/6 Oklahoma Elon No. 20/20 UCF* No. 20/20 UCF* No. 20/20 UCF* UNC-Wilmington UNC-Wilmington Memphis* Memphis* Memphis* Houston* Houston* Houston* North Carolina State North Carolina State Tulsa* Tulsa* Tulsa* No. 23/24 James Madison No. 23/24 James Madison USF* USF* USF* North Carolina UConn* UConn* UConn* No. 5 seed USF @
W, 4-0 L, 1-6 L, 8-10 L, 3-4 L, 1-2 L, 7-11 L, 6-7 L, 3-4 L, 1-2 (8) W, 4-0 L, 0-3 L, 5-8 L, 3-11 (6) L, 0-5 L,1-5 L, 0-11 (5) W, 3-2 (8) L, 1-23 (5) L, 4-10 L, 0-2 L, 0-8 L, 0-3 L, 0-2 L, 1-5 L, 4-5 (12) W, 8-1 W, 3-1 (8) L, 7-8 L, 1-2 (8) W, 4-3 L, 1-6 Canceled L, 0-5 L, 1-4 L, 0-8(5) L, 1-6 L, 0-13 L, 2-3 W, 10-1 (5) W, 7-3 W, 4-3 L, 1-3 W, 15-3 (5) W, 12-0 (5) 4 P.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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ECU S oftball S tadium C apacity : 1,000 J unior C asey A lcorn
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Casey Alcorn, .296 • SLUGGING PCT.: Casey Alcorn, .507 • ON-BASE PCT.: Mary-Sloan Bradford, .409 • RUNS SCORED: Casey Alcorn, 31 • HITS: Casey Alcorn, 45 • RUNS BATTED IN: Casey Alcorn, 27 • DOUBLES: Ciara Ervin & Casey Alcorn, 9 • TRIPLES: Karlie Smith & Meredith Mitchell, 2 • HOME RUNS: Abby Wynne, 9
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HOUSTON COUGARS
27-2 6 O VE RA L L , 1 0 -7 A M E R IC A N • N O . 3 S E E D Location................................................................ Houston, Texas Nickname........................................................................ Cougars Colors................................................................... Scarlet & White Enrollment.......................................................................... 40,750 Founded..................................................................................1927 Director of Athletics........................................... Hunter Yurachek Head Coach..................................................................Kyla Holas Associate Head Coach............................................Kristin Vesely Assistant Coach.........................................................Greg Evans Softball Contact.................................. Jessika Bailey-McKernan Website...................................................... www.uhcougars.com Twitter.................................................................. @UHCougarSB
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • • •
Selena Hernandez is the toughest player to strikeout in the conference and ranks fifth in the nation in that category She also leads the conference with the most assists (158); it is the second best for a single season in school history In the 53 games played, Houston has turned 27 double plays - just one shy of tying the school record Freshman Kaylin Crumpton leads The American for most hit by pitches this season and ranks sixth in the nation for averaging most hit by pitches per game (0.42)
H ead C oach K yla H olas
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SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 5 6 vs. vs. 7 vs. vs. 8 vs. vs. 13 14 15 17 19 20 22 25 MARCH 3 6 vs. vs. 7 at vs. 8 vs. 11 at at 17 at at 22 25 APRIL 1 3 4 8 at 11 at at 12 at 15 at 18 19 25 at at 26 at 29 MAY 2 at at 3 at 7 vs.
