Chapman Softball Gets Another NCAA Playoff Bid
- Share via
The Chapman softball team has a tough road back to the NCAA Division III championships, but at least the Panthers won’t have to travel as far this time.
Chapman, which won NCAA regional tournaments in Iowa and Michigan the last two seasons, received a bid Monday to a regional at UC San Diego.
The Panthers (34-7) are seeded second and play UC San Diego (23-19) at 1 p.m. Friday in the first round. Top-seeded Simpson (32-6) will play fourth-seeded Cal Lutheran (25-10-1). Simpson, ranked No. 1 in the nation, is led by pitcher Kelly Schade, who leads Division III with 163 strikeouts.
The winners and losers of the first-round games play later Friday. The double-elimination tournament continues Saturday and if necessary there is a final game Sunday. The winner advances to the six-team NCAA final May 15-18 in Eau Claire, Wis.
Chapman won the NCAA title in 1995, the first season it was eligible to compete at the Division III level. The Panthers were runners-up last season.
Get our high school sports newsletter
Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
