2011

Lady Warriors better prepared for 2011 nationals By Marty Stamper

the tournament, to how we can prepttrc before , we play, and what to expect from their facili– ties und what they have to offer." Just the experience of playing al the national level last year should pay off. "Fortunate]~·. we have several that were on that team last year and we're not going into it blind like we did last yea•·." said Hill. "They definitely kno\\ a little mor(• about what to expect and the ealib1·e of the opponents. ~we'll ~ into it with a little more to go on." A tougher f;Chedule in

games with top-seeded LSU-Eunice, EC has also lost 2-1 to Darton (Ga.) whieh is the No. 13 seed at the l\JCAA DMsion I National Championship Tournament at St. George, Utah. "We feel like we've played several out-of– state schools that should have us a little better prepared as weH," Hill said. ''We played some good teams in the l\ortheast (Mississippi) tournament from Iowa and Illinois and went over to Alabama and played some good teams from Alabama and Georgia. We played Pensacola (Fla.). And we had some success against those teams. "It's definitely not a mystery that our out-of– district schedule was made for a reason and that was in hopes we'd be back in this situation and we'd have played some teants thal would help us be better prepared." The Lady Warriors are seeded No. 7 in the nation– al tow·nament and open play Thursday at noon against Mercyhurst North Last (Pa.). w·m or lose, the Lady Warriors will face either OakJand (Mich.) OI' second-seeded Kankakee (Dl) in their second game on Thursday. ''We hope we can play

Appeal Sports Editor A year ago. the East Central Community Col– ~ge Lady WtuTiOJ'H fared quite nicely in the i'\,JCAt\ Division II Softball Kational Championship as they came away with a fourth-plare finish. This year, the Lady Warriors and roarh Sc·ott Hill hope a few factors vvill help them do eYen better in the three-day, tf).,team, double-elimination tou•·– namcnt in Normal. m. "We feel like going this year we II be a little more prepared," said Hill. "We know what lo expect from what we'•·e going to do on thE' way to

2011 should help EC as ·well In addition to lhrt>e D!JC.ftA $ 2011 NJCAA Division II J_i Softball National I&CIPTIJA}.I, Championship District Champion Record A South Mountain CC, Arizona 40·26 8 Sauk Valley CC, IIHno•s 34-10 C Kankakee CC, Illinois 45·9 D Labette CC, Kansas 43·14 E Highland CC, Kansas 38·11 F Kirkwood CC, Iowa 52·9 G Owens CC, Ohio 39-3 H Oakland CC, Michigan 28·20 I Mercyhurst North East, Pennsylvania 27-16 J Mineral Area College, Missouri 36-16 K Delaware Technical & CC 36·6 L Cecil College, Maryland 33 12 M LSU·Eunice, Louisiana 51-10 N East Central CC. Mississippi 34 13 0 Heartland CC, Illinois 37-19 P Pasco Hernando CC, Florida 31-18