Sand Dollar Classic (Gulf Shores, Ala.) FIU Southern Miss. No. 3/4 Alabama Jackson State Florida Gulf Coast Liberty No. 23/23 South Alabama Hilton Houston Plaza Invitational (Houston, Texas) Northern Iowa McNeese State UMass DePaul Stephen F. Austin No. 2/2 Oregon No. 2/2 Oregon Hilton Houston Plaza Classic (Houston, Texas) New Mexico Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Illinois Illinois at No. 22/22 Texas A&M (SEC Network +) Houston Baptist Houston Baptist UNLV Classic (Las Vegas, Nev.) Eastern Kentucky UC Santa Barbara UNLV Iowa State No. 16/14 California North Texas North Texas No. 15/13 Baylor No. 15/13 Baylor USF* USF* Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Texas A&M-Corpus Christi No. 25/RV Texas East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina Sam Houston State No. 17/18 UCF* No. 17/18 UCF* No. 17/18 UCF* No. 9/9 Louisiana UConn* UConn* UConn* Tulsa* (ESPNU) Tulsa* Tulsa* Lamar Lamar Memphis Memphis Memphis No. 6 seed Memphis @
L, 1-8 W, 4-1 L, 2-6 L, 3-4 W, 11-1 (6) W, 6-5 L, 2-3 W, 5-2 L, 1-3 W, 5-4 W, 6-3 L, 1-5 L, 0-2 L, 5-10 L, 1-2 L, 4-5 L, 7-10 W, 12-2 (5) L, 3-6 W, 12-5 W, 19-3 (5) W, 7-2 W, 12-10 L, 7-8 W, 5-0 L, 3-9 W, 15-2 (5) W, 4-1 L, 4-9 L, 4-8 W, 4-2 W, 2-1 L, 2-4 W, 9-8 L, 12-13 W, 8-7 W, 2-1 (8) L, 3-4 L, 0-2 L, 0-2 L, 0-13 L, 2-8 Canceled W, 2-1 W, 4-1 W, 4-3 W, 5-4 W, 7-3 L, 1-4 W, 3-2 W, 7-2 L, 0-1 L, 2-3 W, 6-1 11 A.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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C ougar S oftball S tadium C apacity : 1,200 F reshman K aylin C rumpton
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Selena Hernandez, .335 • SLUGGING PCT.: Selena Hernandez, .582 • ON-BASE PCT.: Selena Hernandez, .439 • RUNS SCORED: Katie St. Pierre, 46 • HITS: Katie St. Pierre, 54 • RUNS BATTED IN: Selena Hernandez, 41 • DOUBLES: Selena Hernandez, 11 • TRIPLES: Sydney Gerbracht, Katie St. Pierre & Selena Hernandez, 2 • HOME RUNS: Julana Shrum, 10
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MEMPHIS TIGERS
19-3 3 O VE RA L L , 6 -12 A M E R IC A N • N O . 6 S E E D Location............................................................... Memphis, Tenn. Nickname............................................................................Tigers Colors.........................................................................Blue & Gray Enrollment...........................................................................22,139 Founded..................................................................................1912 Director of Athletics.................................................. Tom Bowen Head Coach............................................................. Natalie Poole Associate Head Coach.................................................. Andy Lott Assistant Coach......................................................Roya St. Clair Softball Contact...................................................Jared Emerson Website................................................... www.GoTigersGo.com Twitter............................................................@MemphisSoftball
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • •
•
Memphis played its 500th game in program history this season during opening weekend at the LSU Tiger Classic This season, sophomore Lindsay Crowdus set the Memphis program record for career triples (12). She is No. 16 among all active players in that category, and has five triples this season Sophomore Calli Irvin hit the first grand slam of her career in a pinch-hit role vs. Wisconsin on March 14; it was just the seventh grand slam in program history, and the first in nearly three seasons
H ead C oach N atalie P oole
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 6 at 7 vs. vs. 8 vs. 13 vs. at 14 vs. at 21 vs. 27 vs. 28 vs. at MARCH 1 vs. 3 at 4 6 vs. at 7 vs. vs. 13 vs. vs. 14 vs. at 15 vs. 17 21 at at 22 at 25 28 29 31 APRIL 7 at at 11 at at 12 at 15 at at 17 18 21 22 at 25 at at 26 at 28 at at MAY 2 3 7 vs.
