The bracket is set, and the eight-team double-elimination 2017 Appalachian Athletic Conference Softball Tournament will be getting underway Wednesday morning at the Brickyard Ball Fields in Kingsport, Tenn. with Reinhardt University (Ga.) holding down the No. 1 seed and the Bryan College Lions falling closely behind as the No. 2 seed.
Both Reinhardt and Bryan pieced together notable 15-5 conference records to become regular-season co-champions, but the Eagles soared past the Lions in their regular-season meeting, which gives them the tiebreaker and top spot in the four-day event.
Highlights of the Lion’s season includes an extra-inning upset of then 14th ranked Martin Methodist College (Pulaski, Tenn.), a win over currently 2nd ranked Brenau University (Ga.), and standout slugger Olivia Gore receiving AAC Player of the Week honors while closing out her senior year of regular-season play as the all-time hits (223) and doubles (48) leader in program history.
Here is a complete look at the seeds for the tournament:
No.
1 Reinhardt (37-14-1 overall, 15-5 AAC)*
No. 2 Bryan (23-22, 15-5 AAC)*
No. 3 Union (27-26 overall, 13-7 AAC)
No. 4 Tennessee Wesleyan (20-14 overall, 12-8 AAC)**
No. 5 Point (30-20 overall, 12-8 AAC)**
No. 6 Truett McConnell (26-17 overall, 11-9 AAC)
No. 7 Milligan (17-18 overall, 10-10 AAC)
No. 8 St. Andrews (17-29 overall, 7-13 AAC)
*-Reinhardt swept Bryan during the regular season to give them the tiebreaker and No. 1 seed.
**-Tennessee Wesleyan swept Point during the regular season to give them the tiebreaker and No. 4 seed.
Wednesday will begin with Tennessee Wesleyan University and Point University facing off at 11am, and will be trailed by Reinhardt University and St. Andrews University battling at 1pm. Bryan and Milligan College take their turn on the field at 3pm before Union College and Truett McConnell University closes out the day at 5pm.