Salem State To Face Tufts In Opening Round Of 2012 NCAA Division III Softball Championships Thursday
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Salem State is set to make it second appearance in three seasons in the NCAA Division III Softball Championships on Thursday, as the seventh-seeded Vikings will take on second-seeded Tufts in opening round play of the 2012 New England Regional on the campus of Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Conn.
Courtesy Salem State Sports Information
Salem, MA – Salem, MA - The Salem State Lady Vikings will play the Tufts University Jumbos at this year’s NCAA Softball Championship Regional starting on Thursday, May 10. The regional will be hosted by Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Conn.
Salem State (33-12), which won the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, earned the seventh-seed and will take on the second-seed Jumbos (36-5), who won the NESCAC title, on Thursday at 6 pm. Eastern Connecticut (40-1) drew the top seed and will host #3 Rochester (28-13), #4 Ithaca (30-12), #5 Coast Guard (26-17), #6 St. John Fisher (33-12) and #8 Lesley (28-10) round out the field.
Play in the double-elimination tournament continues through Monday, if necessary. The Regional champion will be one of eight teams in the country to move on to the NCAA Softball Championship finals in Salem, Va., May 18-22 at the Moyer Complex.
Salem State is making its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last three years. The Lady Vikings, which finished third in the MASCAC during the regular season, won four straight games in the post-season tournament after losing their opening game.