SMU Fastpitch Softball

How TheyGot Here

Central earned an at-large berth into the West Regional, and promptly went a perfect 3-0 in earning its 11th national tournament appearance. … The Dutch sandwiched a 1-0 victory over La Verne (Calif.) between a pair of extra-inning triumphs over Pacific Lutheran (2-1 in eight innings and 4-3 in nine) to win the regional crown.

Pre-TournamentNotes

Central coach George Wares — whose 577 wins rank him first among active Division III coaches — has coached the Dutch to 16 straight NCAA playoff berths and national titles in 1988, 1991 and 1993. … Central is making its 11th trip to the finals. … While Central has been to 11 national tournaments, the Dutch have never been in the finals the same year as any of the other seven squads. Saint Mary's and Central are the only teams represented that have previously won NCAA titles. Saint Mary's won last year's crown while Central won in 1988, 1991 and 1993. … The Dutch have never played Roanoke, Muskingum, Ithaca or William Patterson. … The only team in the field that Central played this year is Saint Mary's, with the Dutch pulling out a 2-1, 10-inning victory over the Cardinals on a bitterly cold afternoon in Omaha, Neb. March 24. … In his 17 seasons, Wares has never graduated a senior class that has not appeared in at least one national tournament. … The Dutch have thrown a school-record five no-hitters this season. April Miller and Libby Hysell have two, while Ali Pirkl and Hysell combined on another. … Hysell set a school record with 11 shutouts. Central has tied a school team season mark with 20 shutouts. … Second baseman Molly Parrott supplied nearly all of the team's offense in the regional tourney, with 10 of the team's 14 hits in three games. She drove in the game-winner in the 2-1 victory over Pacific Lutheran (Wash.), scored the winning run in the sixth inning in the 1-0 decision against La Verne (Calif.), and drove home the winner in the nine-inning, 4-3, marathon title game with Pacific Lutheran. She was 5-for-5 in that game, tying a school record. … All three of third baseman Missy Voigt's home runs this year came on the same day. She set a school mark with three roundtrippers in a doubleheader against Wartburg April 14. … Central's teams traditionally emphasize pitching, defense and baserunning. Three sophomores combined to post a 0.73 team ERA. The Dutch have a .958 fielding percentage and they hold a 120-10 advantage over opponents in stolen bases. … Central's winning run in all three regional playoff games came in the team's final at-bat. … Catcher Annie Van Wetzinga set a new school career RBI mark with 100. She ranks second on the school's career hits charts with 180. … Parrott broke the school season hits record with 62. She's tied for third on the career list with 146 and is tied for second in career stolen bases with 69. … Parrott is also a three-time all-Iowa Conference selection in basketball.