2018 Sun Belt Softball Weekly News and Notes:
Week 15 Release (PDF) | Brackets: NCAA | NISC
Standings | Composite Schedule | Stats | Sun Belt Championship Recap
 
#FUNBELT FACTS
• Sun Belt softball sent multiple teams to the postseason for the seventh-straight year with Texas State and Louisiana in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship and UTA in the National Invitational Softball Championship. The conference boasted multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament over all seven seasons.

• UTA becomes the first Sun Belt team to advance to the NISC championship round. The Mavericks reached the championship round on three-straight wins – 9-1 over Central Arkansas and 9-4 and 5-2 over Texas Tech –  to win the Region 4 title.

• The Sun Belt holds a 8-6 (.571) NISC record in four appearances. Georgia State, ULM and UTA participated in the inaugural NISC in 2017.

• Louisiana made its 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance (1999-2018) and 11th consecutive regional final appearance (2008-18).

• Since 2000, the Sun Belt has a 67-59 (.517) NCAA Tournament record in 28 appearances. 
 
• In the most recent NCAA RPI through the regular season, 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.

• UTA remains one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranked ninth in double plays per game (0.54) and tied for 38th in fielding percentage (.970).

• UTA junior outfielder Laura Curry is one of toughest players to strike out in the nation this season. Curry ranks second in the Sun Belt and 22nd in the country at one strikeout per every 26.8 at-bats. She has not struck out since April 29 vs. Louisiana.

• The Sun Belt boasted 11 players earning National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region honors, highlighted by three first-team selections: 

Central - First Team
Alissa Dalton, Louisiana
Randi Rupp, Texas State

Central - Second Team
Courtney Dean, Coastal Carolina
Summer Ellyson, Louisiana
Laura Curry, UTA

Central - Third Team
Reagan Wright, UTA
Hailey MacKay, Texas State

South - First Team
Ivie Drake, Georgia State

South - Second Team
Jayden Mount, ULM

South - Third Team
Hannah Farrell, Georgia Southern
Kaleigh Todd, South Alabama

• 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.

• 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 . 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.

• Among the NCAA Division I active career leaders entering the week, Rupp is first in pitching appearances (187), games started (160), innings pitched (1,057.1), strikeouts (1,270) and shutouts (42) and second in wins (109) and complete games (106), Drake is third in total bases (543), RBI (215), fourth in hits (285) and home runs (65), tied for fourth in walks (177) and fifth in runs scored (214) and South Alabama senior pitcher Devin Brown is fifth in strikeouts (932) and strikeouts per seven innings (8.90), tied for fifth in shutouts (31) and tied for sixth in complete games (77).
 
• Rupp closed her senior season second in the nation in strikeouts (317) this season. She closed her career as the Sun Belt’s all-time leader in appearances, games started, innings pitched and shutouts.

• Drake led the Sun Belt in batting average (.409), slugging percentage (.862), RBI (60), home runs (18), walks (47) and total bases (137) this season. She closed her career as the Sun Belt’s all-time leader in hits and walks and in the career top six in runs, doubles, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage.

• Rupp and 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
NISC Championship Round (Los Angeles, Calif.)
All Times Central and Subject to Change
 
Wednesday, May 23
UTA at Loyola Marymount, 1:00 PM

Thursday, May 24
UTA vs. Eastern Kentucky/UC Riverside, 2:30/5:00 PM

Friday, May 25
UTA vs. TBD, 1:00/3:30 PM