A.I.I. ReleaseVICTORIA, Tex.— The field for the 2014 Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Tournament has been set, and the Cal State San Marcos softball team will head to Gwinnett, Ga. May 1-4 looking to win its third conference championship.
The Cougars— ranked fifth in the
NAIA Coaches Poll— received the No. 2 seed in the tournament, as Louisiana State University-Alexandria currently stands just above them in the national rankings.
The field is among the most competitive in the nation, with third-seed Houston-Victoria ranked 19
th in the NAIA, and fourth-seed and tournament host Georgia Gwinnett College also receiving votes in the poll in addition to the two top-five ranked teams.
Rounding out the tournament field are fifth-seed Lindenwood-Belleville and sixth-seed University of British Columbia.
CSUSM received its high seed with a strong regular-season record of 33-5-1, including an 18-game winning streak late in the season. The Cougars are 11-7 (.611) in A.I.I. Tournament play all-time, with championships in 2010 and 2012. CSUSM also was the tournament runner-up in 2009.
The top-two teams in the 2014 tournament will receive an automatic entry into the NAIA National Tournament. The Cougars have made it to the NAIA Tournament Final Site in each of the last three years, including two final four appearances.
The Cougars first game of the A.I.I. double-elimination tournament will be Thursday, May 1 at 4 pm central (2 pm PST) against the winner of third-seed Houston Victoria and sixth-seed British Columbia.
