Cowley softball at nationals

This is from Rama Peroo, sports information director at Cowley College
The softball team opens play at the nationals today. (The picture is one i shot at a game earlier this season.)
You all know I love sports, so I have to keep up with it. Ill try to get you results as soon as I can.

Lady Tiger softball confident heading into national tournament

Ranked third in the nation and winners of 25 games in a row, the Cowley College softball team is looking forward to competing in the NJCAA Division II National Championship played Thursday through Saturday in Normal, Ill.
The third-seeded Lady Tigers will open play in the tournament Thursday at noon as they will face No. 14-seeded Macomb Community College, which enters the tournament with a record of 27-14. Cowley is 49-5 on the season.
“The team we brought to nationals this year could go down as one of the best teams we have ever had on paper” Cowley head coach Ed Hargrove said. “If we go out and play like we have all season long we should be ok. But, we wont underestimate anybody.”
This year, the tournament has expanded the field of teams from 12 to 16. Cowley is on the opposite side of the bracket of Phoenix College, which has won the past five national championships, so the Lady Tigers would not face the Lady Bears until the championship game if both teams make it that far.
“I kind of like the way the bracket is set up, but you have got to go out and play the games,” Hargrove said.
This is the fifth national tournament appearance this decade for the Lady Tigers, who placed fourth at the tournament in 2005 and 2006.
The Lady Tigers are led by its top-two pitchers, sophomore Jacey Juden (19-4) and freshman Ashley Spencer (23-0). The duo have combined for 42 wins and an earned run average of 1.26. They have also struck out 336 batters, while walking only 50.
Offensively, sophomore catcher Kashilia Young and sophomore first baseman/shortstop Breayle Tackett lead the Lady Tigers. One season after setting school-records for batting average .537, home runs in a season and career (29), and runs batted in (90, Young is batting .514 with 27 home runs and 88 RBI.
Tackett, the school-record holder for doubles in a season (30) and in a career (51), is batting .497 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI. As a team, Cowley is batting .393 with 72 home runs.
Second baseman Sarah Smith (.377 average, 42 RBI) joins Juden, Young and Tackett as the four sophomores on the squad.
“All four of those sophomores are focused on finishing this thing off right,” Hargrove said.
As important as the play of the sophomores has been, the contributions from the freshmen on the team has been just as valuable. The outfield is made up entirely of freshmen, with Taylor Cantillon, Kristen Janway, and Sarah Hocker combining to bat .367 with 14 home runs, 31 doubles, and 121 RBI.
Starting third baseman Ali Nittler has also been a key contributor to the team.
“No matter how good those four sophomores are we had to have the freshmen do well and be vital members of the team in order for us to do what we have been doing,” Hargrove said. “They have come so far this year.”
Cowley will hope to go even farther as they look to surpass its school-record of 53 wins in a season, set in 2003 and 2005.
“Now that we are here at nationals I feel like the team is focused and confident,” Hargrove said. “We are not just glad to be here, we want to play well.”
If Cowley wins its opening game against Macomb they will play again at 4 p.m. Thursday vs. the winner of the Kankakee Community College vs. Mineral Area Community College contest.