Tiger Classic (Baton Rouge, La.) No. 19/18 LSU Tennessee State RV/RV NC State Tennessee State FIU Tournament (Miami, Fla.) LIU FIU Purdue FIU Delaware Ole Miss Cowgirl Classic (Lake Charles, La.) Drake Texas Tech McNeese State
L, 2-7 W, 5-1 L, 3-9 L, 1-4 W, 8-6 L, 2-3 L, 2-10 (6) W, 2-0 L, 4-6 L, 2-8 W, 6-3 W, 12-9 W, 3-2
Holy Cross Ole Miss Ball State FAU Parents Weekend Tournament (Boca Raton, Fla.) Bethune-Cookman RV/RV Florida Atlantic Coastal Carolina No. 12/11 Florida State College of Charleston Tournament (Charleston, S.C.) Marist New Mexico Wisconsin College of Charleston Furman Belmont Belmont Tulsa* Tulsa* Tulsa* Alcorn State Alcorn State East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina* Jackson State Jackson State
W, 7-5 (9) L, 1-6 L, 7-14 L, 1-4 L, 4-7 W, 8-6 W, 9-1 (5) L, 1-2 L, 0-8 (5) L, 2-13 (5) W, 8-0 (6) W, 10-2 (5) W, 5-4 (12) L, 1-8 L, 1-3 (8) W, 9-1 (5) L, 1-4
Lipscomb Lipscomb UConn* UConn* UConn* UT-Martin UT-Martin No. 15/17 UCF* No. 15/17 UCF* No. 15/17 UCF* Central Arkansas Central Arkansas Mississippi State USF* USF* USF* Murray State Murray State
L, 2-3 L, 1-13 (5) W, 12-0 (5) L, 7-8 L, 3-4 L, 0-2 (8) L, 1-5 L, 3-8 L, 0-9 (5) L, 1-6 L, 0-8 (5) L, 3-5 L, 3-11 (5) L, 2-8 W, 4-3 W, 2-0 W, 5-0 L, 1-9 (5)
Houston* Houston* Houston* No. 3 seed Houston @
Canceled L, 0-8 (5) Canceled Canceled Canceled Canceled Canceled
W, 1-0 W, 3-2 L, 1-6 11 A.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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T iger S oftball C omplex C apacity : 275 S ophomore L indsay C rowdus
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Kyler Troisclair, .312 • SLUGGING PCT.: Lindsay Crowdus, .409 • ON-BASE PCT.: Hannah Harrell, .425 • RUNS SCORED: Kyler Troisclair, 29 • HITS: Lindsay Crowdus & Kyler Troisclair, 49 • RUNS BATTED IN: Katie Brignac, 26 • DOUBLES: Brittany Vaughn, 8 • TRIPLES: Lindsay Crowdus, 6 • HOME RUNS: Katie Brignac, 5
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USF BULLS
35-1 9 O VE RA L L , 6 -10 A M E R IC A N • N O . 5 S E E D Location...................................................................... Tampa, Fla. Nickname.............................................................................. Bulls Color....................................................................... Green & Gold Enrollment...........................................................................45,074 Founded..................................................................................1956 Director of Athletics..................................................Mark Harlan Head Coach................................................................Ken Eriksen Assistant Coaches....................Monica Triner & Carmela Liwag Softball Contact...................................................... Sean Barows Website....................................................www.GoUSFBulls.com Twitter.....................................................................@USFSoftball
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • • •
The Bulls haven’t lost three consecutive games all season USF is 33-8 when holding opponents to five runs or less this season USF has five players that ranked in the top five in The American in at least one offensive category The Bulls earned their first win over a ranked team this season when they topped then No. 15/16 UCF 3-2 on May 2
H ead C oach K en E riksen
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 20 21 22 27 28 vs. vs. MARCH 1 vs. 3 4 5 6 7 vs. vs. 10 11 13 14 vs. vs. 15 16 17 22 at at 28 29 APRIL 3 4 8 at 15 at 18 19 25 26 MAY 2 at at 3 at 7 vs.
