Posted: May 07, 2024

The Field is Set for the 2024 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round: presented by Roaster’s Market

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Tuesday, the NAIA announced that the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (44-7, 31-5 SAC) would be a No. 1 seed for the 2024 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round: presented by Roaster's Market, in addition to being one of 10 host sites around the nation. The Drovers will host No. 2 seed Midland University (Neb.), No. 3 seed LSU Alexandria, No. 4 Baker University, and No. 5 Friends University.

The 2024 NAIA Softball National Championship will feature an expanded field of 48 teams. There will be two opening round sites that will feature four teams and eight which will be five team brackets, each played in double elimination format. The winner of each will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series in Columbus, Ga., beginning on May 23, 2024.

USAO has recent history with three of the four teams traveling to town for the Opening Round: presented by Roaster's Market. Additionally, three of the five competitors advanced to the NAIA World Series last year (USAO, Midland, Baker).

The Drovers have faced Midland (Neb.) three times since the start of the 2021 season, going 2-1 against the Warriors. USAO defeated MU 2-1 earlier this season, but the Warriors defeated the Drovers 3-2 at the 2023 World Series.

The Drovers were schedule to face LSUA earlier this season in Texas, but the game was rained out, and they have never previously met head-to-head.

Baker University (Kan.) has defeated USAO in each of their previous two meetings, coming in February of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

The Drovers and Falcons have met 19 times and USAO holds a 13-6 advantage. Furthermore, the Drovers have won each of the last eight meetings against the Falcons.

#1 USAO – 44-7, 31-5 SAC

The Drovers earned their way into the tournament with an automatic bid as a host, as well as the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Champions for the second year in. row. The national tournament appearance is the ninth in program history, and it's the sixth consecutive season that the Drovers enter the Opening Round as a No. 1 seed.

USAO has put together an impressive overall record of 44-7, and a 31-5 record against opponents in the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Drovers enter the national tournament riding a 25-game win streak.

USAO finished second place in the SAC regular season but was able to claim their fourth SAC Tournament championship in program history.

POSTSEASON AWARDS

PITCHER OF THE YEAR & 1st TEAM ALL SAC – SOPHIE WILLIAMS

Sophie Williams extended the incredible streak of a USAO pitcher being selected as the conference's pitcher of the year. A Drover has earned at least a share of the award for the seventh consecutive season. (Emily Cerny 5x, Sophie Williams 2x)

Williams delivered a historic regular season, as she recorded an NAIA record of four perfect games, along with one no-hitter. She currently owns a 26-4 record, along with a 0.75 earned run average and 259 strikeouts in 168.2 innings pitched. For her efforts, she was rewarded with eight SAC Pitcher of the Week awards as a well as three NAIA Pitcher of the Week awards.

She currently ranks top five nationally in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average, and she leads the conference in each of those categories.

In her career, Williams has delivered three no-hitters, and six perfect games since the start of the 2022 season. She has earned two SAC Pitcher of the Year awards, two NAIA All-American selections, three All-SAC nods, and 11 SAC Pitcher of the Week awards. Williams owns a 68-17 record and a 1.22 ERA with 697 strikeouts in 533.1 innings of work.

1st TEAM

SIERRA SELFRIDGE – FIRST BASE

Selfridge earned her third consecutive first-team All-SAC selection after an incredible junior season. Through 50 games played this season, Selfridge has produced a .403 batting average with 58 hits, 19 doubles, 7 home runs, 31 runs scored, and 51 runs batted in.

In her first three seasons as a Drover, she has appeared in 167 games, and owns a .380 batting average, along with 186 hits, 44 doubles, eight triples, 17 homers, 111 runs scored, and 132 RBIs.

MALEA MCMURTREY - SHORTSTOP

McMurtrey continued to prove that she is one of the best shortstops in the country and earned her second consecutive first-team All-SAC selection. In 2024, McMurtrey has produced an incredible .438 batting average with 70 hits, six doubles, two triples, 52 runs scored, and 38 runs batted in. She also was successful on 28 of 31 stolen base attempts.

So far in her career, McMurtrey has appeared in 99 games and has recorded a .386 batting average with 117 hits, nine doubles, six triples, 100 runs scored, 61 runs batted in, and 60 stolen bases.

JADYN GOUCHER – SECOND BASE

Jadyn Goucher earned her second all-conference selection as she produced a .355 batting average through the first 49 games of the season. Goucher tallied 54 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 45 runs scored, and 48 RBIs. She has also showed off her speed by going 19-for-19 on stolen base attempts.

In her career, she has appeared in 88 games and has recorded a .341 batting average with 88 hits, 21 doubles, five triples, 19 home runs, 77 runs scored, and 80 RBIs.

