Two of the nation's best NCAA Division III softball teams square off in a best-of-three-game Super Regional Tournament at Tyler, Texas. At stake for Linfield and host UT-Tyler is a berth in next week's NCAA Division III Finals at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
 
It's a superb matchup between two programs with storied histories. The Wildcats enter as one of the hottest teams in the country. The Patriots survived an uber-competitive Seguin Texas Regional to advance this far.
 
TYLER TEXAS SUPER REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, May 18, 4 p.m. CDT / 2 p.m. PDT    Watch    Live Stats
Game 2: Saturday, May 19, 1 p.m. CDT / 11 a.m. PDT     Watch    Live Stats
Game 3: Saturday, May 19, 3:30 p.m. CDT / 1:30 p.m. PDT, if necessary     Watch    Live Stats
 
THE HEAT IS ON
The weather in east Texas could be a determining factor when the Wildcats and Patriots meet in the late-day sun at Suddenlink Field. Friday's forecast calls for hot conditions with the temperature spiking as high as 95 degrees. Saturday offers no reprieve with an expected high of 96.
 
Here's a comparison of the two outstanding softball programs:
 
LINFIELD WILDCATS (38-8, 24-4 Northwest Conference)
Head Coach: Jackson Vaughan (17th season, 625-159-1)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 14
NCAA Tournament Record: 63-27
National Championships: 2 (2007, 2011)
NFCA National Ranking: 9
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Wildcats began the season by uncharacteristically losing three of their first five contests. The season-opening trip to Southern California included a 7-0 loss to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The 'Cats battled back to sweep Puget Sound heading into the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Tucson, Arizona, where the team won five in a row while knocking off some of the top teams in the country. A split with eventual NWC co-champion George Fox set up a dominant stretch of wins for the Wildcats. Linfield won 18 of its final 20 games to close out the NWC regular season with a record of 24-4. In Newberg at the NWC Tournament, the 'Cats beat Whitworth, Pacific and George Fox to claim the NWC Tournament crown and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament. Hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time in program history, the Wildcats put on a tremendous show. Linfield scored 21 runs in three games and went on to sweep the field, topping CMS twice and George Fox once.
 
SENSATIONAL SAYLORS
Dominant from the circle all season and nearly unhittable in the McMinnville Regional, Wildcats ace Shelby Saylors has been one of the nation's best hurlers down the stretch. The right-hander owns a 2.86 ERA in 176.1 innings pitched with 88 strikeouts and 41 walks. Her 23-5 record in 31 appearances ranks among the top five among Division III pitchers. In the McMinnville Regional, Saylors allowed three runs over 18 innings, surrendering just eight hits. The club looks to ride Saylors' arm but could also turn to rising star Eliza Rossman, who won 15 games in 23 appearances while pitching more than 100 innings.
 
PICK YOUR POISON
Linfield showcases a lineup that has no obvious weaknesses. Stacked from top to bottom with speed, power and precision, it's hard to find a hole in the Wildcats' order. At the top of the lineup is Jacinda Swiger, a McMinnville native who leads the team with 29 stolen bases. Her .392 batting average ranks fourth on the club. Outfielder Cheyenne Fletcher, the 2017 NWC Player of the Year and a first team NWC all-star selection again this season, is considered one of the best all-around players in Division III. With two clutch homers in the McMinnville Regional, she leads the club with 10 home runs. Melanie Oord, the 2018 NWC Player of the Year, leads the 'Cats in nearly every offensive category from the No. 3 slot. Oord, Darian Stedman, Emily Allen (two errors in 200 chances at catcher) and Makenna Clizer all have the ability to force opposing pitchers into tight spots with their knack for getting on base. Paige Smotherman, Chelsea Horita and Jessica Woodruff round out a Linfield batting order that ranks 11th in the nation in team batting average (.359).
 
LEADERS
AVG: Melanie Oord (.462)
2B: Emily Allen (15)
HR: Cheyenne Fletcher (10)
RBI: Darian Stedman (50)
SB: Jacinda Swiger (29)
ERA: Shelby Saylors (2.86)
IP: Shelby Saylors (176.1)
SO: Shelby Saylors (88)
 
 
UT-TYLER PATRIOTS (41-2, 26-1 American Southwest Conference)
Head Coach: Mike Reed (14th season, 556-110)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 11
NCAA Tournament Record: 48-20
National Championships: 1 (2016)
NFCA National Ranking: 3
 
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The No. 3 team in the latest NFCA Coaches poll, UT-Tyler is perhaps the best team in the nation this season. Having lost just two games in 2018, it's hard to say there has been a more dominant squad in Division III softball. Starting the season 7-0, the Pats suffered their first defeat, 5-3 to the Crusaders of Mary Hardin-Baylor in the final game of the series. UT-Tyler went on to win 32 consecutive games thereafter, winning 21 of those by the eight-run rule. Champions of the ASC regular season and ASC Tournament, UT-Tyler downed 15th-ranked East Texas Baptist in the ASC Tournament Championship and later bounced ETBU in the first round of the Seguin Regional. In Seguin, the Patriots met No. 2 Texas Lutheran three times and eventually held off the Bulldogs in a 6-2 championship game.
 
ASC PITCHER OF THE YEAR
A case could be made for Colleen Bentke as the nation's top pitcher. She owns a 23-2 record in 141.1 innings with a 1.19 ERA, has 12 complete games to go with 122 strikeouts to just 25 walks. Opponents hit .202 against the lefthander, who is the presumptive starter inside the circle versus Linfield. She tossed 10.1 innings in the Seguin Regional and struggled against TLU in the first game of the series, not lasting past the first inning. The Patriots have an arsenal of arms from which to choose. Whitney Romero and Miranda Leal both have thrown in more than 18 games and boast sub-2.00 ERAs.
 
NO. 1 BATTING TEAM
Hitting a remarkable .404 as a team this spring, it is no surprise the UT-Tyler Patriots own the nation's highest batting average (next closest: Cedar Crest at .382). Similar to Linfield's lineup, there is no obvious chink in the UT-Tyler armor. ASC Player of the Year Ashley Perez has made quite a mark during her first season. The freshman is hitting .479 with 17 homers, 64 RBI and 30 runs scored in her rookie year. Perez is one of five Patriots hitting over .400. Leading the club is Nicole Garcia's .518 average. Joining Garcia is Andrea Gonzales, Lynsey Mitchell, Victoria Gonzales and Kursten Jamie among many great Patriot hitters.
 
LEADERS
AVG: Nicole Garcia (.518)
2B: Ashley Perez (21)
HR: Ashley Perez (17)
RBI: Ashely Perez (64)
SB: Kursten Jamie (11)
ERA: Colleen Bentke (1.19)
IP: Colleen Bentke (141.1)
SO: Colleen Bentke (122)