USF Softball Classic (Tampa, Fla.) Hampton Illinois State No. 8/8 Michigan Jacksonville No. 1/1 Florida USF Presidents Day Weekend Tournament (Tampa, Fla.) St. John’s Detroit No. 11/14 Tennessee Fordham Florida Gulf Coast USF Wilson DeMarini Tournament (Tampa, Fla.) No. 16/17 Auburn Marshall Dartmouth Marshall No. 16/17 Auburn USF Under Armour Invitational (Tampa/Clearwater, Fla.) Illinois Georgia Southern Sacred Heart Illinois-Chicago
W, 7-5 W, 7-0 L, 3-4 W, 9-1 (5) L, 5-10 W, 4-2 W, 8-0 (5) L, 1-9 L, 6-14 W, 11-0 (5) L, 2-6 L, 4-6 W, 5-0 W, 18-5 L, 0-8 (5) W, 5-2 W, 3-2 Canceled Canceled
Georgia State Canceled Maine W, 7-0 Boston College W, 3-1 Wagner 6 p.m. USF Under Armour Showcase (Tampa/Clearwater, Fla.) Wisconsin W, 3-1 Portland State W, 7-1 Toledo W, 5-0 Mercer W, 5-3 Yale W, 6-1 Maine W, 8-2 Lehigh W, 4-2 Georgetown W, 10-2 (5) USF Michele Smith Spring Break Tournament (Tampa/Clearwater, Fla.) Iowa State W, 2-0 Boston W, 8-0 (5) Green Bay W, 11-0 (5) Towson L, 0-3 Army W, 5-1 Central Connecticut State W, 3-2 Hartford W, 9-0 (5) Canisius W, 7-0 Houston* L, 2-4 Houston* L, 1-2 Tulsa* W, 8-7 (10) Tulsa* W, 7-6 Tulsa* L, 0-1 UConn* UConn* UConn* Florida Gulf Coast No. 2/1 Florida East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina* Memphis* Memphis* Memphis* UCF* UCF* UCF* No. 4 seed East Carolina @
W, 3-2 L, 7-8 Canceled W, 6-0 L, 0-7 W, 3-2 L, 1-10 (5) L, 3-7 W, 8-2 L, 3-4 L, 0-2 L, 1-2 W, 3-2 L, 1-6 4 P.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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USF S oftball S tadium C apacity : 1,500 J unior L ee A nn S pivey
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Lee Ann Spivey, .383 • SLUGGING PCT.: Lee Ann Spivey, .698 • ON-BASE PCT.: Monica Santos, .440 • RUNS SCORED: Kristen Wyckoff, 45 • HITS: Lee Ann Spivey, 57 • RUNS BATTED IN: Lee Ann Spivey, 51 • DOUBLES: Lee Ann Spivey, 11 • TRIPLES: Kristen Wyckoff, 5 • HOME RUNS: Lee Ann Spivey, 10
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TULSA HURRICANE
34-1 7 O VE RA L L , 1 2 -6 A M E R IC A N • N O . 2 S E E D Location...................................................................... Tulsa, Okla. Nickname.........................................................Golden Hurricane Color........................................ Old Gold, Royal Blue & Crimson Enrollment............................................................................ 4,597 Founded..................................................................................1894 Director of Athletics......................................... Dr. Derrick Gragg Head Coach.......................................................... John Bargfeldt Associate Head Coach........................................ Crissy Strimple Assistant Coaches.....................................................Kirin Kumar Softball Contact..........................................................Eric Hollier Website................................................www.tulsahurricane.com Twitter................................................................... @TulsaSoftball
2015 HIGHLIGHTS • • • •
Six Tulsa players hit better than .300, led by sophomore Brittany Walker, who hits .364 Senior Julie Kernen has 58 RBIs this season and set a new Tulsa single season record with that mark Tulsa has outscored its opponents 301-149 this season Head Coach John Bargfeldt is in his 10th season at Tulsa. His teams have never finished lower than third place in conference play during his tenure with the Hurricane
H ead C oach J ohn B argfeldt
SCHEDULE/RESULTS FEBRUARY 6 vs. at 7 vs. at 8 vs. 13 vs. at 14 vs. vs. vs. 20 vs. at 21 vs. vs. 27 28 MARCH 6 vs. at 7 vs. at 10 at 13 vs. at 14 at vs. 15 vs. 17 at 18 21 22 24 28 at at 29 at 31 APRIL 3 4 7 at 11 at at 12 at 15 16 at 18 19 25 26 29 MAY 2 at at 3 at 7 vs.
