NCAA Midwest Regional #2 Bracket  |  Tournament Central  |  Warrior Softball Game Notes

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University softball team is set to host a 2014 NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament at the WSU Softball Field from May 9-11. The Warriors (41-9 overall) earned the No. 2 seed in the Midwest region after the NCAA Tournament selections were announced on Monday morning. WSU won its third-straight GLIAC Tournament on Sunday, winning four straight contests including a 9-3 victory in the GLIAC Tournament Championship final over Ohio Dominican University. Wayne State is making its eighth NCAA Tournament trip in the past nine years and has a record of 11-15 in the past decade in NCAA games.

Wayne State will welcome three others schools to Detroit for the three-day tournament. The University of Indianapolis (No. 3 seed), Grand Valley State University (No. 6 seed) and Ashland University (No. 7 seed) will also compete for the regional title at the WSU Softball Field. The Warriors enter the tournament on a 16-game win streak, having concluded the regular season on a 12-0 run and extending their win streak with four-straight victories in the GLIAC Tournament. WSU has also performed well on its home field during the 2014 season, winning all 10 contests.

The NCAA regional field in Detroit showcases teams with plenty of recent NCAA experience. Grand Valley State is making its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Midwest regionals and 10th trip since 2000. Indianapolis has earned all seven of its NCAA appearances in the past seven seasons, while Ashland is making its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 

Setting the Stage	2014 NCAA Midwest Regional Softball Tournament #2
Dates	Friday through Sunday, May 9-11
Times	Friday: 1:30 PM & 4 PM  / Saturday: 11 AM & 1:30 PM & 4 PM / Sunday: 12 PM & 2:30 PM
Location	Detroit, Mich. (WSU Softball Complex)
Web	Twitter: @WayneStWarriors  |  #WarriorSB
Live Stats	Wayne State Live Stats
Opponent Information	Ashland Softball  l  Grand Valley Softball  |  Indianapolis Softball

TOURNAMENT HISTORY
WSU was selected to 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.

Wayne State last hosted an NCAA Regional Tournament in 2010, when WSU won a regional title to reach the NCAA Midwest Super Regional and eventually the College World Series. Wayne State posted five wins during the 2010 NCAA run and it also marks the last time the Warriors earned an NCAA win in the tournament.

The Warriors are 19-38 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.

SEVEN WARRIORS NAMED TO ALL-GLIAC TEAMS
Redshirt freshman pitcher Lyndsay Butler (Cambridge, Ont.) won the 2014 GLIAC Pitcher of the Year award and was named to the All-GLIAC First Team to lead seven Warriors that earned All-GLIAC honors. Butler was the only WSU player to be named to the first team.

The Warriors had four players selected to the All-GLIAC Second Team in senior outfielder Logan White (Brantford, Ont.), freshman designated player Emily Cava (Brampton, Ont.), senior utility player (catcher/first baseman) Amanda Burnard (Canton, Mich./Plymouth), along with junior pitcher Briana Lee (Canton, Mich./Salem).

Named to All-GLIAC Honorable Mention squad were senior second baseman Julie Ingratta (Markham, Ont.) and sophomore third baseman Jade McGarr (Guelph, Ont.).

BENCH KNOWLEDGE
There will be plenty of experience between all four softball coaches this weekend in Detroit. Entering the weekend, Wayne State's Gary Bryce, Ashland's Sheilah Gulas, Grand Valley State's Doug Woods and Indianapolis' Melissa Frost-Fisher have combined for 3,275 college softball victories in 98 seasons. Bryce, in his 33rd season as the WSU head coach, reached the 1,100 win mark earlier this year and has 1,112 career victories entering the NCAA Tournament. Woods is in his 24th season (all at Grand Valley) and has 888 total wins. Gulas is coaching in her 18th season at Ashland and 28th overall and is also approaching the 900-win mark at 828 career wins. Frost-Fisher has 447 victories in just 13 seasons (10 at Indianapolis).

SUCCESS AGAINST TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Wayne State had plenty of success in 2014 against teams that have qualified for the NCAA Tournament. WSU has a 13-6 mark against teams that qualified for 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 4, Wayne State was second in Division II in earned run average (1.00). The Warriors trail only Tampa (0.65 ERA) in that category. WSU is also 23rd in the country with a .969 fielding percentage. Pitchers Lyndsay Butler and Briana Lee are fifth and sixth in the country in ERA at 0.89 and 0.91, respectively. Butler is also ninth nationally in strikeouts with 255 and seventh in strikeouts per seven innings at 10.3. Lee is 11th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.7) and 24th in total strikeouts (192). Offensively, Butler is also 22nd 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 gave up just 50 earned runs in 50 games.

Butler, a redshirt freshman, finished the season 21-4 with an ERA of 0.89. She tallied 255 strikeouts in 172.2 innings, while allowing just 97 hits and 21 walks. She also only gave up two homers the entire season. Butler, when she wasn't starting, also led the GLIAC in saves with four. She held opposing batters to a .157 batting average overall during the season. Butler also notched 12 shutouts and threw four no-hitters in her first full season in a Wayne State uniform.

