Spartans Finish Practice Day at Tuscaloosa Regional
5/16/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Tuscaloosa Regional Practice Photo Gallery
Tuscaloosa Regional Press Conference Audio
Tuscaloosa, Ala. - The USC Upstate softball team held its team practice Thursday afternoon at Rhoads Stadium in preparation for Friday's opener against Western Kentucky in the Tuscaloosa Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Upstate is making its first appearance in the NCAA Regionals since joining Division I and the A-Sun in 2007-08. In fact, the softball team is the first Upstate team to earn a berth in an NCAA Tournament since the university moved its athletics program to Division I. Cross Country star Gilbert Kemboi qualified for NCAA Nationals last fall as the only other Upstate student-athlete to qualify for an NCAA national event.
Upstate (41-10), will open the Tuscaloosa Regional against Western Kentucky. The Lady Toppers earned an at-large bid and enter the NCAA Tournament with a 41-16 record. They went 20-3 in the Sun Belt, a conference that also boasts nationally-ranked South Alabama and Louisana-Lafayette.
The winner of the game between Upstate and Western Kentucky will take on the winner of the Friday's game between defending national champion and regional host Alabama (42-13, No. 10 national seed) and Jacksonville State (30-25, OVC Tournament Champions) Saturday. The losing teams in the first round games will battle in the regional's first elimination game Saturday.
Upstate took the field for its 1:15 practice time at 2:25 p.m. Central. Following the practice session, head coach Chris Hawkins and players Ericka Harris (Piedmont, S.C.) and Cheyenne Griffin (Moore, S.C.) took part in the pre-tournament press conference. Listen to the press conference here.
