2018 Sun Belt Softball Weekly News and Notes:
Week 14 Release (PDF) | Brackets: NCAA | NISC
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Sun Belt Championship Recap
 
#FUNBELT FACTS
• Sun Belt softball sends multiple teams to the postseason for the seventh-straight year. The conference boasts multiple teams in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship over all seven seasons.

• Texas State and Louisiana are the Sun Belt’s representatives in the NCAA Tournament for a third-straight year, while UTA is in the National Invitational Softball Championship for a second-straight year.

• Since 2000, the Sun Belt has a 63-55 (.534) NCAA Tournament record in 26 appearances. Louisiana is making its 19th appearance (28th overall), while Texas State is making its third (ninth overall) since joining the Sun Belt. 

• The Ragin’ Cajuns are just are one of nine schools to play in the NCAA Tournament every year since 2000 joining Alabama, Arizona, Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA and Washington.

• The Sun Belt holds a 5-6 (.455) NISC record in three appearances. Georgia State, ULM and UTA participated in the inaugural NISC in 2017. 
 
• In the most recent NCAA RPI through the games of May 13, the Sun Belt boasted seven teams in the top 100 – Louisiana (22nd), Texas State (28th), Georgia State (64th), South Alabama (69th), UTA (83rd), Georgia Southern (84th) and Troy (98th). The Sun Belt enters the week ranked eighth as a conference, behind the SEC, Pac-12, Big 12, American, ACC, ASun and Big Ten.

• Louisiana remains at 21st and Texas State moves up to 22nd in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Poll. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 22nd and the Bobcats are back in the top 25 in 23rd in this week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. Louisiana has been ranked in both polls all season, while Texas State appears in the USA Today/NFCA Poll for the eighth time in nine weeks.

• UTA enters the postseason among one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranked eighth in double plays per game (0.57) and tied for 43rd in fielding percentage (.970).

• Among the NCAA Division I active career leaders entering the week, Texas State senior pitcher Randi Rupp is first in pitching appearances (184), games started (157), innings pitched (1,041.0), strikeouts (1,255) and shutouts (42) and second in wins (108) and complete games (104), Georgia State senior catcher/first base Ivie Drake is third in total bases (543), RBI (215) and walks (177), fourth in hits (285) and home runs (65) and fifth in runs scored (214) and South Alabama senior pitcher Devin Brown is fourth in strikeouts (932), fifth in strikeouts per seven innings (8.90) and tied for fifth in complete games (77) and shutouts (31).
 
• Rupp enters the postseason fifth in the nation in strikeouts with 302. Her strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.39) ranks fourth, victories (28) rank tied for eighth, shutouts (14) ranks tied for ninth, earned run average (1.15, walks per seven innings (0.96) rank tied for 11th, ranks 16th and strikeouts per seven innings (8.1) rank tied for 39th.

 • Rupp and Drake are among the 10 finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate softball. Nationwide fan voting is open now to help select the winner and fans are encouraged to submit votes online at the Senior CLASS Award website through May 21. Fan votes will be combined with those of the media and Division I head coaches to determine the winners. The Senior CLASS Award recipient for softball will be announced during the 2018 NCAA Women’s College World Series® in Oklahoma City, May 31 through June 6. Rupp was also one of 25 finalists for the 2018 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

 • Louisiana sophomore shortstop Alissa Dalton enters the postseason one of toughest players to strike out in the nation this season. Dalton enters the postseason ranked 11th at one strikeout per every 36.2 at-bats. She has not struck out since March 4 vs. Baylor.

• The Georgia State foursome of Drake, junior third base Kristin Hawkins, junior outfielder Reagan Morgan and senior outfielder Brenna Skalski were named to the Google Cloud College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 4 Softball Team. The Panthers' quartet advances to the Academic All-America ballot where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be announced in June.

• Drake led the Sun Belt in batting average (.409), slugging percentage (.862), RBI (60), home runs (18), walks (47) and total bases (137).
 
• Rupp and South Alabama senior pitcher Devin Brown were both drafted by the Cleveland Comets in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch College Draft on April 24. Rupp was the fourth overall pick and Brown was the third pick in the fourth round.

• The Sun Belt and the American Cancer Society teamed up for the 2018 Cover Your Bases initiative with the conference’s baseball and softball programs, as a part of the Sun Belt Fights Cancer (SunBeltFightsCancer.org) partnership. Throughout regular-season games in April and at the Sun Belt Softball Championship and Baseball Championship (May 22-27), the conference and its teams combined to support the mission of the American Cancer Society and its messages of protection and prevention.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
All Times Central and Subject to Change
 
Wednesday, May, 16
NISC Region 4
UTA at Central Arkansas, 6:00 PM
 
Thursday, May 17
NISC Region 4
UTA vs. TBD, Noon/3:00/6:00 PM
 
Friday, May 18
NISC Region 4
UTA vs. TBD, Noon/3:00 PM
 
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Houston vs. Louisiana (ESPN3), 3:00 PM
 
NCAA Los Angeles Regional
Cal State Fullerton vs. Texas State (ESPN3), 7:30 PM
 
Saturday, May 19
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Louisiana vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), Noon/2:30/5:00 PM
 
NCAA Los Angeles Regional
Texas State vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), 4/6:30/9:00 PM
 
Sunday, May 20
NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Louisiana vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), 1:00 PM
If necessary - Louisiana vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), 3:30 PM
 
NCAA Los Angeles Regional
Texas State vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), 6:00 PM
If necessary -  Texas State vs. TBD (ESPN Family of Networks), 8:30 PM