ROCK HILL, SC—Winthrop is set to host the 2016 Big South Conference Softball Championship as the Eagles will take on Gardner-Webb in the opening game Wednesday morning in a single-elimination game to join the remaining teams in the double-elimination tournament.
 
GAME SNAPSHOT
Winthrop (14-41, 4-20 BSC) at Gardner-Webb (21-32, 7-17 BSC)
Site: Rock Hill, SC (Terry Field), 9 a.m.
 
TICKET INFORMATION.
The Winthrop Softball Complex and Terry Field will be the site of the 2016 Big South Conference Softball Championship May 11-14. Ticket sales will be located at the Terry Softball Complex main entrance and will be $20 for an All Session pass ($15 for Youth/Senior/Student with I.D.), $10 All Day pass ($7 for Youth/Senior/Student with I.D.). The championship game will be $5 for adults, $3 for Youth/Senior or students with an I.D. For more information contact Larry McLaine, ticket manager, at (803) 323-2345 or mclainel@winthrop.edu.

BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE/LINKS
Wednesday, May 11
Game 1: No. 8 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 9 Winthrop, 9:00am (single elimination) | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 2: No. 4 Radford vs. No. 5 Campbell, 12:00pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 3: No. 1 Longwood vs. No. 8/9 winner, 2:30pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 4: No. 2 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 7 Charleston Southern, 5:00pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 5: No. 3 Liberty vs. No. 6 Presbyterian College, 7:30pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score

Thursday, May 12
Game 6: Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 3, 9:00am | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 7: Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 5, 11:30am | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 8: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:00pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 9: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 4:30pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 7:00pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 11: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 9, 9:30pm | Watch Live | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score

Friday, May 13
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 10:00am | ESPN3 | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 13: Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 11, 12:30pm | ESPN3 | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score
Game 14: If necessary, 3:00pm
Game 15: If necessary, 5:30pm

Saturday, May 14 - Championship Game "Winner Take All"
TBA vs. TBA, 2:00pm | ESPN3 | Live Stats | Recap | Box Score

SERIES HISTORY VERSUS GARDNER-WEBB
Winthrop and Gardner-Webb have faced each other 37 times and the Eagles hold a 26-11 advantage in the all-time series. Winthrop had won nine straight over the Runnin' Bulldogs before dropping all three games in the series this past weekend. Winthrop has won six of the eight three-game series since Gardner-Webb joined the Big South in 2008-09. This will be just the second time Winthrop and Gardner-Webb will square off in the Big South Tournament. That game was in 2011 and the Runnin' Bulldogs won 2-1 after the Eagles had swept the regular season series.
 
WINTHROP'S BIG SOUTH TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This will be Winthrop's 27^th Big South Conference Tournament appearance. The Eagles are 52-44 all-time in tournament action. The 52 wins are the 2^nd most all-time behind Coastal Carolina. Winthrop Coastal Carolina also own the most tournament titles with six while the Chanticleers have the most championship game appearances with 13 (Winthrop has 12). The Eagles are the ninth seed for the first time in the program's history. The Eagles are 16-10 all-time in their opening game of the tournament and have done so three of the past five seasons. In tournament's they've hosted, the Eagles are 22-19 with five championship game appearances (hosted and competed in tournament 11 times).  
 
A GLANCE AT THE EAGLES
The Eagles have endured more injuries this season than many teams might experience in 2-3 seasons combined. Despite consistently throwing out a different lineup game-in and game-out, the Eagles have battled through and competed. Of the team's 41 losses on the year, 21 of them have been by two runs or less. All three losses at Gardner-Webb this past weekend were two runs or less, the first two by a single-run. Even though the coaching staff has been forced to juggle different lineups and shuffle around the infield on several occasions, this group would have the 9^th fewest errors in the history of the program if the season ended after the series ended with Gardner-Webb. There have been seven different players start at second base, four at third base and four at shortstop. First baseman Leah Young and catcher Paige Haley are the only two infielders that have remained healthy and Young has played/started in all 55 games. Winthrop consistently starts 3-5 freshmen a game and features one of the nation's most youthful rosters with 13 underclassmen. Winthrop won 14 games on the year and 12 of those were at Terry Field. The team batted .276 and averaged 4.8 runs per game while allowing 4.9 runs per game. Young, who leads the team in batting, hit .414 with 18 runs, six home runs and 22 RBI in 22 home games. The Eagles have six players batting over .300 at home with five of those regular starters, but all five could be in the starting lineup come Wednesday. The pitching staff was also much better at home with a team ERA of 3.74.
 
A GLANCE AT THE RUNNIN' BULLDOGS
Gardner-Webb had dropped 11 straight before sweeping the Eagles this past weekend. It was the first time since February that Gardner-Webb had won three straight (Won 4 straight twice in Feb.). It was also the second series Gardner-Webb captured in league play. This will be a road game for Gardner-Webb, which went 3-15 on the road and 6-18 in all games away from home. Gardner-Webb is led by Amanda Gomes and Jill Blank with a team-best .306 batting average. Gomes was 0-for-7 with a run scored against the Eagles last weekend while Blank was 5-for-8 with a run and two RBI. Rachel Cumiskey is batting .266 on the year with 26 runs, 10 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI. Against Winthrop she was 5-for-8 with three runs and three RBI. Megan Thompson was impressive in the circle against the Eagles as she was 2-0 in two starts and allowed just two runs on five hits in 10 innings of work with four strikeouts and a walk. On the season she's 11-12 overall with a 3.61 ERA and 76 strikeouts to 58 walks in 137.2 innings pitched. Her shutout effort in game one of the series with Winthrop was her third of the season.