Mocs Set To Defend SoCon Softball Tournament Championship

The No. 3 seeded Chattanooga Mocs softball team is set to open the 2021 Southern Conference Tournament tomorrow, Thursday, May 13 against No. 2 Western Carolina at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+ inside UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, N.C.
 
The Mocs clinched a berth into the revised format (top four teams in final regular season standings) of the championship following a thrilling series victory over Samford last weekend.

UTC finished the regular season with an even 8-8 mark and claimed the third position.
 
UNCG captured the regular season title for the second-straight season, thus claiming the top seed and hosting duties. Mercer rounds out the week's field as the No. 4 seed. Chattanooga is the defending tournament champions after claiming the crown in 2019 ahead of the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.
 
Full tournament information including game links, photo galleries and more, can be found by clicking HERE. All links will be located on the schedule page as made available.

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
2021 SoCon Softball Championship
UNCG Softball Stadium ? Greensboro, N.C.
 
Thursday, May 13
Game 1: No. 1 UNCG vs. No. 4 Mercer, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 2: No. 2 Western Carolina vs. No. 3 Chattanooga, 3 p.m., ESPN+
Game 3: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
 
Friday, May 14
Game 4: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 12:30 p.m., ESPN+
Game 5: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Loser, 3 p.m., ESPN+
 
Saturday, May 15
Game 6: Game 4 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 1 p.m., ESPN+
Game 7: IF NECESSARY, 3 p.m., ESPN+
 
All times are Eastern. Links are available on the schedule page.

CHATTANOOGA NOTES | FULL
MOCS COME UP CLUTCH, EARN BERTH
• Chattanooga used late game heroics on two seperate occasions during last weekend's crucial three-game series against Samford. Hayleigh Weissenbach walked GM1 off with a two-out, two-run double to allow the Mocs to claim a 4-3 victory. Cameren Swafford belted a two-run homer in the do-or-die GM3 that put UTC ahead for good, 6-3. The Mocs needed two of three wins last week to advance to this week's SoCon Tournament.
 
THIRD SEED MAGIC
• Chattanooga enters the week as the No. 3 seed after a third place finish in the regular season standings. UTC also enters as the defending tournament champions after claiming the program's 14th title in 2019, also playing as the No. 3 seed. The 2020 season was cut short due to COVID.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS
• Hayleigh Weissenbach earned All-Southern Conference First Team (OF) honors while preseason player of the year Emily Coltharp was selected to the All-Southern Conference Second Team (INF) and Courtney Ball was voted to the All-Freshman Team. UTC has now had a first team selection in each of the last four seasons in addition to landing a rookie in each of the last six seasons.
 
STUDENT-ATHLETE RECOGNITION
• Gracey Kruse was named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week following last weekend's series against Samford. Kruse batted .556 (5-for-9) with three doubles and a run scored to help lift the Mocs to the postseason. Kruse, a junior, carries a 3.83 GPA in the classroom as a criminal justice major.