Game #56
ART U Urban Knights (39-16) vs. No. 12 Concordia (44-12)
Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 1:30 p.m.
Irvine, Calif. – Eagles Field
Live Stats & Live Video

Games #57-60
ART U Urban Knights (39-16) vs. TBA
Friday & Saturday, May 11-12, 2018 at TBA
Irvine, Calif. – Eagles Field
Live Stats & Live Video
 

ACADEMY OF ART OPENS WEST REGIONAL PLAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The Urban Knights ride their "30 Bus" into their first NCAA Division II postseason in program history this week. In a West Regional bracket that features three familiar foes, Academy of Art, the seventh seed, starts against No. 12 Concordia, one of two hosts and the second seed, then faces either No. 18 Dixie State, the third seed, or Cal State San Bernardino, the sixth seed, as the opening round of the NCAA Tournament features its double-elimination format.

FIRST PITCH
ART U enters its first postseason beginning with a 1:30 p.m. rematch against No. 12 Concordia this Thursday, May 10 at Eagles Field in Irvine. Based on the results, Academy of Art will progress on to play either No. 19 Dixie State or Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, May 11. From there, with the double-elimination format in mind, the Knights have the remainder of their Regional bracket to be determined. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. Check out Concordia's Regional homepage as well.

KNIGHT WATCH
Winners of a program-record 39 games this regular season, Academy of Art comes into the postseason ranked eighth in NCAA Division II in shutouts (16), 17th in earned run average (1.96), and 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.10). After 55 games played, the Urban Knights lead the PacWest in doubles, tying the program's single-season record with 84 in total (17 of those coming in their last 10 games). Additionally, ART U carries the conference lead in total hits (438) and is second in pitcher strikeouts (329).

Brooke Larsen enters the postseason fresh off becoming the first Academy of Art softball player to be named NFCA All-Region First Team, adding that accolade to All-PacWest First Team plus eight PacWest weekly awards. She ended the regular season tied for ninth in the conference in batting average (.359) and second in doubles (18) after continuing to build on the program's single-season record in the latter. In addition to leading Academy of Art in virtually every pitching category (see below), she has also driven in 22 of her teammates and scored 22 times. Perhaps it is no surprise that the team's two seniors, infielder Samantha Klune and pitcher/utility Brenna Mitchell, have wielded two of the hottest bats over the second half of the season and both received All-PacWest Second Team selections. Klune (hitting .344 on the year) is riding a seven-game hit streak in which she has hit .619 (13-for-21) with nine runs batted in while Mitchell (hitting .339 thus far) also has a seven-game hit streak that has seen her hit .375 (9-for-24) with 12 RBIs.

Sophomore outfielder Gabi Hirsch, one of the team's two All-PacWest Third Team honorees, may have had her reached base streak end at 25 games (second in program history), but she has posted six multi-hit games in her last nine and has increased her batting average to .332. She paces the team with 41 runs scored (sixth in PacWest) and ranks fourth in the conference with 29 stolen bases (nine shy of Haily MacDonald's 2015 single-season record). Freshman infielder Jayda Alaan, an All-PacWest Second Team recipient, and remains the NCAA Division II leader in hit by pitch (29) and broke the ART U career record in a single season. She comes in hitting enters the week is hitting .322 with 36 runs scored (ninth in PacWest) and a .497 on-base percentage (seventh in PacWest). Sophomore infielder Gracie Sotomayor, an All-PacWest Third Team award-winner along with Hirsch, is tied with junior infielder Brenna Youngquist for the second-most RBIs on the team (32), providing a dangerous tandem in the batting order. Youngquist, who homered twice against Dixie, is five homers from tying assistant coach Alana Aweau for the career record and, in addition to being the PacWest's leader in walks (34), she has tied Ashley Lokey (2010) for the most in ART U single-season history.
 

In the pitcher's circle, Larsen (21-4) comes into the week still one victory from breaking the program's single-season wins record. One back of the PacWest's wins leader, Concordia's Callie Nunes (22-3), Larsen's 21 victories rank 19th in NCAA DII and she currently has sole possession of the conference lead in both shutouts (10) and complete games (20). She is first in the PacWest in innings pitched (168.0) and second in strikeouts (207) after breaking the program's single-season record when she eclipsed 200. She offers the fourth-lowest earned run average in the conference (1.41, 23rd in NCAA DII) and is tied for fourth in the PacWest with three saves.

