Field set for 2010 conference softball championship
The 2010 Association of Independent Institutions Softball Championship next month will feature six teams, three of which are ranked among the top 16 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Defending A.I.I. champions the University of Houston-Victoria Jaguars will compete for the title along with five other teams. The Jaguars are ranked 16th in the country in this week’s NAIA poll and are one of three teams ranked in the top 16 that will compete in Victoria May 6-8.
The No. 10 Simon Fraser University Clan (Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) and the No. 13 California State University at San Marcos Cougars are the other two ranked teams that will come to Victoria for the championship.
The other three qualifiers are the Louisiana State University-Alexandria Generals, the Ohio Dominican University Panthers and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.
“This will be an excellent showcase of softball,” said Keri Lambeth, UHV head softball coach. “Three top-ranked teams and three others that are playing good ball late in the year should make for a very exciting tournament.”
The tournament also is good news for the local economy, UHV Athletics Director Ashley Walyuchow said.
“We expect anywhere from 300 to 500 people in town for this tournament,” he said. “This is a chance for Victoria to show the U.S. and Canada what we have to offer.”
The seeding for the tournament will be announced next week.
The tournament will be played at the St. Joseph High School-O’Connor Athletic Complex, 3006 N. Cameron St.
For sponsorship information, contact UHV Athletics at 361-570-4343.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
