Buffalo, N.Y. - The Canisius College softball team will meet No. 11 Ohio State in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Thursday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m., at New Buckeye Field in Columbus, Ohio.
The Golden Griffins qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in school history Saturday when the Blue and Gold defeated Niagara 9-0 in the MAAC Championship game. Canisius (26-23) claims 12 MAAC Tournament titles on its resume and is making its third-straight NCAA appearance.
Ohio State (44-9) is currently ranked No. 11 in the country and closed out the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Penn State to earn a second-place finish in the Big Ten Conference. The 44 wins for the Buckeyes are the most for the team since they collected 55 victories in 2002 and stands as the third-most in school history. Ohio State is led offensively by junior catcher Sam Marder and her .365 batting average, while senior hurler Kim Reeder leads the Ohio State pitching staff with her season record of 23-5.
Joining Canisius and Ohio State in the Columbus Regional are Kentucky and BYU. The Wildcats earned an at-large bid into this year’s field of 64 with their 32-21 overall mark. The Cougars are making their fifth consecutive national tournament trip and enter the NCAA Tournament with an overall mark of 39-16.
Canisius is led by senior third baseman Cameron Norton, who was named the 2009 MAAC Tournament MVP after she hit .667 (8-for-12) with six RBIs, five runs scored, three home runs and a double in the Griffs’ four games in the MAAC Tournament. She leads the team with her .307 batting average and is tied for the team’s lead in hits (43) and runs batted in (28). Fellow senior Mallory Aldred was honored as a MAAC All-Tournament team honoree after she won all three games in the conference tournament for the Blue and Gold. She leads the squad’s pitching staff in wins (19), ERA (1.95), strikeouts (176), complete games (15), shutouts (9) and innings pitched (150.2).
The Griffs had a total of five players named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team, with Norton and Aldred being joined by senior Rachelle Barrientos, junior Michelle Fridey and freshman Lizzy Gatto.