Breaking down Seton Hill softball’s competition at NCAA Division II World Series

By: Paul Schofield
Wednesday, May 25, 2022 | 10:10 AM

NCAA Division II World Series

Thursday at Denver

First round

1 p.m.: No. 1 UT Tyler (45-7) vs. No. 8 Cal State Dominguez Hills (41-21)

3:30 p.m.: No. 4 Southern Indiana (49-11) vs. No. 5 Rogers State (53-10)

6 p.m: No. 2 Adelphi (47-13) vs. No. 7 North Georgia (48-11)

8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Auburn Montgomery (48-11) vs. No. 6 Seton Hill (41-10)

Teams at a glance

No. 1 University of Texas Tyler (45-7): The Patriots have been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 all season long and showed why in the South Central Region, defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville in three games in the super regionals. This is UT Tyler’s first finals in D-2. The school is in its first season eligible for the D-2 postseason after the jump from D-3, where they were a perennial power, winning the national title in 2016.

No. 2 Adelphi (47-13): The Panthers are back in the finals after winning their first East Region title since 2016. Pitching plays a huge role in its success, and Adelphi showed that against Wilmington (Del.) in winning the East. Adelphi has the second-best ERA in the field at 1.32 and the best WHIP at 0.86.

No. 3 Auburn Montgomery (48-11): The Warhawks were a strong all season and were ranked No. 1 in late April. They have a of good balance of hitters and pitchers. They won the South Region. This is their first trip to the national finals.

No. 4 Southern Indiana (49-11): The Screaming Eagles were national champions in 2018 under legendary coach Sue Kunkle. They defeated Grand Valley State in the super regionals and won a pair of one-run games. Allie Goodin and Josie Newman are a dangerous 1-2 punch in the circle.

No. 5 Rogers State (53-10): Elexis Watson is someone to watch for Rogers State. She has clubbed 59 career home runs. Rogers State is making its first appearance and has a strong pitching staff.

No. 6 Seton Hill (41-10): This is the Griffins’ first trip to national championship. They defeated No. 1-seeded Kutztown to win the Atlantic. Their pitching is the key as the Griffins’ ERA is 1.23, the best in the field, and their 0.96 WHIP is equally good. Morgan Ryan appeared in 22 games this season and posted a 1.05 ERA and 0.86 WHIP with 153 strikeouts in 133.1 innings pitched.

No. 7 North Georgia (48-11): The Nighthawks, a former national champion, have won 12 out of their last 13 and that included the Southeast Region title. They have played Adelphi, their first-round opponent, in the D-2 tournament before. Back in 2015, they defeated the Panthers, 8-0.

No. 8 Cal State Dominguez Hills (41-21): The Toros are riding a lot of momentum. They first had to defeat Concordia (Calif.), a team that has been in the top 10 numerous times this season and is currently No. 13, to get to the super regionals. They then knocked of No. 1-seeded Cal State San Marcos, which was ranked No. 5 before the tournament began.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.