TCC Softball playing the waiting game

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 13, 2011) – In less than one week, Tallahassee Community College will open play in the NJCAA Division I Softball National Tournament in St. George, Utah. 

With two of the 16 berths to St. George still to be determined, the only plans the Eagles (37-20) have been able to make thus far are travel arrangements for the 2,000 mile trip. Seeding for the double-elimination tournament and the resulting opening round pairings will be announced on Sunday. 

Regardless of where it is seeded, Tallahassee will open play at The Canyons Complex on Thursday, May 19. The game will be at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. local time – noon or 3 p.m. back in Tallahassee. Win or lose, the Eagles will play a second game on Thursday, at either 4:30 or 7 p.m. mountain time.

All NJCAA Tournament games will be carried online by Panhandle Sports Broadcasting at www.PSBlive.com. 

Due in large part to the rash of upsets at the FCSAA’s Gulf and Atlantic District Tournaments, at least half of the field in St. George will enter unranked, based on the NJCAA’s final regular season poll. Florida boasted five teams in the NJCAA’s top 12, but did not include Tallahassee or Miami Dade College – the winner of the Atlantic District Tournament. 

Top-ranked Yavapai (Ariz.) College (62-4) is a near lock to receive the tournament’s number one seed. No. 7 Blinn (Texas) College (51-6), who participated in March’s NFCA Leadoff Classic with Tallahassee, is the only other top ten team assured of a berth in the national tournament. No. 2 Salt Lake (Utah) Community College is still alive to claim the District N bid. 

Tallahassee should be in line for a seed in the upper half of the bracket, as those will be based on the national poll, teams’ overall record and record against Division I programs – the Eagles have nine wins against teams that were nationally-ranked at the time they played, regional placement in the previous year’s national tournament and strength of region/district – Miami Dade won the 2010 tournament while Chipola College placed fifth. 

Twelve days have passed since the Eagles won the FCSAA’s Gulf District Tournament and the accompanying bid to St. George as the NJCAA's District H Champion. After three days off, Tallahassee began on-the-field preparations for the national tournament on May 5. 

For a handful of the team’s 17 players, a return to the practice field has been accompanied, this week, by a return to the classroom. Those in summer classes have worked diligently to shore up any assignments that may be due while participating in the tournament. 

On the flip side, sophomore first baseman Xia Wilson is one of two Eagles who have their associate’s degree in hand and are finished with classes. According to Wilson, who graduated with honors in April, the opportunity to concentrate solely on softball for a couple of weeks is a welcome change of pace. 

A native of Fort Collins, Colo., Wilson will have numerous family members in the stands when the Eagles hit the field next week. Upon the team’s return from Utah on May 23, Wilson will pack her bags and head back home the next day, as she continues to mull over numerous options from four-year schools. 

Tallahassee’s tournament delegation will leave the Tallahassee Regional Airport on Monday afternoon. The team is expected to arrive in St. George shortly after 11 p.m. mountain time that evening. 

NOTE: TCC Athletics will be updating its NJCAA Tournament Blog throughout the Eagles’ trip to Utah. Fans are also encouraged to visit www.TCCeagles.com, as well as the TCC Eagles’ Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages for frequent updates.