GCU Kickoff (Phoenix, Ariz.) Santa Clara Grand Canyon Santa Clara Grand Canyon Northern Colorado FAU Strike-Out Cancer Tournament (Boca Raton, Fla.) Michigan State Florida Atlantic Maryland Drexel Providence Baylor Invitational (Waco, Texas) No. 2/2 Oregon No. 7/11 Baylor North Texas Abilene Christian Tulsa Tournament (Tulsa, Okla.) Northern Iowa Creighton RV/NR Nebraska NM State Round Robin (Las Cruces, N.M.) North Dakokta New Mexico State North Dakota New Mexico State Arkansas Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic (Lubbock, Texas) Mississippi Valley State Texas Tech Texas Tech Mississippi Valley State Mississippi Valley State North Texas Iowa Memphis* Memphis* Memphis* Wichita State USF* USF* USF* Arkansas (Cox)
W, 9-6 W, 7-3 W, 6-4 W, 5-4 L, 0-2 L, 3-4 L, 0-1 W, 1-0 W, 10-0 (5) W, 10-0 L, 2-4 L, 0-2 W, 6-3 W, 10-0 Canceled Canceled Canceled W, 9-0 (6) L, 0-8 (6) W, 18-3 (5) L, 10-12 W, 5-4 W, 18-3 (5) W, 11-1 (5) L, 2-10 (5) W, 13-1 W, 7-0 L, 2-4 L, 6-7 W, 2-1 W, 8-0 (5) W, 13-2 (5) W, 9-6 L, 7-8 (10) L, 6-7 W, 1-0 W, 10-2 (6)
No. 16/18 UCF* No. 16/18 UCF* No. 16/18 UCF* Wichita State East Carolina* East Carolina* East Carolina* Oklahoma State Oklahoma State RV/RV Kansas RV/RV Kansas Houston* (ESPNU) Houston* Houston* Missouri State
L, 1-2 (16) W, 5-4 L, 0-3 L, 2-7 W, 5-0 W, 4-1 W, 8-0 (5) W, 3-0 W, 2-1 Canceled W, 3-2 L, 4-5 L, 3-7 W, 4-1 W, 9-2
UConn* UConn* UConn* No. 7 seed UConn @
W, 5-2 W, 8-0 (5) W, 9-0 (6) 1:30 P.M.
All times EST and subject to change | Asterisk denotes American Athletic Conference game [@] Denotes American Athletic Conference Championship game
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C ollins F amily S oftball C omplex C apacity : 800 S enior J ulie K ernan
STATISTICAL LEADERS • BATTING AVERAGE: Brittany Walker, .364 • SLUGGING PCT.: Julie Kernen, .669 • ON-BASE PCT.: Brittany Walker, .444 • RUNS SCORED: Erica Sampson, 56 • HITS: Erica Sampson, 57 • RUNS BATTED IN: Julie Kernen, 58 • DOUBLES: Julie Kernen, 15 • TRIPLES: Catherine Horner, Shelby Estocado & Erica Sampson, 4 • HOME RUNS: Julie Kernen, 12
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AMERI CA N M E M B E R S IN T H E N C A A C H A MP IO N S HIP American Athletic Conference programs have a rich history in the NCAA Championship, advancing to the finals two times in the history of the tournament. UConn and USF have each made one appearance in the WCWS, in 1993 and 2012 respectively. Overall, American teams have a .439 winning percentage in the NCAA Championship with 45 bids throughout the programs’ history. Team
Years Participated
Yrs.
All-Time Record
Pct.
UCF
2005, 08, 10, 12, 14
5
7-10
.412
UConn East Carolina
1989, 90, 91, 92, 93 (WCWS), 95, 96, 2001
8
11-17
.393
1999, 2008, 10, 11
4
5-8
.385
Houston
2004, 07, 08, 10, 12, 13, 14
7
14-14
.500
Memphis 2011
1
USF
12
1996, 97, 98, 2001, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 12 (WCWS), 13, 14
Temple 2004
1
Tulsa
7
2006, 08, 09, 11, 12, 13, 14
O v e r a l l T ot a l :
45 NCAA BIDS BY AMERICAN TEAMS
1-2
.333
24-25
.490
1-2 9-14 72-92
.333 .391 .439
2 0 1 4 R E S U LT S T eam
O v erall R ec o r d
C o n fere n ce
C o n fere n ce R ec o r d
UCF
43-18
American
15-3
NCAA Gainesville Regional (2-2)
UConn
13-38
American
3-17
First Round, American Championship
East Carolina
28-20
Conference USA
14-10
Second Round, C-USA Championship
Houston
33-23
American
13-8
NCAA Waco Regional (1-2)
Memphis
23-33
American
5-15
First Round, American Championship
USF
43-17
American
13-5
NCAA Gainesville Regional (2-2)
Temple
15-30
American
5-13
First Round, American Championship
Tulsa
53-9
Conference USA
19-4
NCAA Waco Regional (3-2)
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P o st s eas o n
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AM ER I C A N AT H L E T IC CO N FER EN C E #A M E R I C A N R I S I N G Not entirely unlike the nation that provides its namesake, the American Athletic Conference was born from an ideal in which members with ambitious goals are provided with the means to succeed in their quests for excellence. With roots that extend to three conferences, the American Athletic Conference membership in 2014-15 consists of 11 institutions: the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati, East Carolina University, the University of Connecticut, the University of Houston, the University of Memphis, the University of South Florida, Southern Methodist University, Temple University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa. The 2015-16 season sees the U.S. Naval Academy join the ranks in football only. Under the leadership of commissioner Mike Aresco, The American, which operated as the Big East Conference from 1979 to 2013, has immediately taken a place at the forefront of