UMHB will make its first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament when it takes on Chapman (Calif.) at noon today in a first-round game of the Texas-Tyler Regional.
The Lady Crusaders (32-9), who became the first team to go 24-0 through the ASC West Division before falling in the semifinals of the conference tournament, are the No. 3 seed in the seven-team, double-elimination regional. The Panthers (27-9) are the sixth seed.
The victor will advance to face either second-seeded UT-Tyler (40-7) or No. 7 seed La Verne (Calif.), which is 27-17, in a winners’ bracket second-round game at 2 p.m. Friday. The loser will play an elimination game at noon Friday.
UMHB received one of the 18 at-large bids to the 59-team tournament. Also at the UT-Tyler Regional are top-seeded Louisiana College, fourth-seeded and defending national champion Linfield (Ore.) and fifth-seeded Redlands (Calif.).
The regional champion, to be decided Sunday, will advance to the Division III Softball World Series to be held May 16-20 in Salem, Va.
