MCKENZIE, Tenn. (05.06.09) - The Bethel Lady Wildcats are ready to make their second-ever trip to the NAIA National Softball Tournament in Decatur, Ala. Bethel earned the right to participate in the tournament by winning the 2009 TranSouth Conference Tournament. Bethel has been placed in pool ‘F' with #6 Oklahoma City University, #10 Simon Fraser University (B.C.) and #RV Georgetown College (Ky.). The 29th Annual Tournament will begin with pool play from May 14-16. Winners from each pool will move onto an eight-team double elimination bracket, played from May 18-20.

Click Here for Pool Play Schedule

Click Here for Championship Bracket

Bethel's first opponent at Morgan Wilson Park in Decatur, Ala. will be #6 Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at 11:30am on Field #2. Interestingly, the Bethel women's basketball team also opened with Oklahoma City University in the opening round of the NAIA Women's Basketball Tournament this past March in Jackson, Tenn. OCU won the Sooner Athletic Conference in the same fashion Bethel won the TranSouth. Because of weather, the conference tournaments were cut short and Oklahoma City like Bethel was the only remaining undefeated team. The Stars of OCU are 48-7 on the season. It appears the Stars can do it offensively or on the mound with three nationally talented ladies. Amanda Howard, the SAC Player of the Year is ranked number one in the NAIA in home runs per game. Howard, a junior outfielder from Strathmore, Alberta, Canada, has hit .443 with 25 home runs, 54 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. Howard also ranks second in the NAIA in total bases and slugging percentage (.968). On the mound, the Stars can turn to Lily LaVelle or Ashley Wilburn. LaVelle, a freshman from Bridge Creek, Okla., went 23-4 with a 1.74 ERA and 233 strikeouts in 153 innings. LaVelle notched 14 complete games, eight shutouts and a save. LaVelle also hit .337 with seven homers, 38 RBIs and eight steals. Wilburn, a junior from Gilmer, Texas, has a 21-3 record with a 1.12 earned run average, four saves, 18 complete games, eight shutouts, a .174 opponents' batting average and 243 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched. Wilburn ranked second in the league in ERA. At the plate, Wilburn hit .343 with four homers and 20 RBIs. Last year in the tournament, OCU did not make it out of pool play. They lost to Simon Fraser 2-3, defeated Walsh 9-1, defeated Mobile 7-4 and lost to Columbia 2-4.

On Friday, Bethel will face #10 Simon Fraser on Field #3 at 2:30pm. The Lady Wildcats faced Simon Fraser in 2006 losing in the opening game of the tournament. The Clan, as Simon Fraser is known, received an at-large birth. This will mark the 12^th straight year that the Clan has qualified for the National Championships. The Clan finished the inaugural NAIA Association of Independent Institutions Championship with a 1-2 record and based on that performance fell one spot in the final NAIA Top-25 rankings to tenth. SFU's strength lies with the middle of their batting order. Senior catcher Meaghan Cumpstone (Saskatoon, SK) leads the way. Cumpstone is third in the NAIA in RBIs per game (1.370) and 32nd in doubles per game (.370), and also leads her team with 37 RBI and five homeruns. Overall the Clan are 20th in the NAIA in runs scored per game (6.296), 21st in batting average (.336) and 23 in double per game (1.704). Juniors Carly Moir (Surrey, B.C.) and Jessie Harris (Stouffville, Ont.) have also demonstrated their skill at getting on base, Moir is 11th in the NAIA in triples per game (0.148), while Harris is 13th in hits per game (1.556). On the mound, junior lefty Jennifer Van Egdom (Surrey, B.C.) posted the Clan's top ERA on the year (3.52) and most strikeouts (70), while freshman Kylie Ellis has a team best 7-3 record on the mound. The Clan is well traveled playing in Hawaii, Los Angeles, Calf., Portland, Ore., Tucson, Ari., and Thomasville, Ga. SFU has won three National Titles in softball (1999, 2003 and 2005).

Saturday, Bethel will complete pool play when they face the Lady Tigers of Georgetown College (Ky.). The game will be on field #4 and will begin at 3:00pm. Georgetown qualified by winning the Mid-South Conference Tournament over a favored Campbellsville University team, 5-3. Bethel and Georgetown shared two common opponents during the season. The Lady Tigers lost two games to Martin Methodist College on February 15, 2009 (3-4 (9) and 2-4). Bethel defeated Martin 2-0 in the TranSouth Tournament but lost the three regular season meetings this year. GC also played The University of Virginia at Wise two times this season. On March 13, 2009 the Lady Tigers defeated UVA-Wise 2-1 (9) and 5-0. Bethel defeated UVA-Wise at Martin Methodist early in the season 8-7. Georgetown does not appear on paper to be as strong as some other teams offensively, but likes to run the bases when they do get on. Whitney Ealey is 14^th in the NAIA in stolen bases per game and Rachel Johnson is ranked 20^th. Their main pitcher is Samantha Barmore. Barmore ranks 29^th in the NAIA in ERA and 33^rd in earned runs allowed per game.

Bethel is 33-12 on the season and won the TranSouth Conference title for the first time since joining the conference three years ago. This is the second appearance for the Lady ‘Cats in the NAIA National Softball Tournament (2006).