Posted: May 04, 2011

Ferris State To Face Top-Seed Saginaw Valley State In GLIAC Softball Tournament

The "second" season for the Ferris State University softball team begins this weekend (May 6-8) as the Bulldogs seek to claim their third Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament title in the program's history.

The Bulldogs along with seven other teams are scheduled to compete in the 2011 GLIAC Softball Tournament, which has been moved to Northwood University's Fisher Stadium in Midland, Mich., and Saginaw Valley State University's Softball Field in University Center, Mich. The conference tournament site was forced to be moved due to flooding at the Emerson Park Softball Complex in Midland, Mich.

Ferris State, which presently has a 21-21 overall record with a fourth-place 18-12 GLIAC North Division mark this season, is the sixth seed and will go up against number-three seed Saginaw Valley State this Friday (May 6) in an opening-round tilt at the double-elimination conference tournament. First pitch is scheduled for noon (EDT) at Northwood's Fisher Stadium in Midland, Mich., with the winner to play the Ashland-Northwood winner on Friday at 4 p.m. (EDT), which will also take place in Midland.

FSU, under 14th-year head coach Keri Becker, has presently won six of its last eight outings which includes five of its last six encounters. The Bulldogs' opponent, Saginaw Valley State concluded the regular season at 35-14 overall which included a first-place 22-8 GLIAC North Division ledger.

Comprising the eight-team tourney field are Tiffin, Saginaw Valley State, Grand Valley State, Wayne State, Ashland, Northwood, Hillsdale, and Ferris State. Hillsdale clinched the final berth and is the wild card seed two after topping Findlay, 1-0, in Monday's (May 2) final conference regular-season contest. Tiffin also earned a number one seed by claiming the South Division title

The 2011 GLIAC Softball Tournament Championship game is set for this Sunday (May 8) at the Saginaw Valley State Softball Field in University Center. A 10 a.m. (EDT) starting time is scheduled for the title contest and if necessary per the double-elimination format, a second game will follow at noon (EDT) to determine the conference tournament champion. The winner of the GLIAC Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament (May 14-16) at a campus site to be announced.

A season ago, the GLIAC Softball Tournament was cancelled due to inclement weather and poor field conditions at the Emerson Softball Complex.

In 2009, Saginaw Valley State claimed its second straight GLIAC Tournament title with a 1-0 decision over Wayne State in the championship game (May 3) at Northwood's Fisher Stadium in Midland, Mich. Ferris State has won two conference tournaments (2000 and 2005) in the program's history to date. The Bulldogs have registered a 9-8 record (.529) in GLIAC Tournament play since 2005.

The 2011 season represents the seventh consecutive year in which only the top eight of the conference's 12-softball playing institutions qualify for the GLIAC Tournament. The criteria is based upon each team's regular-season conference record. The 1985 campaign marked the league's first-ever postseason tournament in softball.

For more information about the 2011 GLIAC Softball Tournament, please visit this link: www.gliac.org/sports/sball.

2011 GLIAC Softball Tournament Schedule

Friday, May 6

10:00 am Game 1 (SVSU Softball Field) #1 Tiffin vs. #8 Hillsdale

Noon Game 2 (SVSU Softball Field) #4 Grand Valley State vs. #5 Northwood

Noon Game 3 (Fisher Stadium) #3 Saginaw Valley State vs. #6 Ferris State

Noon Game 4 (Fisher Stadium) #2 Ashland vs. #7 Wayne State

2:00 pm Game 5 (SVSU Softball Field) Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

2:00 pm Game 6 (Fisher Stadium) Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4

4:00 pm Game 7 (SVSU Softball Field) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

4:00 pm Game 8 (Fisher Stadium) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4

Saturday, May 7

10:00 am Game 9 (Fisher Stadium) Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5