LEIGHANNE EATON – CATCHER

The freshman from Chickasha made an immediate impact for the Drovers, earning her first all-conference selection. Eaton has appeared in all 50 games so far, and produced a .325 batting average, along with 50 hits, 15 doubles, nine home runs, 35 runs scored, and 41 runs batted in. She has been tremendous defensively as well, recording a .991 fielding percentage with 307 putouts and 12 assists, while only committing three fielding errors.

MACENZIE RUTH – OUTFIELD

Macenzie Ruth continued her historic career in 2024 and earned her third selection on the All-SAC first-team. This season, Ruth has once again been blazing the base paths with 54 stolen bases, and she now owns 174 stolen bases in her career, which ranks fourth in NAIA history.

At the plate, Ruth has produced a .448 batting average with 64 hits, five doubles, five triples, four home runs, 51 runs scored, and 19 runs batted in.

In her career, she has appeared in 162 games, producing a .402 batting average with 206 hits, 10 doubles, 10 triples, five homers, 170 runs scored, and 74 RBIs.

In the program record book, Ruth is at the top of the list in six categories. She also appears in the top five of eight other categories at USAO.

1^st – triples in a game (2)

1^st – stolen bases in a game (8)

1^st – runs scored in a season (67)

1^st – hits in a season (87)

1^st – stolen bases in a season (67)

1^st – stolen bases in a career (170)

2^nd – stolen bases in a game (7)

2^nd – batting average in a career (.404)

2^nd – runs scored in a career (170)

3^rd – at bats in a season (208)

3^rd – stolen bases in a season (54)

4^th – batting average in a season (.418)

4^th – hits in a career (206)

5^th - stolen bases in a season (34)

2nd TEAM

JAYDEN ANDERSON – PITCHER

Anderson's freshman season has been fantastic, and she set a program record with 19 strikeouts in her very first start of her career. This season, Anderson has produced a 13-2 record, along with a 1.70 earned run average and 108 strikeouts in 107.1 innings pitched.

TAYGAN GRAHAM – THIRD BASE

Taygan Graham was tremendous on offense and defense this season, as she earns her first All-SAC selection. Graham has appeared in 46 games so far this season, recording a .369 batting average with 41 hits, four doubles, 19 runs scored, and 26 runs batted in.

In her career, she has appeared in 74 games, and has produced a .329 batting average with 59 hits, five doubles, a homer, 31 runs scored, and 42 RBIs.

ADDISON WILLIS – CATCHER

Addison Willis was one of USAO's most reliable players off the bench this season. She appeared in 31 games and produced an impressive .354 batting average with 23 hits, three doubles, a triple, a home run, 14 runs scored, and 20 runs batted in. She was also perfect on defense and did not commit any fielding errors on 105 total chances this season.

In her career, she had appeared in 58 games at USAO and has recorded a .301 batting average with 27 hits, three doubles, a triple, three homers, 17 runs scored, and 25 RBIs.

GOLD GLOVE

MALEA MCMURTREY – SHORTSTOP

Her defense continued to shine with a .956 fielding percentage. She recorded 68 putouts and 60 assists on 134 total chances.

In her career, McMurtrey owns a .965 fielding percentage and has successfully fielded 275 of 285 total fielding chances.

Her sensational defense has now earned herself two SAC Gold Glove Awards, as well as the 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove Award, given to the NAIA's top defensive players at each position.

#2 MIDLAND UNIVERSITY (Neb.) – record: 42-10, 18-4 GPAC

The Warriors, who will be making their sixth straight trip to the tournament, earned the GPAC's second bid by finishing as the runner-up in the conference tournament to the regular-season champion, Northwestern.

#3 LOUISIANA STATE UNIV. ALEXANDRIA – record: 36-12, 20-6 RRAC

LSUA is an automatic qualifier for the tournament as the champions of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament.

#4 BAKER UNIVERSITY (Kan.) - record: 33-14, 17-7 HAAC

The Wildcats qualify for the tournament with an at-large bid and finished the season as the runner-up of the regular season in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

#5 FRIENDS UNIVERSITY (Kan.) - record: 34-17, 19-7 KCAC

The Falcons qualify for the tournament with an at-large bid and finished the season in third place during the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season.

**MORE INFO**

SPECTATOR PARKING: Parking is FREE at Bill Smith Ballpark. Spectators can park in lot beyond the fence in leftfield.

SPECTATOR ENTRANCE: Gates will open to spectators one hour prior to the first game each day. The ONLY entrance for spectators will be the main entrance to the left of home plate.

TICKETING:

Tickets will be available for purchase at the gate. Ticket prices are as follows:

Military, first responders, senior citizens: FREE

ADULTS: $10

18 AND UNDER: $5

12 AND UNDER: FREE

USAO FAC, STAFF, STUDENTS: FREE

LIVE VIDEO:

Live HD broadcast & play-by-play will be available on the SAC Sports Network, FREE of charge.

SAC Sports Network: www.sacsportsnetwork.com/usao/

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Athletics Website: www.usaoathletics.com