She earned the GLIAC Pitcher of the Year Award after leading the conference in ERA (0.74), while ranking second in the GLIAC in strikeouts (94) in just 66.1 innings. She went 9-1 in GLIAC play with two saves in 12 games.

Lee, a junior, was equally as impressive, going 19-2 overall with a 0.91 ERA in 23 games. She recorded 192 strikeouts in 138 innings and walked just 38 batters. She held opposing batters to a .164 average during the season. Lee had a record of 8-2 during the conference season and was third in the league in strikeouts (85). She ranked fourth in ERA (1.62) and was third in strikeouts per game at 9.20.

Combined, the pair went 40-6 with an ERA of 0.90 and 447 strikeouts in 310.2 innings. They allowed just 40 earned runs all season.

WHITE WRAPS UP STELLAR CAREER
Senior outfield Logan White is one of four Warriors to play and start in all 50 games this season. White, a four-year starter for Wayne State, has played and started in all 214 games during her Wayne State career. White has helped lead the Warriors to four-straight 30 win seasons. Warrior teams are also 135-78-1 with White in the lineup.

White, a three-time All-GLIAC performer, has a career batting mark of .381 entering her final NCAA Tournament. She is fifth all-time in Wayne State softball history in average and eighth in on-base percentage (.413). White is tied-for-fourth in runs scored (147) entering the tournament, ranks fifth in total hits (267) 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 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 ASHLAND
The Eagles (27-18) earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year. Ashland, the No. 7 seed in the regional tournament, is making its 11th appearance overall under head coach Sheilah Gulas. AU is 19-22 all-time in NCAA tournament play.

Junior outfielder Taylor Menhart leads the team with an average of .426 entering the NCAA Tournament. That mark was also second in the GLIAC. Junior Sarah Alley batted .381 during the season with 51 hits, 13 doubles and 38 RBI, a mark that was good for fourth in the conference. Senior second baseman Cayla Seidler led the team with 44 runs scored and added 14 doubles, three home runs and 31 RBI. Seidler also led the team with 21 walks. Sophomore catcher/first baseman Jen Moore hit five of the team's 14 homers during the season to lead the Eagles.

Alley was also the Eagles' leading hurler during the season, throwing 11 complete games and finishing the season with a record of 11-8 and three saves. She had an earned run average of 2.26 with 76 strikeouts in 114.2 innings. Fellow junior Amber McDermott posted a record of 8-2 and had an ERA of 3.26 with 80 strikeouts in 79.1 innings for Ashland.

SCOUTING GRAND VALLEY STATE
The Lakers (29-12) have earned four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament under head coach Doug Woods. GVSU didn't face Indianapolis during the regular season, but split with Ashland and went 2-1 against the Warriors. Grand Valley State, which finished in third place at the GLIAC Tournament, is 19-8 in games played outside Allendale and have a 14-6 record in games played at neutral sites.

Grand Valley State has two of the premier sluggers in the GLIAC in seniors Miranda Cleary and Briauna Taylor. Cleary, a third baseman, has the second-most home runs in GLIAC history with 48 and this season has a batting average of .432 with 11 homers and 55 RBI. Next to her is Taylor, a shortstop, who led the GLIAC with 56 RBI and tied her teammate for the conference lead with 11 home runs. She batted .425 and Taylor tied with freshman Jenna Lenza for the team-high in runs scored with 43. Taylor and Cleary were each named to the All-GLIAC First Team following the regular season.

The Lakers have five players that have made every start in the field this season -- Cleary, Taylor, Lenza, Brittany Taylor and Marianne Deppe.

Lauren Gevaart and Sara Andrasik each have 12 victories on the mound for the Lakers this season. Gevaart leads the squad with an ERA of 1.60 and 118 strikeouts in 114.0 innings. She has 13 complete games in 16 starts. Andrasik has logged 121.0 innings, striking out 81 batters to go along with 82 walks. She also has 12 CG.

Woods announced his retirement in March, concluding a 24-year run as the head coach of the Lakers.

SCOUTING INDIANAPOLIS
Sophomore pitcher Morgan Foley made national headlines with her 30-strikeout performance in Indianapolis' 13-inning victory over Rockhurst in the GLVC Tournament. The strikeout total passed the NCAA mark for all divisions, beating the Division II mark (26) by four and the Division I mark (28) by two strikeouts. She allowed just one hit in the game and the Greyhounds were able to score a run for the win in the bottom of the 13th.

Foley leads all of Division II pitchers with 371 strikeouts. She enters NCAA play just 10 strikeouts shy of 700 for her career. In addition, Foley ranks second in Division II in wins (31), third in Ks per 7 IP (11.2), fifth in hits allowed per 7 IP (3.7), sixth in shutouts (10) and 11th in ERA (1.18).

Indianapolis (42-11) can also swing the bat, hitting for a team average of .290 during the season. Taylor Russell leads the team with 13 home runs and 49 RBI, while hitting .304 at the plate. Casey Williamson leads Indy with an average of .391 and also has team-leading totals of 39 runs and 28 steals. Williamson is also second on the Greyhounds team with seven home runs and 28 RBI.

Overall, Indianapolis as a team has attempted 116 steals during the season, swiping 101 bags. UI has also collectively hit 35 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 1,112-668-7. 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.

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