UWF Softball Clinches #25 in National Ranking and #3 Seed in GSC Championship :: Argonauts prepare to travel to South Haven, Mississippi this Thursday to compete for GSC Champion title

Argonauts prepare to travel to South Haven, Mississippi this Thursday to compete for GSC Champion title

April 28, 2008

PENSACOLA, Fla. - With a 38-19 season record and an 18-8 Gulf South Conference record, the women of the Argonaut softball team are headed to South Haven, Mississippi for a shot at the 2008 GSC Champion title. West Florida is still currently holding the 9th spot in the NCAA South Region Rankings, and moved up this past week to take over the 25th spot in NCAA National Rankings. West Florida joins Alabama-Huntsville as the only two GSC teams nationally ranked, as Valdosta State fell from the rankings last week.

As GSC Championship play begins on Friday, May 2nd, the number three seeded Argonauts are scheduled to take on Henderson State of the West Division at 2:30 PM. West Florida has faced Henderson State just once this season at the GSC Crossover tournament in April. In a 6-1 victory, the Argos and pitcher Jillian LaFrance shut down the Lady Reddies to close out the tournament. Both LaFrance and Taren Walton homered in the game, while Melissa Chastang was 3-for-4 at the plate.

Coaches Tami Cyr and Cindie Corey, as well as returning players from 2007, are experiencing what seems to be déjà vu of last year's GSC Championship. They are facing HSU in the first game of the tournament for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, the turn out of the 2007 matchup was not in the Argonauts favor, while West Florida's streak of nine consecutive GSC Tournament first round wins came to an end in a 5-4 loss against HSU. "Despite past struggles with HSU, we played well against them this year at the Crossover and feel confident facing them in the first round of the 2008 Championship," says Assistant Coach Cindie Corey.

If UWF picks up the win in South Haven over second-seeded Henderson State, they will continue play on Friday night against the winner of the game between East Division Champion University of Alabama-Huntsville and fourth-seeded West Division team University of Arkansas-Monticello. West Florida is currently 2-2 against the nationally second-ranked UAH, and beat UAM at the GSC Crossover tournament.

The GSC Championship is a double elimination tournament that continues through Sunday, May 4. All games will be broadcast through Stretch Internet and UWF Athletics, in addition to broadcasts through Penn Atlantic and the Gulf South Conference.