MCC women to face Cougars at tourney in Trinidad

The McCook Community College softball team will play Western Nebraska Saturday in the opening round of the Region IX Tournament. The post-season double-elimination tournament will be held at the site of top seeded Trinidad State in Colorado.

The Lady Indians are the No. 3 seed having compiled a 36-12 overall record and 18-8 within the Region. They will take on sixth-seeded Western Nebraska (10-25, 6-20) in a 1 p.m. (MT) game Saturday.

MCC is 4-0 against the Cougars having swept a four-game series in Scottsbluff April 24-25 outscoring the Cougars 58-21.

An MCC win over WNCC would move them into a second round game against the winner of the Northeastern Junior College/Luna Community College game. The second round game would be at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. NJC is the second seed (33-15, 20-6), Luna is the No. 7 seed with a 1-19 record, all those games came in Region IX play.

A first-round loss to Western Nebraska would move the Lady Indians to the elimination bracket and a 6 p.m. game Saturday against the loser of the NJC/Luna game.

The tournament begins Saturday with fourth-seeded Otero Junior College taking on fifth-seeded Lamar at 8 a.m. followed by the NJC and Luna game at 10:30 a.m. Trinidad State, which earned the No. 1 seed, will face the Otero/Lamar winner at 3:30 p.m.

The tournament continues Sunday with three elimination games and the championship bracket game.

The (first) championship game is slated for Monday, May 10 at 12:30 p.m., and those two teams would play again Tuesday if both teams only have one loss.

The Region IX winner advances to the Plains District finals against the Kansas winner May 15-16 at the site of the Region 6 winner. The district winner advances to the NJCAA national tournament May 25-29 in Yuma, Arizona.

Region IX Final Softball Standings and seeding

1. Trinidad State 20-6 (30-11 overall)

2. Northeastern JC 20-6 (33-15 overall)

3. McCook CC 18-8 (36-12 overall)

4. Otero JC 12-10 (21-13 overall)

5. Lamar CC 7-17 (20-26 overall)

6. Western Nebraska 6-20 (10-25 overall)

7. Luna C 1-19 (1-19 overall)

SATURDAY SCHEDULE (All times MDT)

Game 1 – Otero Junior College vs. Lamar Community College, 8 a.m.

Game 2 – Northeastern Junior College vs. Luna Community College, 10:30 a.m.

Game 3 – McCook Community College vs. Western Nebraska Community College, 1:30 p.m.

Game 4 – Trinidad State Junior College vs. Game 1 winner (Otero or Lamar), 3:30 p.m.

Game 5 – (Elimination game) Game 2 loser (NJC or Luna) vs Game 3 Loser (MCC or Western), 6 p.m.

Game 6 – Game 2 winner (NJC or Luna) vs Game 3 winner (MCC or Western), 8:30 p.m.

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Game 7 – (Elimination game) Game 1 loser, vs. Game 6 loser, 10 a.m.

Game 8 – (Elimination game) Game 4 loser vs. Game 5 winner, 12:30 p.m.

Game 9 – (Championship Bracket) Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 3 p.m.

Game 10 – Game 7 winner vs. 8 winner, 5:30 p.m.

MONDAY SCHEDULE

Game 11 – Game 10 winner vs. loser of Game 9, 10 a.m.

Game 12 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 12:30 p.m.

TUESDAY SCHEDULE

Game 13 (If necessary) – Game 12 winner vs. Game 12 loser (if both teams only have one loss)