NCAA Midwest Super Regional Bracket

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team, after winning its second NCAA Midwest Regional title in the past five years, travels to the University of Missouri-St. Louis for a best two-of-three game series this weekend in the NCAA Midwest Super Regional with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II College World Series which will take place in Salem, Va. from May 22-26. There will be a single game this Friday (2 p.m. Eastern) and either one (1 p.m. Eastern) or two games (if necessary game at 3:30 p.m. Eastern) on Saturday.

The Warriors are making their eighth NCAA Tournament trip in the past nine years and have a record of 14-15 in the past decade in NCAA games.

The Tritons of UMSL won the NCAA Midwest Regional #1 last weekend in St. Louis and enters the program's first-ever Super Regional on a 10-game win streak, while Wayne State has won 19 straight games.
 

Setting the Stage	2014 NCAA Midwest Super Regional Softball Tournament
Dates	Friday and Saturday, May 16-17
Times	Friday: 2 PM  / Saturday: 1 PM & 3:30 PM (All times Eastern)
Location	St. Louis, Mo. (UMSL Softball Field)
Web	Twitter: @WayneStWarriors  |  #WarriorSB
Live Stats	UMSL Live Stats
Opponent Information	UMSL Softball
Live Audio	WSU Live Audio Broadcast

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
WSU is in the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in the 33-year tenure of head coach Gary Bryce, who became the 17th coach in all of NCAA Softball (all three divisions combined) to reach the 1,100-win plateau earlier this season. The only schools currently in D-II with more than 19 softball appearances are Bloomsburg - 32; California (PA) - 23; Augustana (SD) - 22; Humboldt State - 21; and Florida Southern - 20.

The Warriors are 22-38 overall in the NCAA Tournament. Wayne State has made at least four appearances in each of the past four decades under Bryce. Wayne State qualified four times during the 1980's ('83, '84, '86, '88), five times during the 90's ('90, '92, '93, '94, '96) and six times in the 2000's ('02, '03, '06, '07, '08, '09). WSU has already made four appearances during the current decade as well ('10, '12, '13, '14).

Last season, the Warriors dropped their first two games in an NCAA Midwest Regional hosted by Indianapolis. WSU fell in straight games to host Indianapolis and then Ashland, two teams that Wayne State defeated during the season this year, and again last weekend.

WSU has advanced to the College World Series twice before in 2003 and 2010.  The Warriors won a Midwest Regional title at Grand Valley State in 2003 despite scoring just four runs in four games.  Catcher Maria D'Agostino homered in a 1-0 victory over SIU-Edwardsville, while Meghan Misiak tossed a four-hit shutout.  Shortstop Sue Verbeem homered on the first pitch of the game, right fielder Natalya Natyshak drove in an insurance run with a two-out bases loaded single in the sixth, and Misiak hurled a two-hitter in a 2-0 triumph at GVSU.  After a 2-0 setback to the Lakers, Wayne State claimed the regional title with a 1-0 win over Grand Valley State as Verbeem smacked a two-out home run in the bottom of the fifth to back another fine pitching effort by Misiak.

In 2010, Casey Hanes tossed a two-hit shutout of Ashland in the first game of the Super Regional at Wayne State.  Becca Ryan and Stephanie LeClair each drove in two runs with Ryan notching the game-winning RBI as her first inning base hit scored Alison Allen.  The Warriors snapped a 1-1 tie in game two with a five-run fifth inning.  Jaci Banton had a two-run double, followed by back-to-back home runs from Rebecca Stanley and Ryan to chase Eagle starting pitcher Emlyn Knerem.

THREE WARRIORS NAMED TO DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION TEAMS
Junior pitcher Briana Lee (Canton, Mich. / Salem) was voted to the Daktronics All-Region First Team by the SIDs in the GLIAC, GLVC and GMAC.

Redshirt freshman Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont.) and senior Logan White (Brantford, Ont.) were both voted to the Midwest Region Second Team.  Butler earned the nod as the utility/pitcher, while White earned All-Region honors for the third consecutive year after being an NFCA All-Midwest Region selection in 2012 and 2013.

SUCCESS AGAINST TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Wayne State had plenty of success in 2014 against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament. compiling a 13-6 mark against teams prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament. Wayne State went 8-2 in a five-week span against tournament teams between the beginning of February until mid-March. The Warriors defeated Indianapolis, 3-0, to open the season on Feb. 7. Wayne State also had victories over North Alabama, North Georgia, Winona State, Caldwell, New Haven along with two victories over LIU-Post.

Wayne State also fared well against teams in this NCAA regional, finishing 5-2 combined against Ashland (3-0), Grand Valley State (1-2) and Indianapolis (1-0). Wayne State upended Ashland in 5-0 and 3-0 wins on April 19 and then used a come-from-behind effort in the GLIAC Tournament to beat the Eagles, 4-3. WSU was outscored by GVSU, 14-4, in a doubleheader sweep by the Lakers in Allendale on April 11, but the Warriors rebounded for a 3-2, walkoff win over Grand Valley State in the GLIAC Tournament.

