SAN ANGELO, Texas - Midwestern State faces a tough challenge Wednesday afternoon as it faces St. Mary's in the opening round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament at the ASU Softball Complex.

The No. 15 Rattlers (53-10) made a clean sweep through the Heartland Conference Tournament last week and have 18 of their last 19 coming into the regional.

"They are very well coached and very talented," MSU coach Brady Tigert said. "They have been a powerhouse in the region and will be a tough opponent."

St. Mary's is led by All-America pitcher Malissa Magee.

The senior pitcher set the school standard for victories in a season as she has posted a 36-6 record and a region-leading 1.19 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .166 batting average against. Magee has fanned 320 and walked 44 in 265 2/3 innings.

"It'll be tough scoring runs off of Magee, so we will have to limit their scoring chances," Tigert said.

So the Mustangs counter with Lone Star Conference North Division Pitcher of the Year Katie Petersen, who is 25-8 this season with a 1.23 ERA.

"She's our workhorse and is the backbone of our team right now," Tigert said. "If we can get her throwing how she's capable from the very first pitch, we definitely have a shot."

Petersen allowed two runs in a relief role in a 7-6 loss to Abilene Christian, but had pitched the first 17 innings at last weekend's Lone Star Conference Championship tournament without allowing a run including her second one-hit outing of the year against Cameron.

Petersen will face a St. Mary's lineup that has averaged 5.8 runs per game and is paced by junior shortstop Sade Moore.

As the Rattler's leadoff hitter, Moore is hitting .434 and has scored 52 runs and stolen 32 bases.

She sets the table for a heart of the order that has helped St. Mary's hit 38 homers as a team this season.

Senior designated hitter Kelcy Walker leads with way with eight home runs, while senior first baseman Lindsay Barnes, sophomore second baseman Arlynda Flores and freshman catcher Kelly Baker have six each.

Offensively, the Mustangs have started to blossom over the past couple of weeks.

"We're starting to hit more consistently all the way through the lineup," Tigert said. "I think our attitude is a lot better. We have more confidence in what we're trying to do."

And the help hasn't come from the top of the order.

Senior outfielder/pitcher Ashley Kuchenski had her 13-game hitting streak snapped at the LSC Championships,but has at least a hit in 15 of her last 16 games.

Freshman shortstop Amanda Potysman has a hit in seven or last eight at bats including a pair of homers, a double and a triple at last weekend's LSC Championships.

Petersen has also come on at the plate going 5-for-10 with three RBI last weekend.

Meanwhile, leadoff hitter Lindsey Voigt has also come alive and takes a six-game hitting streak into the South Central Regional.

Defensively, the Mustangs committed just a single error in four games at the LSC Championships.

"We have to pitch and play defense very well to advance this week," Tigert said.

With a win, Midwestern State will face the winner of Wednesday morning's matchup between Central Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma Thursday at 4 p.m.

With a loss, the Mustangs will play the loser of that contest in an elimination game Thursday morning at 11 a.m.

All games will be broadcast live on MSUMustangs.com. Tune in 10 minutes prior to the first pitch.
 

2008 NCAA Division II South Central Regional Schedule

Angelo State Softball Field
San Angelo, Texas

Wednesday, May 7
Game 1: (3) Southeastern Oklahoma vs. (6) Central Oklahoma, 11 a.m
Game 2: (2) St. Mary's vs. (7) Midwestern State, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: (4) St. Edward's vs. (5) Abilene Christian, 4 p.m.
Game 4: (1) Angelo State vs. (8) Fort Lewis, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 8
Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, May 9
Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 7, 11 a.m.
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 1:30 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
Game 13: Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14: Winner 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 4 p.m.

Sunday, May 11
Game 15: Winner Game 14 vs. Loser Game 14 (if necessary)