SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The fifth-ranked Cal State San Marcos softball team received the top seed for the 2013 Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.) Conference Championships, and will look to defend their title starting Wednesday as they face the winner of No. 4-seed Ashford and No. 5-seed LSU-Alexandria.

Schedule
Game 49
Wednesday, May 1 – 2:00 p.m. PST
No. 1 Cal State San Marcos (40-8) vs. No. 4 Ashford University (23-21) or No. 5-seed LSU-Alexandria (19-26)
Victoria, Texas – Victoria Youth Sports Complex
Live Stats (Click 'W' for webcast)

Tournament Info
The double-elimination tournament is scheduled for May 1-3 at the Victoria Youth Sports Complex in Victoria, Texas with three games scheduled each day. The top two teams from the tournament will earn automatic berths to the NAIA Nationals Opening Round Tournament May 13-15 at sites still to be determined.

Tournament Preview
With an A.I.I. best 40-8 record and a perfect 8-0 record in conference play, the Cougars received a bye in the first round and will face the winner of No. 4-seed Ashford and No. 5-seed LSU-Alexandria at 2:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, May 1.

The winner of that game will proceed to play the victor of the first-round match-up between No. 2-seed University of Houston-Victoria (26-30) and No. 3-seed British Columbia (23-19).

CSUSM is 40-8 overall on the year and has been ranked in the top five in every week of the regular season. The Cougars are looking for their third conference title in the past four seasons, having won in 2010 and 2012, and was the conference runner up in 2009.

Since the program's inception in 2007, the Cougars are 23-10 (.697) in postseason play, including an 11-5 (.688) record in A.I.I. Tournament play.

The Cougars have not faced any of the tournament teams this season, but have a career 4-0 record against No. 3-seed British Columbia and a 1-0 record against No. 5 LSU-Alexandria. CSUSM is 2-3 lifetime against tournament host and No. 2-seed Houston-Victoria, who currently sits just outside the top-25 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll. Ashford and CSUSM have never met in competition.

The Cougars are in strong position to repeat, returning last year's A.I.I. Tournament MVP and Conference Pitcher of the Year in Cortney Allen, who is 31-4 with a 0.90 ERA. Returning first team all-conference selections Alex Miller (.413, 20 2B, 13-13 SB) and Kaitlin McGinley (.390, 6 3B, 38-38 SB) will look to lead Cal State San Marcos to its second straight tournament sweep.  

For a detailed game schedule and tournament bracket, see below.