ADA – For the third-straight season, the East Central University softball team will be participating in the Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic hosted in Bentonville, Ark. The Tigers will be facing six teams from across the region in the event.
ECU will be playing teams from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) in the three day tournament. The competition includes two teams that advanced to the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Missouri Western, the Tigers first opponent, played in the other half of the 2015 NCAA Central Regional and fell in two games. Missouri-St. Louis advanced all the way to the NCAA Midwest Super Regional where they lost to Indianapolis, 1-2.
ECU opens the classic with games against Missouri Western (11 a.m.) and Minnesota State-Mankato (3 p.m.), Friday, Feb. 12. The Tigers then face Missouri-St. Louis (1 p.m.) and Emporia State (3 p.m.), Saturday, Feb. 13 and Wayne State (9 a.m.) and Missouri S&T (1 p.m.), Sunday, Feb. 14.
Missouri Western and Emporia State are from the MIAA, Minnesota State-Mankato and Wayne State from the NSIC and Missouri-St. Louis and Missouri S&T come from the GLVC.
Mankato, Wayne State and Missouri S&T will be playing their first games of the 2016 season.
Missouri Western and Emporia State both started their seasons last weekend. Missouri Western is 2-2, with all of their games coming against members of the Great American Conference. Emporia is 2-4, with all but one loss coming against a team from the GAC.
Missouri-St. Louis went 6-0 in its opening weekend, which included a game against Southern Nazarene.
The Tigers are 3-4 after going 3-2 in the St. Mary's NCAA DII College Classic, Feb. 4-6. The tournament included a shutout victory over No. 10 St. Mary's to end the weekend. Seniors
Jordynn VanPelt and
Lauren Reeves had solid performances for ECU, earning all-tournament honors.
VanPelt is leading the Tigers with a .524 batting average so far this season, which includes 11 hits, three home runs and six RBIs. Senior
Taylor Davis adds a .476 mark, with 10 hits and two RIBs.
Senior
Lacey Paulk earned the shutout win over St. Mary's to move her season record to 1-2. She has struck out 11 batters in 20.0 innings and allowed 29 hits and 21 runs.
Junior
Kelbie Crelia leads the ECU pitching staff with a 2.84 ERA in 6.1 innings of work and adds two Ks.
After this weekend's tournament, the Tigers will start the GAC season Feb. 19-20 when they travel to Weatherford, Okla., to battle with Southwestern Oklahoma State.