NATIONAL LEADERS
In the national rankings that were released on May 14, Wayne State was second in Division II in earned run average (0.94), while UMSL was fifth (1.41). The Warriors trail only Tampa (0.78 ERA) in that category. WSU is also 10th in winning percentage (.830) and 22nd in fielding percentage (.969). Pitchers Lyndsay Butler and Briana Lee are third and fifth in the country in ERA at 0.82 and 0.88, respectively. Butler is also eighth nationally in strikeouts with 272 and in strikeouts per seven innings at 10.1. Lee is 12th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.6) and 25th in total strikeouts (197). Butler is sixth (3.84) and Lee ranks eighth (4.09) in hits allowed per seven innings, while Butler is second in shutouts with 14, and 10th in fewest walks per seven innings (0.78).  Offensively, Butler is also 24th in the country with five triples.

BUTLER, LEE COMBINE AS TOP PITCHING DUO
Lyndsay Butler and Briana Lee each finished with ERA's under 1.00 for the season and combined to be one of the top pitching duos in Division II. As a team, Wayne State has allowed just 49 earned runs in 53 games.  The Warriors were the only NCAA Division II tournament team not to allow a run last weekend.  The WSU tandem along with North Georgia's two hurlers are the only schools in D-II with two 20-game winners this season.

WHITE WRAPS UP STELLAR CAREER
Senior outfield Logan White is one of four Warriors to play and start in all 53 games this season. White, a four-year starter for Wayne State, has played and started in all 217 games during her Wayne State career. White has helped lead the Warriors to four-straight 30 win seasons. Warrior teams are also 138-78-1 with White in the lineup.

White, a three-time All-GLIAC performer, has a career batting mark of .384 entering her final NCAA Super Regional Tournament. She is third all-time in Wayne State softball history in average and seventh in on-base percentage (.416). White is fourth in runs scored (150), fifth in hits (272) and second in stolen bases (36) in her Warrior career. She is just three stolen bases shy of tying Patty Grudzinski's all-time stolen base mark of 39 set in 1995.  White ranks third in hit by pitches (20), tied-for-fifth in triples (9) and ninth in total bases (321) on the Warrior all-time charts.

In terms of active Division II players, White is fourth in both at bats (709) and hits, and 34th in runs scored.  In terms of all current NCAA softball players (all three divisions combined), White is 11th in hits and 14th in at bats.

White is just one of three seniors on the 2014 team. Catcher/first baseman Amanda Burnard and redshirt senior second baseman Julie Ingratta are the others playing in their final seasons for the Warriors.

SCOUTING MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
The Tritons (44-6) are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in program history. Last season, the Tritons reached the finals of the Midwest Regional #2, falling to Grand Valley State, which advanced to the World Series.

UMSL recorded a program-best 45th victory with its 3-0 win over Bellarmine in the GLVC Championship on May 4, its second consecutive GLVC Tournament title.

Hannah Perryman has compiled a 28-5 mark in the circle with a 1.17 ERA.  She has struck out 397 batters in 202.2 innings but has allowed 14 home runs.  Brittni Chapman is 19-1 with a 1.54 ERA.

The Tritons have four players with double-digit home run totals led by Brianna Butler's 14 home runs, 45 RBI and .684 slugging percentage.  Alex Stupek leads UMSL with a .384 batting average and 113 total bases.  Jena Boudreau has 16 doubles and 11 four-baggers, while Katie Wood has 10 home runs.

WARRIOR BENCH BOSS
Gary Bryce , who is in his 33rd season as Wayne State's head softball coach, earned his 1,100th career victory in a road doubleheader sweep at Ashland on April 19.  Bryce enters the week with an all-time mark of 1,115-668-7. Bryce became the 17th coach in NCAA Softball history (all three Divisions combined) to reach the 1,100-win plateau. Assistant coach Pat Kent , who played four years (1980-1983) at WSU, is in her 31st season as an assistant coach.  Nicole Abel , a four-year Warrior letterwinner (2007-2010), is in her third season on the staff.

POST-SEASON SUCCESS
Seniors Logan White (.476) and Julie Ingratta (.455) have been the two hottest Warriors in post-season play this year.  White is 10-21 with a .667 slugging percentage, while Ingratta has three doubles and a .591 slugging percentage along with five RBI.  Lyndsay Butler has a team-best seven RBI.

Butler and Briana Lee have combined for 61 strikeouts to five walks in 49.0 innings allowing just 31 hits (just five extra-base hits). 

BROADCASTS
Veteran softball coach and play-by-play announcer Charlie Kennedy will call the action this Friday and Saturday for Warrior fans.  He will be joined by WSU SID Jeff Weiss, who is in his 12th season covering Wayne State softball.  All the games this weekend can be listened to on your computer by clicking here.

TARTAR TIDBITS
WSU has a current school record 19-game winning streak.

Head coach Gary Bryce became the 17th coach in all of NCAA softball to reach 1,100 win plateau earlier this year and has led WSU to 19 NCAA tournament appearances.

WSU pitchers have struck out a school record 487 batters this year.

The 44 wins are the second-most in school history behind the 52-13 mark of the 2010 team.

The .830 winning percentage is the highest in school history.

This is WSU's eighth NCAA tournament appearance in the last nine years.

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