For the third straight season, the No. 4-ranked Angelo State softball team (43-8) will host the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament. The Rambelles will host one of two four-team tournaments this weekend as they entertain three in-region opponents May 8-10 at the ASU Softball Complex. All ASU softball games this weekend can be heard on KKSA 1260 AM and on-line at www.angelosports.com.

Tournament Schedule...The first round for this weekend's event with start Friday with a pair of games. No. 4-seeded Emporia State (42-14) will play No. 5-seeded Nebraska-Omaha (43-15) at 4:30 p.m. with the Rambelles and No. 8-seeded St. Edward's (41-19) to play at 7 p.m. Friday. The tournament will continue Saturday as the two winners will play at 2 p.m. and the two losers will play at 4:30 p.m. Another elimination game will take place at 7 p.m. Saturday before Sunday's title game. The regional championship contest is slated for 1 p.m. Sunday with the “if necessary” game to be played at 3:30 p.m.

Tickets...Three-day tournament passes are available for $15. General admission single-day tickets for Friday and Saturday are $8 while Sunday's ticket is $10. For students, single-day tickets are $5 for Friday and Saturday and $7 for Sunday. For more information, call the ASU Ticket Office at (325) 942-BLUE.

Rambelles Win LSC Crown...Angelo State picked up a second straight Lone Star Conference title this past weekend with a pair of wins over rival Abilene Christian at the LSC Championship Series in Abilene. The Rambelles used a five-run eighth inning to earn an 8-3 win over ACU in Friday's game and then exploded for six runs in the both the fourth and sixth innings in Saturday's game to nab a 13-5 six-inning, run-rule victory to capture the crown. Junior Nicole Smith went 4-for-6 in the series with two doubles and four RBIs while senior Macy Baker and freshman Sandy James each picked up home runs. The Rambelles also won the LSC title in 2003, 2004 and 2008.

Five Earn All-Tournament Honors...Junior right-hander Chelsea Nelson was named the Most Valuable Player of the LSC Tournament after going 3-0 with a pair of saves as she sparked the Rambelles to a perfect 5-0 mark in the event. Nelson had a 2.30 earned run average in 21.1 innings of work with nine strikeouts. Seniors Macy Baker and Laura Lopez and juniors Nicole Smith and April Haywood were also named to the All-Tournament Team. As a team, the Rambelles had a .301 batting average in the tournament with eight home runs and 10 doubles.

In the Polls...The Rambelles held tight to the No. 4 spot in the NFCA Division II Coaches Top 25, released Wednesday. The Rambelles remain one of three teams from the LSC in the Top 25, with Southeastern Oklahoma at No. 7, same as last week, and Abilene Christian at No. 16, down four spots from last week. No other teams from the South Central Region appear in the Top 25, however, Nebraska-Omaha, Emporia State, Missouri Western and Central Missouri received votes.

Power and Speed...The Rambelles currently lead the LSC in home runs (80) and rank second in the league in stolen bases (79). Texas A&M-Kingsville leads the league with 87 stolen bases. The last time a team ended the season leading the league in both categories was 2004 when ASU accomplished the feat with 42 home runs and 134 stolen bases. The Rambelles went on to capture the national title that spring. ASU almost did it again in 2007, leading the league in stolen bases (133) and finishing second in the home runs (53). At 1.57 homers per game, the Rambelles ranked fourth in NCAA D-II this season.
 
James Leads NCAA D-II...With 24 home runs, freshman Sandy James leads NCAA Division II and ranks second in NCAA overall in long balls. James sits atop the D-II standings with Colorado-Colorado Springs junior Jessika Anastos, St. Mary's senior Arlynda Flores and Valdosta State freshman Marti Littlefield for the D-II lead while Arizona's Stacie Chambers has 26 home runs to lead all divisions. Already the ASU and LSC single-season record holder, James needs four home runs to match the NCAA D-II record of 28, held by Carmen Paez of Florida Gulf Coast set in 2007. The Kilgore native also has her sights on the all-division freshman home run mark of 25, set by Kelly Kretschman of Alabama in 1998. In addition, James has three grand slams this season, one shy of the D-II mark of four set by Pittsburg State's Emily Gastineau (2004).
 