Extremely versatile, Mitchell (4-4) is currently on a streak of 14 consecutive innings without an earned run allowed, dropping her ERA to 1.91. Freshman Cecilia Lopez (10-6) comes in ranked 19th in NCAA DII in fewest walks allowed per seven innings (0.97) with just 15 issued through 108.1 innings pitched (the fewest by any PacWest pitcher with 28.0 or more innings to their credit). She is second in the PacWest in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.27), sports a 2.33 ERA (13th in PacWest), and is one of 12 PacWest pitchers with 10 or more wins.

FLIGHT OF CONCORDIA
When Academy of Art and No. 12 Concordia faced off in Irvine back on Mar. 17, a split saw PacWest Pitcher and Freshman of the Year Callie Nunes (22-3) toss 5.0 scoreless as part of a 7-1 Eagles victory, but the Knights responded with a 3-1 win in game two behind Larsen's complete game. Since that time, CUI went on a 10-game win streak then ended the regular season with 14 consecutive victories, capturing the PacWest title along the way. Nunes finished as the NCAA DII leader in ERA (0.56), strikeouts (259), and hits allowed per seven innings (2.83) in addition to being ranked second in saves (8). Beyond their freshman ace, the Eagles are led offensively by All-PacWest First Team selection Ryann Ferguson who ranks sixth in the PacWest in batting average (.372) and fifth in runs scored (45). The victory earlier this year was ART U's first-ever against Concordia, making the all-time series 7-1 in favor of the Eagles.

SAME DIXIE, NEW STATE
Both ART U and No. 18 Dixie State (ranked No. 19 at the time) ended their regular season facing one another on May 5 in two games televised on ESPN3. Softball fans were treated to an epic nine-inning battle in the first game and another close contest in the regular season finale, but the Trailblazers came out victors on both occasions. DSU finished the regular season as the PacWest leader in team batting average (.322), triples (13), and RBIs (314). All-PacWest First Team selections Janessa Bassett (.382, 69 runs scored, seven triples, 40 stolen bases), Jessica Gonzalez (.319, 36 RBIs), and Bailey Gaffin (.345, 44 RBIs) pace the Trailblazers offensively while Cambrie Hazel (16-3), an All-PacWest Second Team honoree finished the year with a 1.50 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 121.2 innings of work. The sweep put Dixie State up 27-4 all-time against Academy of Art.

COYOTES COME CALLING
After being shutout by Cecilia Lopez and Brooke Larsen 1-0 on Mar. 23 in the Tournament of Champions, Cal State San Bernardino went 15-10 in their final 25 games, nearly upsetting No. 2 Chico State in the final matchup of the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Coyotes are led by Jessica Brown who is tied for the CCAA lead in home runs (14), third in RBIs (48), tied for sixth in batting average (.375), and ranks ninth in the country in walks (38). Cal State San Bernardino's top starter remains Amanda Ramirez (17-14) who offered a 3.23 ERA over 193.0 innings pitched. The win in the Tournament of Champions evened the all-time matchup of ART U and CSUSB at 1-1.

KNIGHTS BATTLE TO THE END IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE AT NO. 19 DSU
Two days removed from a pair of narrow losses to No. 15 California Baptist, Academy of Art University Softball once again pushed a nationally-ranked team to the brink, doing so in its ESPN debut. On May 5, the Urban Knights fought No. 19 Dixie State into extra innings in the first contest, tying the game in the sixth before an epic back-and-forth stretch in which ART U took three separate leads, but the Trailblazers rallied back each time before winning 8-7 in the ninth. Though DSU got ahead early in game two, both teams' regular season finale, Academy of Art responded with a comeback attempt that saw them bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh before falling 8-5.

LOOKING AHEAD
Winners of the Regional matchups will then advance to the Super Regionals, slated for May 17-18 at the higher seed. The National Championship portion of the bracket will be held May 24-28 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia and will be hosted by the Mountain East Conference and the City of Salem.