2013 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round — USC Beaufort Bracket Headquarters

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The Richard Gray Sports Complex will be one of 10 host sites across the country when the inaugural NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round begins Monday. A total of 40 teams — four at each site — are vying for 10 spots in the NAIA National Championship final site from May 24-30 in Columbus, Ga.

No. 2 seed Spring Hill (Ala.) and No. 3 seed Virginia Intermont will square off in the first game of the double-elimination tournament at noon Monday. The host Sand Sharks are the No. 1 seed and will face No. 4 seed Cumberland (Tenn.) at 3 p.m. Monday.

For a complete schedule and other information on the tournament, visit the USC Beaufort Bracket Headquarters.

No. 1 USCB Sand Sharks (41-4)
@USCBSoftball | @USCBAthletics
Season Stats | Schedule & Results

The Sand Sharks earned a No. 1 seed in only their second season of competition after winning The Sun Conference regular-season and tournament titles. USCB enters the tournament ranked ninth after the Sand Sharks reeled off a school-record 14-game winning streak in April and have won 18 of its last 19 games. Three of the Sand Sharks' four losses have come by one run. 

The Sand Sharks boast one of the nation's top offenses, with 10 starters or key reserves hitting over .300. Junior shortstop C.J. Browder, The Sun Conference Player of the Year, leads the way with a .493 average, 16 home runs and 65 RBIs, as well as 16 stolen bases. Freshman right fielder Missy Hughes (.402) and sophomore left fielder Sammi Shaffren (.382) are getting on base at impressive clips and sophomore third baseman Mariaha Sanborn (.381, 9 HR, 33 RBI), junior second baseman Katie Rietkovich (.379, 13 HR, 33 RBI) and sophomore first baseman Maddie Byrd (.373, 6 HR, 46 RBI) add plenty of pop to the lineup.

The pitching staff has been equally impressive with The Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year Kristy Cook leading the way. Cook is 20-0 with a 1.75 ERA and has compiled 133 strikeouts against 35 walks in 144 innings. Freshman Ashlie Layman has emerged as a strong No. 2 pitcher with an 11-0 mark and a 1.87 ERA, and sophomore Caitlin Campbell is 9-3 with a 2.69 ERA. 

No. 2 Spring Hill (Ala.) Badgers (41-14)
@SHCBadgers
Season Stats | Schedule & Results

The Badgers enter the tournament ranked 15th after a runner-up finish in the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament earned them their first trip to the NAIA National Championship since 2003 and their fourth overall. The Badgers' 41 wins rank second in program history behind their 47 victories in 1999. Both their losses in the conference tournament came against third-ranked Lee (Tenn.), and 11 of their 14 losses on the season have come against teams currently in the top 25. 

Spring Hill's pitching staff has been tremendous, boasting a 1.69 team ERA with 22 shutouts. Freshman Carolina Sagrera has been the workhorse, as she leads the NAIA in wins (31) and strikeouts (384) and was named SSAC Pitcher of the Year. Sagrera is 31-8 with a 1.38 ERA in 264 innings. Senior Linsey Dickerson is a strong No. 2 with a 7-5 record and a 2.20 ERA. 

Sophomore catcher Jade Bourgeois is the team's top hitter with a .402 average, 22 doubles, two home runs and 31 RBIs. She also is an SSAC Gold Glove winner. Senior third baseman Mariha Partman (.314, 8 HR, 22 RBI) and sophomore outfielder Shea Blanchard (.284, 6 HR, 32 RBI) are the team's top power hitters. 

No. 3 Virginia Intermont Lady Cobras (36-12)
@VICobras
Season Stats | Schedule & Results

The Lady Cobras are playing in the NAIA National Championship for the first time, and their 36 wins are the most in coach Eric Senter's seven-year tenure at the school. Virginia Intermont is 28-3 when scoring at least five runs. The Lady Cobras qualified by winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament, and they come in riding a six-game winning streak. 

Virginia Intermont's cornerstone is sophomore Micalah Sacre, who is the team's top pitcher and arguably its top hitter. Sacre, a transfer from NCAA Division I Radford, is 14-4 with a 1.54 ERA in the circle and is batting .456 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. She was named the AAC Co-Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year, as well as the AAC Tournament MVP. Freshman infielder Hannah McCloud also swings a big bat, hitting .369 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs. 

The Lady Cobras also could emerge as the sentimental favorite, as they have dedicated their season to Willie Belcher, a former sports information director at the school who died in June 2012 after a two-year battle with cancer. Belcher's niece, Samantha Belcher, is a senior on this year's team, and the players wear patches in Belcher's honor with the motto, "Never give up, never forget."

No. 4 Cumberland (Tenn.) Bulldogs (36-20) 
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Season Stats | Schedule & Results

The Bulldogs are making their first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament after an improbable run to the championship game of the Mid-South Conference Tournament. Cumberland entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed but knocked off Georgetown (Ky.), Campbellsville (Ky.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) before losing twice to Lindsey Wilson to finish as runner-up. Cumberland has set a record for victories under fifth-year head coach Heather Stanfill. 

Cumberland has a strong pitching staff led by junior Courtney Maynard (19-9, 1.58 ERA) and a pair of left-handers in junior Caroline Curran (7-3, 2.28) and senior Allison Blackwood (5-5, 2.47). Maynard is the workhorse, having racked up 149 strikeouts in 182 innings. 

The offense is balanced, with seven starters batting .300 or better. Blackwood leads the way with a .399 average to go along with three homers and 41 RBIs. Sophomore catcher Jessica Roper, a transfer from NCAA Division I Northern Illinois, provides some pop with a .344 average, nine home runs and 29 RBIs.