INTERACTIVE BRACKET | PRINTABLE BRACKET | SELECTION SHOW | NCAA RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – For the 12th time in program history, the University of New Haven softball team will play for a national championship earning the seventh seed in the upcoming NCAA Division II East Region Championship. The Chargers will open against second seeded LIU Post in a double elimination four-team regional hosted by Wilmington (Del.). In addition to New Haven, LIU Post and Wilmington, Adelphi rounds out the four teams that make up the second regional site in the East.
Saint Anselm earned the top seed in the East Region and will host the other regional which includes Bridgeport, Southern New Hampshire and Georgian Court. The surviving team from each of the regional sites will advance to a best-of-three Super Regional hosted by the top seed remaining. The Super Regional Champion from each of the eight regionals will advance to the Division II Softball Championship which will be held at the Regency Athletic Complex in Denver, Colo. May 23-27.
The Chargers advance to the national tournament with a 31-14 overall record, including a mark 30-12 against East region competition. Leading the Blue and Gold into the regional championship is freshman Mya Case (Syracuse, N.Y/West Genessee) a First Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Team selection who is batting .367 with a team-high 51 hits and 34 RBI.
Overall, Case is one of five players to earn postseason accolades by the NE10 with senior centerfielder Sierra Whitlock (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) following her with a spot on the All-Conference Second Team. Senior Taylor Luzzi (Fishkill, N.Y./John Jay) and freshman Ava Fitzmaurice (Greenville, N.Y./Greenville) each earned a spot on the All-Conference Third Team while freshman Mia Iodice (Rehoboth, Mass./Dighton-Rehoboth Regional) and Fitzmaurice joined Case in garnering All-Rookie distinction.
Luzzi and Whitlock follow case in leading the Chargers at the plate hitting .333 and .311, respectively. Luzzi, who has split time at short and third, has collected 46 hits and driven in 26 runs while Whitlock is second on the team with 50 hits all of which have come in the leadoff position in the lineup.
In the circle, Fitzmaurice and Iodice have led a three person pitching staff, combining for 26 of the 31 total wins. Iodice leads the way with a 2.46 ERA, surrendering 35 earned runs across 99.2 innings of work while striking out a team-high 77 batters. Fitzmaurice is just behind her with a 2.47 ERA allowing 56 earned runs in 159 innings of action while racking up a team-high 16 wins and striking out 64 batters.
Additional information, including game times, will be posted on NewHavenChargers.com as it becomes available. Click Here for facility information and directions to Wilmington's Asbury Field.
