KANSAS CITY, Mo – The Mounties are headed back to the NAIA National Championships for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2022. Eastern earned a No. 1 seed in the National Championships for the first time in school history.
The NAIA announced the official bracket on Tuesday evening and the Mounties were named the No. 1 seed in the Lawrenceville Bracket. Eastern will take on the winner of the No. 4 seed Missouri Baptist and the No. 5 seed Spring Arbor on Tuesday, May. 14. In Lawrenceville, Ga.
Eastern will be playing in the first pod hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The other three teams in the bracket are No. 4 seed Missouri Baptist, No. 5 seed Spring Arbor, and No. 3 seed Southeastern (Fla.).
If Eastern is to win their section of the bracket then they will head to Columbas, Georgia for the final site of the 2024 NAIA Softball National Championships starting May. 23.
1ST AND 2ND ROUND BRACKET SCOUTING REPORT
TEAM: Missouri Baptist
SEED: 4
RECORD: 33-12 (16-2 Conf.)
LAST 5: 2-3
RUNS PER GAME: 6.47
TEAM BATTING AVE: .332
HITS PER GAME: 9.15
TEAM ERA: 2.22
PLAYER TO WATCH: Brooklyn Fischer (.438 Batting AVG, 8 HR, 1.28 ERA,)
TEAM: Spring Arbor
SEED: 5
RECORD: 33-20 (23-13 Conf.)
LAST 5: 3-2
RUNS PER GAME: 5.06
TEAM BATTING AVE: .311
HITS PER GAME: 8.2
TEAM ERA: 2.48
PLAYER TO WATCH: Emmalee Hamp (.540 Batting AVE, 8 HR, 158 hits, 1.77 ERA)
TEAM: Georgia Gwinnett
SEED: 2
RECORD: 29-15
LAST 5: 4-1
RUNS PER GAME: 3.89
TEAM BATTING AVE: .262
HITS PER GAME: 6.34
TEAM ERA: 1.95
PLAYER TO WATCH: Annalise Jarvis (16-5, .59 ERA, 210 SO)
TEAM: Southeastern (Fla.)
SEED: 3
RECORD: 38-17 (14-7 Conf.)
LAST 5: 3-2
RUNS PER GAME: 4.49
TEAM BATTING AVE: .328
HITS PER GAME: 9.01
TEAM ERA: 1.69
PLAYER TO WATCH: Edan Playa (17-3, 1.22 ERA, 69 SO)
