Softball 5/9/2012 4:50:00 PM

Stars open NAIA softball championships vs. Thomas

OCU will take on Thomas, Webber International and Williams Baptist in pool play

Danielle Fox hit .315 with 21 RBIs and three home runs in 47 games for the Stars this season.

GULF SHORES, Ala. – Eight-time national champion Oklahoma City University will open pool play in the NAIA Softball National Championship vs. Thomas (Ga.) at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 17 at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
OCU, ranked No. 3 in the NAIA, will also take on Webber International (Fla.) at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 18 and Williams Baptist (Ark.) at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 19 in pool play. Winners of the eight pools will advance to a double-elimination bracket that will be played May 21-23.
The 40-18 Stars defeated Lubbock Christian (Texas) in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament title game and earned an automatic bid into the NAIA championships. OCU will make its 26th overall and 20th consecutive national tournament appearance. The Stars have captured NAIA titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2007.
OCU is led by SAC pitcher of the year Lily LaVelle. The senior from Bridge Creek, Okla., finished the season 36-3 overall with 452 strikeouts in 247.2 innings pitched. LaVelle has broken OCU single-game, single-season and career strikeout records as well as records for career wins, appearances and innings. LaVelle also owns the NAIA career strikeout record.
LaVelle fanned 19 to set the single-game record vs. Baker (Kan.) on Feb. 17 and tied it at West Texas A&M on March 6. LaVelle recorded 452 strikeouts entering the NAIA Championships to outdistance the 391 she had last year to set OCU single-season record. LaVelle has notched 1,323 strikeouts to surpass the 1,320 Jessica Irwin of Madonna (Mich.) had from 2008-11 and beat OCU Athletics Hall of Famer Andrea Drake, who had 865 strikeouts from 1988-91. LaVelle also owns OCU career records for wins (115), appearances (160) and innings (850.2). OCU's previous records were 100 wins and 157 appearances by Dolly Johnson and 707 innings by Drake.
Magean De La Torre, Tori Joyner, LeeAnn Lopez and Kylee Rounsaville joined LaVelle as first-team all-SAC performers. De La Torre, a junior from Plano, Texas, drove in 45 runs and hit .374 in her first season at third base. Joyner, a junior short stop from Mustang, Okla., led the Stars with 43 stolen bases while hitting .408 in the lead-off spot.
Lopez, a junior first baseman from Grand Prairie, Texas, was second on the team in home runs with 19 and drove in 58 runs while hitting .427. Rounsaville, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., hit .417 with 47 RBIs and posted a .991 fielding percentage behind the plate.
Thomas (21-28) makes its fifth national tournament appearance and earned an automatic bid as runners-up in the Association of Independent Institutions Tournament. Webber International (37-20) makes its third tournament appearance as the Sun Conference Tournament champions. Williams Baptist (49-9) makes its first national tournament appearance in program history after winning the American Midwest Conference Tournament title.
OCU owns more national titles (8) and more post-season wins (103-38) than any other school in the tournament field.
2012 NAIA Softball National Championship Bracket

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