NCAA DIVISION III SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD ANNOUNCED
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The NCAA Division III Softball Committee has announced the 59 teams that will compete in the Division III Softball Championship. Lake Michigan Conference automatic qualifier Concordia University (21-21) will play in the regional hosted by Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

The eight-team double-elimination regional will take place May 11-15 on the Simpson campus. Eighth-seeded Concordia will take on top-seeded University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (41-2) on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. The winner will advance to play the winner of the No. 5 College of St. Scholastica (36-7) and No. 4 Washington University (Mo.) (35-5) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, while the losers of the two games will play on Friday at 10:00 a.m.

The four other teams competing at the regional are No. 2 Wartburg College (36-5), No. 3 Louisiana College (32-5), No. 6 Fontbonne University (34-9) and No. 7 Simpson College (28-12). The winner of the regional will advance to the finals, hosted by Peace College, which take place May 19-23 at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh, North Carolina.

--May 8, 2006-- [Regional Host Website] [Indianola Regional bracket]
[05/11 result: #1 St. Thomas 15, #8 Concordia 2; 05/12 result: #4 Washington (Mo.) 8, #8 Concordia 0]

ALL-LMC SOFTBALL AWARDS ANNOUNCED
MADISON, Wis. -- The All-Lake Michigan Conference softball awards for the 2006 season have just been announced by the conference office. The awards include a 15-player All-LMC team, followed by honorable mention, a nine-player All-Rookie team as well as player, rookie and coach of the year awards. All awards are voted on by the conference's head coaches.

Marian College's Erin Minger (Gurnee, Ill / Warren Township) was named Lake Michigan Conference player of the year, marking the fourth consecutive year a Sabre has won the award. In conference games, the junior 3B was second in batting average (.469), third in on-base percentage (.500) and fifth in hits (23). Minger led Marian to a forth-place finish in the LMC with a 9-7 record, and 14-23 overall.

Rookie of the year honors went to Edgewood College's Jamie Kurt (Dane, Wis. / Lodi). Kurt was third in batting average (.453), led the league in slugging percentage (.774), and was fifth in on-base percentage (.482). Kurt also was fourth in hits with 24, second in RBIs with 22, had eight doubles (second), and led the league in homeruns with three. Her 41 total bases were also a LMC best.

JP Richards was named LMC coach of the year for the second consecutive season, leading Edgewood (29-11, 16-0 LMC) to its second consecutive conference championship, and the #1 seed in the upcoming LMC tournament. Edgewood had the first undefeated season in LMC softball since MSOE (12-0) did so in 1998. The 16 wins mark the most in LMC softball history.

--May 1, 2006-- [2006 All-LMC Softball Awards]

MARIAN SOFTBALL PICKED AS FAVORITE IN PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
MADISON, Wis. -- The Marian College softball team has been picked to win the 2006 Lake Michigan Conference championship according to the preseason coaches' poll released today.

Marian received six of the nine first place votes to tally 77 points. The Sabres (28-16, 10-4 LMC) finished in a three-way tie for second place last season, and lost in the LMC tournament championship game by a run in extra innings, coming up just short of a NCAA bid.

Concordia University (17-18, 10-4) was picked second with 68 points, and also received a first place vote. Last season's regular season and tournament champions, Edgewood College (30-6, 12-2), received 59 points and a first place vote for third. Wisconsin Lutheran College (17-18, 10-4) tallied 57 points and the remaining first place vote, and is tabbed for a fourth place finish.

Lakeland College (10-27, 4-10) totaled 46 points for fifth place, and Alverno College (14-24, 5-9) had 36 points for sixth. Finishing out the final three spots are league-newcomer Dominican University (9-31), Milwaukee School of Engineering (7-27, 4-10), and Maranatha Baptist Bible College (7-30, 1-13).

2006 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Marian (6) – 77
2. Concordia (1) – 68
3. Edgewood (1) – 59
4. Wis. Lutheran (1) – 57
5. Lakeland – 46
6. Alverno – 36
7. Dominican – 29
8. MSOE – 22
9. Maranatha – 11

--March 6, 2006-- [ 2006 LMC Baseball & Softball Media Guide]