Softball jumps in NJCAA rankings, announced playoff times
Adam Gore/LetsGoICC.com
FULTON, MS – Itawamba Community College moved up six spots to No. 11 in the final National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Softball rankings of the regular season.
The Lady Indians (35-10, 21-3 MACJC North) swept Coahoma Community College to earn their third-straight Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division Championship and closed out division play with a sweep of rival East Mississippi Community College before setting a new record for most wins in a season (35) and helping Coach Andy Kirk earn his 100th win by sweeping Jackson State Community College to close out the regular season.
"I'm just so proud of the girls," said Coach Andy Kirk. "They have worked so hard this year and really deserve this honor. Hopefully this is the first of many more good things to come their way."
Region XXIII powerhouse LSU-Eunice returned to the top of the poll with fellow MACJC member Jones County Junior College taking over the No. 2 spot after Phoenix College (AZ) slipped from No. 1 to the third spot while Kirkwood Community College (IA) and Illinois Central College rounded out the Top 5 spots.
Click here to see the entire NJCAA rankings
The Lady Indians will host East Central Community College (32-14, 17-11 MACJC South) in the best-of-three round of the MACJC Softball Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
"East Central isn't your typical four seed," said Kirk. "They went from being the second seed in the South to falling to the four seed in the last few weeks of division play. They can really swing the bats and when they get to rolling they are one of the best teams in the nation."
Game 1 of the series will be Friday at 6:00 p.m. with Game 2 scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and Game 3, if needed, to follow at 3:00 p.m. at the ICC Softball Complex.
"This is the first year we've used the best-of-three format in the playoffs. We are going to have to be ready to go from opening pitch to the final out to be able to advance to tournament play."
ICC will host the MACJC Tournament (May 1-3) if they win the best-of-three series against East Central.
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