Freshman Phenom...Freshman Sandy James enters this weekend with a team-best .412 batting average, good enough for fifth in the LSC, with a league-leading 24 home runs and 15 doubles. The Kilgore native leads the team and ranks second in the LSC with 60 runs scored and leads ASU and ranks third in the league with 59 RBI. She has drawn 36 walks to just 14 strikeouts. At one point this season, James had a school-record 24-game hitting streak, two shy of the LSC mark. Her 24 home runs ranks as the fifth highest single-season total in NCAA D-II history. James ranks second in NCAA D-II in home runs per game (0.47), seventh in slugging percentage (.939), 12th in walks per game (0.71), 23rd in RBI per game (1.14) and 25th in runs scored per game (1.18).

Dean Eyeing Record...ASU sophomore second baseman Alix Dean has her sights set on the program's record for doubles in a season. The native of Collinsville enters this weekend's tournament with 17 doubles, one shy of the ASU record of 18 set by Brittney Cargill in 2007. As a freshman, Dean had just eight doubles. She currently ranks second on the team, 10th in the LSC, with a .381 batting average and ranks second on the team in hits (61).

Baker Takes Top Spots...Earlier this season, senior shortstop Macy Baker became ASU's all-time leader in home runs and runs batted in. In addition, she broke the LSC career RBI record in just the 19th game of her senior campaign. Entering this weekend, the Crowley product has 34 career home runs and 208 career RBI. She also is ASU's all-time leader in assists (521) and total bases (412). Baker ranks second all-time at ASU in hits (250), runs scored (171), doubles (54) and total chances (1,026). She also ranks third all-time in at-bats (688) and fourth in putouts (444). Baker is also on pace to finish her career ranked third all-time at ASU in batting average, now sporting a .363 career average.

Lopez Climbing Charts...In just three seasons with the Rambelles, senior Laura Lopez has moved into the top 10 at ASU in nine categories. Lopez ranks second all-time at ASU in home runs (29) and putouts (581). The San Diego, Calif., native ranks third in RBI (130), fourth in total chances (686), sixth in total bases (258), seventh in runs scored (106), eighth in at-bats (444), doubles (25) and hits (144). Lopez is also on pace to finish among the top ten in career batting average at ASU when her career concludes, currently hitting at a .324 career clip. The San Diego native also found her way in the ASU and LSC record books this season after hitting three home runs in a victory over West Texas A&M. She currently has 17 home runs on the season, the second-highest single-season total in school history. Lopez currently ranks 10th in NCAA D-II in long balls.

In the Circle...The Rambelles have one of the best one-two pitching punches in the LSC this season. Juniors Chelsea Nelson and April Haywood both boast an ERA under 3.00 and have pitched all but four innings for ASU this season. Nelson, a native of Highland Village, ranks sixth in the LSC with a 2.47 ERA and is second in the league in wins with a 25-4 record. Her 25 wins ranks as the ninth highest total in NCAA D-II this season. Haywood, a native of Tacoma, Wash., has a 17-4 record and a 2.95 ERA while leading the team with nearly 6.5 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. Haywood also boasts a .299 batting average with nine home runs and nine doubles. As a team, the Rambelles rank second in the LSC with a 2.67 earned run average.

Slug It...The Rambelles are on pace to shatter the school record for slugging percentage. ASU enters the weekend boasting an LSC-best .577 slugging percentage, ranking fifth in NCAA D-II. The school record for slugging percentage is .497 (2007). The Rambelles are also on pace to set a new program record for on-base percentage. The squad is second in the LSC with a .409 on-base percentage, currently matching the ASU record set last season. The Rambelles' .328 team batting average, second-best in the LSC, is just shy of the school record of .337 set in 2007.

In the NCAA D-II Tournament...The Rambelles are making their sixth appearance in the NCAA D-II National Tournament in the past seven seasons and hold a 21-10 all-time record in the event. This marks the third straight season for ASU to host a regional tournament and the Rambelles have an 8-3 over the past two events at home. Angelo State captured the South Central title in both 2004 and 2007, advancing to the NCAA D-II World Series. The Rambelles won the NCAA D-II National Championship in 2004.

