Big Weekend at the Ballpark
April 24, 2008

The University of Texas at Tyler baseball and softball teams will host their biggest matchups of the year this weekend at the UT Tyler Ballpark.

The Patriots’ baseball team hosts Hardin-Simmons in a best-of-three American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. The winner of the first-round series advances to the championship round set for May 2-4 at the site of the highest West Division seed. The ASC tournament champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

UT Tyler enters the series as the top seed from the East after winning its third ASC East title last weekend. The Patriots are 33-7 overall and finished the regular season with a 15-3 mark in the ASC. The Patriots are ranked 8th in the nation and received one first-place vote according to the latest national poll.

A four-way tie for first place in the ASC West means Hardin-Simmons enters Friday’s series as the No. 4 seed from the West after going 26-17 (14-7 ASC) on the year.

Earlier in the season, Hardin-Simmons defeated UT Tyler, 8-9, in Abilene, but the Patriots got a big win over the Cowboys on April 1 in Tyler, 17-6.

UT Tyler and Hardin-Simmons will continue the series at 1 p.m. Saturday and the third game will follow if necessary.

On the other side of the Ballpark, the Patriots’ softball team hosts Ozarks on Thursday before closing out the regular season with a rematch against 5th-ranked Louisiana College on Saturday that will decide the ASC East championship.

Thursday’s doubleheader begins at 4 p.m. and Saturday’s games start at 1 p.m.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll released Wednesday night has the Patriots moving up to No. 2 in the nation and Louisiana College dropping from No. 2 to No. 5.

In their previous meetings this year, the Patriots swept Ozarks in Clarksville, winning 16-5 and 15-3, and split with Louisiana College on April 3 in Pineville with an epic, 4-3 15-inning win in game one of the doubleheader and a 2-0 loss in the second game.

UT Tyler is 34-2 overall and 18-2 in conference play. Ozarks, tied for fifth place in the league with Mississippi College, is 13-23 (6-14) and Louisiana College is in second place with a 34-4 (19-3) mark.

All games at the UT Tyler Ballpark this weekend will feature live stats and live broadcasts on the UT Tyler Sports Network at www.uttyler.edu/athletics.

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