With a sweep of Mt. Marty College on Monday night the Bulldogs locked up the No. 3 seed for the upcoming GPAC softball tournament. Morningside will be the number one seed when the tournament opens on Wednesday, April 29, in Sioux City, Iowa. The Mustangs were the GPAC regular season champions this year with an 18-6 record. The Mustangs, by winning the regular season, have earned the league's first automatic NAIA National Championship berth. The Tournament Champion will gain the second automatic berth for the GPAC, if Morningside wins the tournament the runner-up will gain the automatic berth. The top eight teams for the regular season have qualified for the conference tournament.
This year's GPAC Championship will be played at the SYA Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa (Riverside). The tournament will be played according to an eight team double-elimination bracket. The tournament will be played on Wednesday, April 29 - Friday, May 1, 2009. This is the first year the conference tournament will span three days. Morningside is the defending tournament champion.
The NAIA Softball National Championship will feature 32 teams this year and will be played in Decatur, Alabama, May 14-20, at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.
Day One -Thursday, April 29, 2009
SYA Softball Complex
(Games 1 - 10)
Records- (Overall, GPAC)
Game 1-
Field 1, 2:00 pm
(1) Morningside (28-17, 18-6) vs. (8) Dordt (20-22, 13-11)
Game 2-
Field 2, 2:00 pm
(4) Hastings (30-14, 16-8) vs. (5) Doane (19-18,14-10)
Game 3-
Field 3, 2:00 pm
(3) Concordia (24-13, 17-7) vs. (6) Briar Cliff (20-17, 12-10)
Game 4-
Field 4, 2:00 pm
(2) Midland Lutheran (32-13, 17-7) vs. (7) Dana (20-20, 13-11)
Game 5-
Field 2, 4:00 pm
Loser 1 vs. Loser 2 (elimination game)
Game 6-
Field 4, 4:00 pm
Loser 3 vs. Loser 4 (elimination game)
Game 7-
Field 1, 4:00 pm
Winner 1 vs. Winner 2
Game 8-
Field 3, 4:00 pm
Winner 3 vs. Winner 4
Game 9-
Field 2, 6:00 pm
Loser 8 vs. Winner 5 (elimination game)
Game 10-
Field 1, 6:00 pm
Loser 7 vs. Winner 6 (elimination game)
Day Two - Friday, April 30, 2009
SYA Softball Complex
(Games 11-13)
Game 11-
Field 2, NOON
Winner 7 vs. Winner 8 (winners bracket championship)
Game 12-
Field 1, NOON
Winner 9 vs. Winner 10 (elimination game)
Game 13-
Field 2, 2:00 pm
Loser 11 vs. Winner 12 (loser's bracket championship)
Day Three - Saturday, May 1, 2009
SYA Softball Complex
(Game 14) (Game 15 if needed)
Game 14-
Field 2, NOON
Winner 11 vs. Winner 13 (Championship #1)
Game 15-
Field 2, 2:00 pm
(Championship #2 - If Needed)