Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 19, 1994 TAG: 9405190152
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The tournament uses a double-elimination format and features six regional champions with 15 All-Americans and combined records of 216-38.
``The quality of play is going to be really good,'' said Carey Harveycutter, manager of the Salem Civic Center and director of the tournament. ``I was impressed watching the practices with the speed of the pitching and quality of the hitting. These are excellent athletes.''
Among the teams competing are Rowan and Trenton State from New Jersey, schools that are no strangers to Salem.
Rowan's football team was in Salem last December to compete in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the national championship of Division III football. Trenton's women's lacrosse team traveled to Salem last Saturday to compete against Roanoke College in a national tournament game.
Rowan (36-7) is the softball tournament's second seed and received a first-round bye. The Profs are making their eighth national tournament appearance but have yet to advance to the championship game.
Third-seeded Trenton State (44-4) has won four national softball titles in 13 appearances. The Lions were the 1992 champions and runners-up last year.
Buena Vista (Iowa) is the tournament's top seed and received a bye in the first round. The Beavers (33-3) are competing in their fifth national tournament. In all five appearances, Buena Vista has placed third or better, winning the national championship in 1984.
Alma (Mich.) is the fourth seed and will kick off the tournament at 5 p.m. today against fifth-seeded Central (Iowa), the defending national champion.
Alma (36-6) is competing in the national tournament for the first time and enters the tournament on an 11-game winning streak. Central (33-12) is a three-time national champion.
Bridgewater State (Mass.), making its sixth straight tournament appearance, is seeded sixth and will face Trenton State tonight at 7:30.
Four games will be played on Friday starting at 1 p.m. when Buena Vista plays the Central-Alma winner. At 3 p.m., Rowan will face the Trenton State-Bridgewater State winner.
At 6 p.m., the Trenton State-Bridgewater State loser will play the Central-Alma loser. At 8 p.m., the Central-Alma loser plays the loser of the 3 p.m. game.
Games will be played at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. (if necessary).
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.