Against the Field...Angelo State is 24-14 all-time against the three other teams visiting San Angelo this weekend. ASU is 20-19 all-time against St. Edward's, however, the Hilltoppers have posted a 3-2 mark against ASU this season. The Rambelles are 4-4 all-time against Emporia State and 0-1 against Nebraska-Omaha, that loss coming this season. The four teams in the field have much recent NCAA postseason experience as all four teams have made World Series appearances over the past two seasons. Angelo State and Nebraska-Omaha advanced to the 2007 World Series while Emporia State and St. Edward's advanced last season. Emporia State finished as the national runner-up last spring while St. Edward's finished third.

What's Happening in Durant...The remaining four teams in the South Central Regional field will compete in a tournament hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant, Okla. The No. 2-seeded Savage Storm will play host to No. 3 Abilene Christian, No. 6 Missouri Western and No. 7 Central Missouri.

Scouting St. Edward's...The Hilltoppers enter this weekend's tournament as the champions of the Heartland Conference with a 41-19 overall record and riding a seven-game winning streak. St. Edward's boasts a .309 team batting average, lead by sophomore Lexi Stephens at .474, ranking her 14th in NCAA D-II. Junior Lisa Paul is second on the team with a .362 average with four home runs. Sophomore Courtney Lavender leads the St. Edward's with five long balls and has a .316 batting average. The Hilltoppers have hit just 24 home runs this season but have 81 doubles and 13 triples. In the circle, St. Edward's is led by freshman Paige Sandahl with a 1.96 earned run average. Sandahl is 18-3 with two saves with a three-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio. Sophomore Diana Cezeaux is 16-10 with a 2.95 ERA while freshman Lana Jo Hairston is 7-6 with a 3.96 ERA.

Scouting Emporia State...The Hornets have a 42-14 record and are the champions of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association after making a run from the losers' bracket in their conference tournament last weekend. After opening up the tournament with 9-0 win over Washburn, ESU dropped a 6-1 decision in the second round to Missouri Western and was then forced to win five straight games, including two over Nebraska-Omaha in the title round to earn a berth into the NCAA D-II postseason. As a team, the Hornets have a .319 batting average, by far the best in the MIAA. Junior Miranda Campbell leads ESU and the MIAA with a .432 average with 10 home runs and nine doubles. Sophomore Angela Mahan is second on the team at .352 with a team-best 18 doubles and sophomore Abby Hughes, a first team All-MIAA pick, sits third at .351 with a team-best 12 homers. ESU has a team ERA of 2.26, ranking the Hornets third in the MIAA and second among this weekend's field. Senior Megan Dennis is 22-7 with a 2.27 ERA and freshman Jennifer Heerey is 20-7 with a 2.25 ERA.

Scouting Nebraska-Omaha...The Mavericks come into this weekend's tournament with a 43-15 record after finishing as runner-up in the MIAA Tournament last weekend. Nebraska-Omaha sports the top ERA in the MIAA at 1.79 with three pitchers among the conference best. Junior Melissa Negrete has a 17-7 record and 1.42 ERA, sophomore Beth Haley is 12-6 with a 1.86 ERA and sophomore Lindsey Slocum is 14-2 with a 2.22 ERA. The trio ranks third, fourth and fifth in the MIAA, respectively. Offensively, the Mavericks hit just .264 as a team with 40 home runs and 74 doubles. Junior Treightin Yates and freshman Molly Feichtinger each have a team-best .313 batting average while sophomore Alli Hukill is third with a .279 average. Junior Jenna Dell leads UNO with eight home runs.

What's Next...As the regional top seed, the Rambelles would host the NCAA D-II South Central Super Regional if they win this weekend's tournament. That best-of-three series, against the winner of the tournament in Durant, would then take place May 15-16 at the ASU Softball Complex. The winner of that series would then earn a berth to the NCAA D-II World Series, May 21-25 in Salem, Va.