Division I athletics, with schools that have played in four Bowl Championship Series games, won four NCAA men’s basketball titles since 1999, and won nine NCAA women’s basketball championships since 1995. Two American Athletic Conference football teams were ranked in the top 15 of the final 2013 Associated Press poll. Five were selected for bowl games, including UCF, which won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 10 nationally. The conference produced 14 players who received AllAmerica recognition by a major outlet. The American had four players chosen in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, trailing only the SEC and the ACC among FBS conferences. UCF quarterback Blake Bortles highlighted a group of 12 American Athletic Conference players chosen when he was taken No. 3 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The success of The American in Year 1 was not limited to the gridiron. UConn won NCAA titles in both men’s and women’s basketball. The conference had the best postseason winning percentage of any league in men’s basketball, while The American produced top-10 teams in baseball, men’s soccer and men’s golf and sent half of its participating teams to the NCAA Softball Championship. The American Athletic Conference holds television partnerships with ESPN and CBS Sports which will give the conference unprecedented national exposure. The football portion of the contract, which begins in the 2014 season, calls for nearly 90 percent of conference-controlled games on national broadcast or national cable platforms. The first American Athletic Conference Football Championship, which will be played in 2015, will be carried either on ABC or ESPN on Championship Saturday. In men’s basketball, the television deal calls for all conference-controlled games to be televised, with more than 63 percent slotted for national broadcast or national cable – a minimum of 107 games. The entire postseason tournament will be televised, including the championship game, which will be either on ABC or ESPN. Sixty percent of the American’s women’s basketball games will be carried on either national cable, regional sports networks or ESPN3. American Athletic Conference teams will have access to the pinnacle of college football’s postseason structure. An American representative would be chosen for the College Football Playoff
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semifinals if it is among the top four teams following the regular season. Otherwise, the league would place its champion in either the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl or Peach Bowl if it is ranked higher than the champions of Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference. Additionally, The American has announced primary or secondary partnerships with 12 bowls for the next six-year cycle, ensuring multiple annual matchups against the nation’s top conferences and providing desirable postseason destinations to member institutions and their fans. The American Athletic Conference administers to its membership from a state-of-the-art office located in Providence, R.I. The location of the conference headquarters – just steps from the city’s Amtrak station and 10 minutes from T.F. Green International Airport – gives the conference easy access to its member schools. The conference headquarters is equipped with a complete video production studio, serving as the home of the American Digital Network, and small- and large-scale meeting rooms to accommodate the many coaches’ and administrators’ meetings held on-site each year.
S O FT B A LL The American enjoyed an excellent first year of softball in 2014. Four American Athletic Conference softball teams were picked for the NCAA Softball Championship, while 14 studentathletes received 2014 NFCA Division I All-Region honors. Additionally, USF pitching ace Sara Nevins was named an NFCA All-American for the third consecutive year. Seven teams comprise the softball membership of The American for the 2015 season with East Carolina and Tulsa joining the conference. The Pirates return 10 position players and three pitchers for their inaugural season in The American while the Hurricane looks to improve on a 53-9 outing last season. Tulsa won the 2014 Conference USA regular season and tournament championships. UCF, the defending regular season champion, returns 19 members from last year’s championship squad. The 2015 American Athletic Conference Championship will be held in Orlando at UCF Softball Complex on May 7-9. The quarterfinals and semifinals of the championship will air live on The American Digital Network while the championship game on May 9 is set for a 1 p.m. ET telecast on ESPN2.
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