FULL PDF NOTES PACKET
SOUTH 1 REGION HOMEPAGE
STATS/VIDEO
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – No. 10 West Florida will host the NCAA South 1 Regional Tournament this week, beginning with a 1:30 pm first pitch against 8-seed Claflin at the UWF Softball Complex. The Argonauts enter the tournament at 40-13 after a 1-1 showing in last week's rain-shortened Gulf South Conference Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.
 
All games will feature a live video broadcast and live stats, and links for those can be found on the tournament homepage or GoArgos.com/Live.
 
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased at the gate. Daily passes can be purchased for $5, while seniors, youth (6-17) and non-UWF students with a valid university ID can buy tickets for $3. Children and the first 100 UWF students with a valid ID will be admitted free.
 
The NCAA Tournament

• 2017 marks the 12th trip to the NCAA Tournament for UWF, and the Argonauts hold a 22-23 all-time record in tournament play.
• Most recently, UWF made the drive to Valdosta, Georgia, for the NCAA South 2 Regional last year, going 2-2 and taking wins against Gulf South Conference rivals Shorter and Valdosta State. That ended a five-year NCAA Tournament drought for the Argos.
• This weekend's tournament will be a four-team, double-elimination affair beginning on Thursday and running through Saturday.
• This is the first time since 2005 that UWF has earned the 1-seed in the region, and the first time since 1998 that UWF will host a regional tournament.

 
Who Is In Our Bracket?

• Joining UWF in the South 1 Regional bracket are 8-seed Claflin from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and fellow Gulf South Conference members Mississippi College and Valdosta State, which are the 4 and 5 seeds, respectively.
• Mississippi College presents a familiar challenge for UWF. The teams have met 10 times over the past three seasons, including last week in the Gulf South Conference Tournament Semifinal when Mississippi College used a six-run fourth inning to take an 8-5 win. UWF has the upper hand in the all-time series, with a 6-4 record.
• The Lady Choctaws are the #4 seed in the region after winning the GSC Tournament last weekend to claim the school's first softball conference championship. The team was led last weekend by Kristen Qualls, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. MC's Katherine Lee, Carly Crawford and Tylan Buckley all earned All-South Region honors from the NFCA.
• UWF also welcomes 5-seed Valdosta State to the UWF Softball Complex this weekend. Despite a lengthy series history, the teams have met up just twice in NCAA Tournament play and hold a 1-1 record against each other.
• The Lady Blazers had five All-South Region selections announced on Wednesday, in Hayley Cruthers, Jessica Mohl, Taylor Hartenbach, Chelsea Canara, and Brandy Morgan. VSU boasts one of the top offenses in the country, averaging 6.7 runs per game (14th in DII), and leading the GSC in batting (.325), slugging (.503), and home runs per game (0.96).
• Claflin enters the NCAA Tournament as the South Region's 8-seed, having won the SIAC Tournament last weekend. The Lady Panthers bring in a tremendous offense led by first team All-South Region outfielder Chelsea Hall, who has hit .418 with 12 doubles, 12 triples, and 9 home runs, with 49 stolen bases in 50 tries. As a team, Claflin has hit .334 and slugged .561, while stealing 126 bags on the season.
• Tiaria Norman has had a strong season in the circle for the Lady Panthers, with a 2.39 ERA to go along with a 19-5 record. She has struck out 193 batters in 152 innings while allowing a .213 opponent batting average.

 
At The Fork

• West Florida has gone 16-1 in the team's last 17 games at the UWF Softball Complex, dating back to a March 7 doubleheader against Barry.  The Argonauts have held opponents to just a .223 batting average and 2.2 runs per game in 24 total games at The Fork. The pitching staff has struck out 137 batters in just 164 innings at home.
• Several Argos have really made The Fork feel like home this year. Tiona Hill leads UWF with a .393 batting average, a .574 slugging percentage and 14 RBI in the friendly confines, Caitlin Steel has hit .360 and stolen four bases at home, Jacey Castro has hit .355 and leads the team with 27 hits at home, and Rhiannon Sassman has led West Florida with 17 runs scored, 8 doubles, and 37 total bases at the UWF Softball Complex.
• Becca Taylor and Sarah Maloney have especially stood out at home, with a 1.73 and 1.61 ERA, respectively. Taylor has picked up 11 wins and thrown three shutouts, allowing a .230 opponent batting average and striking out 56 batters over 85 innings. Maloney has completed 6 of her 10 starts at home, with 65 strikeouts and a .209 opponent batting average in 61 home innings.

 
It's A Team Effort

• The UWF lineup has been particularly deep this year and has had the luxury of not needing to rely on just one player to contribute offensively.
• To this point, seven Argonauts have at least 20 RBI, seven qualified hitters are batting .300 or better, and seven players have an on-base percentage of .390 or better.
• Valdosta State and Alabama Huntsville each have six batters with 20+ RBI, and only UAH has more qualified hitters with a .390 on-base percentage.

 
A Look at Becca Taylor

• Senior pitcher Becca Taylor has earned All-South Region and All-GSC honors this year for the first time in her career, taking first team spots in both. The Panama City, Florida, native leads the conference and region with 24 wins, and she would be the first UWF pitcher to lead the league in wins since Amber Browning tallied 35 victories in 2005.
• Taylor has used her senior campaign to catapult up the UWF record books. Her 76 starts rank 8th in UWF history, her 53 wins rank 10th, and her 481.2 career innings are 9th.
• The senior was a four-time GSC Pitcher of the Week selection, tying her for the most weekly honors in the conference this year.
• UWF senior Becca Taylor ranks fourth in program history in fewest walks per seven innings (1.14), following last year when she walked less than a batter per game and ranked fifth in single-season UWF history last year with 0.83 walks per seven. That mark was the second-best in the Gulf South Conference and the 15th-best in Division II.

 
Score Early, Win Often

• West Florida outscored its opponents 171-68 in the first three innings last season, and went an impressive 31-2 when leading after 3 frames.
• That trend has continued this year, as UWF has outscored opponents 152-52 in the first three innings and is 30-0 when leading after 4 innings.
• Additionally, UWF is 30-0 this year when leading after four innings.