NISC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
LIVE STATS
LIVE STREAM

CONWAY — For the second time in four years, the Central Arkansas softball team will be extending its postseason beyond the Southland Conference tournament, earning their second national tournament berth with a spot in the National Invitational Softball Championship.

It marks the program's first time in national postseason since 2015, when they won the Southland Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Regionals at Oklahoma.

Central Arkansas will serve as one of four regional hosts in the tournament, which begins Wednesday at Farris Field, with Texas Tech, UT Arlington and Southland foe Stephen F. Austin coming to Conway.

Texas Tech and SFA open the tournament at 3:00pm, with the Bears and UT Arlington to follow at 6:00 in the first day of the three-day, double-elimination regional. Champions from the four regionals advance to the championship round beginning Wednesday, May 23 at a host site to be determined.
 

The field features teams from the Big 12, Mountain West, MAC, WAC, Sun Belt, Summit League, West Coast Conference, Colonial, Big West, Big Sky, Ohio Valley and Southland.

As they continue their Postseason Run Presented by First Security Bank, the Bears (28-25) come into the NISC off a 9-1 loss to Sam Houston State in the opening round of the Southland tournament, after finishing the regular season by winning 4 of their last 5. The Bears are 19-7 at home this season, including 12-3 against Southland teams – with a three-game sweep over Southland tournament champion McNeese.

The Conway regional features a Texas Tech team that finished 5th in the Big 12, with the league's top four teams earning bids to the NCAA regionals. The Red Raiders (29-26) had wins over No. 18 Baylor and No. 25 Oklahoma State this season, including knocking off the 3rd-seeded Bears in the Big 12 championship. They were 4-1 against Southland Conference competition, sweeping Northwestern State in a three-game series and splitting a pair of games with Abilene Christian. Tech had a pair of All-Big 12 selections in junior first baseman Jessica Hartwell (1st team) and sophomore outfielder Karli Hamilton (2nd team), along with four selections to the Big 12 All-Freshman team in outfielders Heaven Burton and Michaela Cochran; LHP/OF Erin Edmoundson; and catcher Kelsey Leach.

UT Arlington enters the tournament with a 27-26 overall record after finishing 4th in the Sun Belt. The Mavs registered a pair of Top 25 wins during the season, beating Louisiana and Texas State, and were 3-1 against Southland teams including a 4-1 win over Southland regular-season champion Nicholls. Their lone loss was a 5-1 setback to a Sam Houston State team that eliminated both SFA and Central Arkansas in the Southland tournament. The Mavs are led by four Sun Belt all-conference performers in sophomore catcher Reagan Wright and junior outfielder Laura Curry on the 1st team, and freshman pitcher Randi Phillips and senior second baseman Sandra Mendoza on the 2nd team.

The Ladyjacks (31-22) make the trip to Conway after taking 2 of 3 from the Bears during the regular season in Nacogdoches, winning 5-4 and 6-0 with the Bears taking the middle game 5-0. The 'Jacks went 0-2 in the Southland tournament, falling 8-2 to McNeese and 6-0 to Sam Houston State. SFA is led by a trio of all-Southland players in senior third baseman Amber Landry (1st team); and senior catcher Taylor Fraccastoro and senior pitcher Makayla Sikes (2nd team).

Admission for the tournament is $8 per day for adults, $6 for youth, and $5 for UCA students/faculty/staff. All games will be streamed on the Southland Digital Network.