SALEM, Va. – The fourth-ranked Salisbury University softball team is gearing up for its 10th trip to the NCAA Division III Championship. The second-seeded Sea Gulls begin play on Thursday against the seventh seed Millikin Big Blue at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Va. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.

THE RUNDOWN

CHAMPIONSHIP MICROSITE
LIVE VIDEO
GAME NOTES

TICKETS

ALL-SESSION PASS

$40 – Adult
$25 – Senior Citizen (55+)
$20 – Student (With ID) and Youth (12 and under)

SINGLE-SESSION TICKETS

$15 – Adult
$10 – Senior Citizen (55+)
$10 – Student (With ID) and Youth (12 and under)

HOW WE GOT HERE

• Salisbury enters the championship with a 41-6 record as the fourth-ranked team in the nation, according to the last National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll.
• The Sea Gulls have rifled off five-straight victories in the NCAA Tournament. The Sea Gulls opened the tournament with a 9-0 run rule over Framingham St. before besting Endicott, 2-1 and 5-2, to win the Salisbury Regional.
• Salisbury drew Mount St. Joseph in the Salisbury Super Regional. Back-to-back shutouts, 1-0 and 7-0, propelled the Sea Gulls to championship weekend.
• Salisbury also capped off the longest active home winning streak across all divisions of NCAA with 55 straight wins during the Super Regionals.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

• In 24 appearances in the national tournament, Salisbury has advanced to 10 championship weekends.
• Salisbury has 90 postseason wins, which is fourth-most in tournament history.
• It is the most wins in NCAA Division III history without a national championship.
• Salisbury has made three championship series appearances with three second-place finishes (2003, 2005, 2014).

BRACKET TWO TEAMS

• No. 7 Millikin enters its first championship weekend with a 37-7 record and are the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Champions. The Big Blue is also undefeated in the national tournament with two-straight wins over Wartburg to qualify for Salem. Salisbury has never faced Millikin.
• No. 3 Eastern Connecticut St. is in its 23rd national tournament and its 16th trip to the national championship. The Warriors come into Salem with a 43-5 record with a Little East Championship. The Warriors dropped a game to Kean in the regional tournament before rattling off three-straight wins, including back-to-back victories over the Cougars. East Conn. then shut out Randolph Macon in the Super Regionals to advance to the championship. Salisbury played East Conn. in the NFCA Leadoff Classic and came away with a 7-4 win on March 4 in the only previous matchup.
• No. 6 Trine has a 32-11 record and were Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Champions. Like Salisbury and Millikin, the Thunder are undefeated entering championship weekend with a sweep of Case Western Reserve in the Super Regionals. Salisbury has never played Trine.

WHAT'S ON THE LINE

All games will be played at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem and contests are scheduled to continue until a champion is crowned on Tuesday, May 31.

Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and the Metropolitan Swimming and Diving Conference for men's and women's swimming. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, and dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on-and-off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 22 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 189 conference championships and 41 Academic All-Americans.

To learn more about the tradition of excellence with Sea Gull Athletics, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or on social media @SUSeaGulls.