Softball Qualifies For NCAA Tournament

After a school record 28 regular season wins, the softball team was selected for the 59-team NCAA Championship field for the first time in program history on Monday. CMS (28-14) will open the double-elimination regional against host East Texas Baptist University (37-7) at 2:00 on Thursday, May 7.

CMS, the sixth seed in the seven team regional, will face either second-seeded Louisiana College or seventh-seeded La Verne on Friday at either 12:00 or 2:00 depending on the results of the Thursday games.  Additional games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are possible depending on the results of the Thursday and Friday games.

The Athenas top hitters are Gizelle Pera (SO, Los Angeles), who leads the team in batting (.354) and runs scored (34), and Melissa Munoz (SO, Union City), who leads the team in RBI's (34), doubles (13), home runs (4) and is batting .350.  The CMS pitching staff is anchored by the duo of Julia Cruz (JR, Tustin) and Erika Weingart (SR, Brea).  Cruz is 15-6 with a 1.31 ERA, 79 strikeouts and six shutouts.  Weingart is 10-7 with a 2.66 ERA and four shutouts.

Betsy Hipple, CMS' fourth year head coach, took over the program lead in career wins in the team's epic 13-inning win over La Verne in the SCIAC Tournament.  Her career record at CMS now stands at 90-63.