Field Set for 2013 Horizon League Softball Tournament

Horizon League Softball Championship Bracket

INDIANAPOLIS – The Horizon League Softball Tournament will have a Windy City feel, as UIC and Loyola  matched each other with identical 16-5 conference records to share the Horizon League championship. By virtue of its season series victory, the Flames will host the conference tournament, which runs May 8-11.

UIC (23-23, 16-5 Horizon) knocked off Cleveland State (21-25, 10-9 Horizon) on the final day of the regular season to claim its first regular season title since 2009. On the year, the Flames have boasted the top offense in the Horizon League, hitting .314 as team, led by Natalie Hernandez’s .377 batting average.

Devin Miller has been UIC’s workhorse at the circle, making 43 appearances while going 22-1, notching 187 strikeouts.

Loyola (28-17, 16-5 Horizon) picked up a share of the League title for the second time in three years; after capturing the regular season in 2011, the Ramblers reached the tournament championship in 2012 and will be looking to take the next step in 2013.

The Ramblers will turn to 2012 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Brittany Gardner, who has made 29 appearances on the year, striking out 165 and compiling a 2.23 ERA.

Defending conference champion Valparaiso (29-24, 11-9 Horizon) turned over its roster but managed to secure the No. 3 seed, the third straight season the Crusaders have finished in the top three of the conference. Valpo will look to freshman Taylor Weissenhofer to carry the load in the circle. The freshman has struck out 202 batters in 154.2 innings, pacing the Horizon League.

Fourth-seeded Cleveland State (21-25, 10-9 Horizon) boasts a conference-leading 49 homeruns, with Erica McNew and Dara Toman combining for 32 long balls. McNew nearly captured the Horizon League triple crown, leading the conference with a .414 batting average and 18 homers. McNew’s 39 runs batted in were four shy of matching Valparaiso freshman Janelle Bouchard’s League-high.

The Vikings will take on No. 5 Wright State (17-35, 10-11 Horizon) in the tournament’s first game on Wednesday, May 8. The Raiders will look to shut down the Vikings’ bats with Krystian DeWitt’s arm. The junior posted a 2.18 ERA in 170.1 innings.

With its 3-2 win over Valparaiso in 11 innings on Sunday, Youngstown State (16-25, 9-12 Horizon) earned the right to face the Crusaders in just three days, as Wednesday’s second game will see the Penguins and Valpo square off for the fourth time in a week.

In conference play, Youngstown State has posted the top pitching numbers among the eight Horizon League teams, recording a 2.57 ERA and striking out 106. Casey Crozier and Hana Smogyi have collaborated to lift the Penguins in the circle, with Crozier striking out 76 and posting a 2.05 ERA in 14 appearances.

The opening round of the Horizon League Tournament will begin at 11 a.m. CT on Wednesday, May 8, with (4) Cleveland State and (5) Wright State squaring off, followed by (3) Valparaiso and (6) Youngstown State at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Thursday will see all six teams in action, with UIC meeting the CSU/WSU winner and Loyola taking on the Valpo/YSU victor. Losers of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games will meet in elimination games that evening.

The Horizon League championship will be played on Sunday, May 11, at 11 a.m. CT. If necessary, the winner-take-all game will be at 1:30 p.m. CT on the 11^th.