Temple University Athletics
SOFTBALL TO OPEN NCAA TOURNAMENT PLAY AGAINST #20 OKLAHOMA
5.17.04 | Softball
Besides Oklahoma (#2 seed) and Arizona, the Tuscon region includes Northwestern (#3 seed, 32-18), South Carolina (#4 seed, 27-22), #9 Louisiana-Lafayette (#5 seed, 55-6), UC-Santa Barbara (#6 seed, 32-29) and Centenary (#8 seed, 35-28). The eight teams will play a double-elimination format with the regional championship slated for Sunday, May 23.
Head Coach Rocci Pignoli's squad earned its berth to the NCAA Tournament the hard way. The Owls dropped its first game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament to Saint Joseph's, 2-1, and then won four straight games, including a doubleheader sweep of the Hawks in the championship round on Saturday, May 15.
"I think it is an honor for our kids to play in a region with the #1 team in the country," said Pignoli. "It is everyone's dream to play best team in country and hopefully we can have shot at playing Arizona."
Freshman Richelle Villescas won three games in the A-10 Tournament and was named its Most Outstanding Player. Villescas upped her record to 17-12, and is now tied for second on Temple's all-time single season win list. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates senior Kim Watkins, the A-10 Pitcher of the Year, senior outfielder Katie Weigle, who went five-for-six at the plate in the championship round, and junior shorstop Aida Esquer.
Pignoli, the A-10 Coach of the Year, has guided Temple to a 29-16 record on the season. The 29 wins ties for the third best win total in school history.
