OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. – For the first time in program history, the St. Catherine University softball team will compete in the NCAA Division III Softball Women's College World Series (WCWS). The Wildcats will open their run for an NCAA title against Illinois Wesleyan University at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 25 at USA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
This will be St. Kate's first ever appearance at the Division III WCWS in just the team's second trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats advanced to the WCWS after beating Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) rival the University of St. Thomas 1-0 and 8-4 in the Super Regional round after upsetting No. 3 Luther College in the Decorah Regional May 14. St. Kate's overall record is currently 38-12, and the Wildcats went 17-5 in MIAC play.
Illinois Wesleyan is appearing in the Championship Series for the second straight season and the third time in program history. The Spartans won its third regional title in four years and beat Transylvania twice in the Super Regional to advance to the finals. This season, Illinois Wesleyan is 36-12 and the Spartans went 11-5 in conference play.
St. Kate's will play either St. John Fisher or Williams on Friday. If they win, the Wildcats advance to the winner's bracket and will play at 4 p.m. on Friday. If St. Kate's suffers a loss, the team would play in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Live stats and video will be available for Thursday's 4 p.m. game. Score updates will also be made on St. Kate's official Twitter page (@stkatesathletics).
Here are the five things to know before St. Kate's and Illinois Wesleyan square off Thursday:
2 – Wednesday night, Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) and Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) become the first players in Wildcat softball history to earn All-America honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). George earned First Team All-America honors at third base after hitting .465 during the regular season with a school-record breaking .851 slugging percentage. Flugstad earned Second Team honors after posting a 20-4 record with a 1.08 ERA during the regular season.
5 – A combined five student-athletes from St. Kate's and Illinois Wesleyan were named All-Region by the NFCA this past month. The Wildcats George, Flugstad and shortstop Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) all earned All-Region honors, while the Spartans Jillian Runyon and Sam Berghoff were named to the Great Lakes All-Region team.
6 – St. Kate's opponent Illinois Wesleyan is making its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and second straight appearance in the Division III WCWS. Last season, the Spartans were two-and out in the Championship Series, losing their opener to MIT 2-0 before dropping the elimination game to Rowan 3-1.
6 – The Wildcats enter Thursday's game on a six-game win streak. After losing its opening game of the Decorah Regional, St. Kate's has won six consecutive games, including four over Luther and St. Thomas. Three of those four victories were by just one run, as the Wildcats defeated the Norse 2-1 and 6-5 before upending the Tommies 1-0 and 8-4 last weekend.
14 – Illinois Wesleyan has won 14 games this season on the final play of the game, including its two Super Regional wins over Transylvania University. Down to their final out in the second game of the Super Regional, the Spartans rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 4-4 before winning with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Then, in the deciding third game of the Super Regional, Illinois Wesleyan scored four runs in the top of the 11th inning to beat the Pioneers 6-2.
