BOTETOURT COUNTY, Va. --- The Mississippi College softball team will make their second straight trip to the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series, beginning on Wednesday (May 13) at the Botetourt County Sports Complex.

The Lady Choctaws (27-22) will open the tournament at 11:00 a.m. (CST) against Oklahoma Wesleyan (31-26).


NOTES ON THE LADY CHOCTAWS    
Brooke O'Hair is in her 9th season as the head coach at Misisissippi College, earning her 200th career win last season. O'Hair opened her successful stint with 38-10 record and an American Southwest Conference East Division championship. The Lady Choctaws advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament that season and also qualified for the postseason tournament in 2010 and 2011.

The Lady Choctaws are making their second straight trip to the NCCAA World Series, entering the tournament as the #8 seed with an at-large bid from the MidEast Region. Last season, MC qualified as the #10 overall seed. They would drop the first game to Campbellsville 2-1, but bounced back with wins over Trinity Christian (5-3) and Cedarville (7-3). They were eliminated by Union (7-4) to finish 5th at the tournament.

The Lady Choctaws played in the MidEast Regional in Cleveland, Tenn. last weekend, picking up two wins over Kentucky Christian by a combined score of 20-1. They would fall twice to the host school Lee to finish second in the regional.

Senior Shay Mickens (.378) is the team leader in average, hits (65), runs scored (39) and stolen bases (34). She has stolen 78 bases in two seasons and has the best two years of swipes in school history in 2014 (44) and 2015. The school record for career stolen bases in 84 by Jennifer Jones (2008-11).

Senior Brooke Smitherman (.341) will go down as one of the best hitters in school history. She is MC's all-time leader in home runs (26), walks (154), RBI (132), on-base percentage (.556), total bases (297) and doubles (42). So far this season, she has drawn a team-high 39 walks and is 2nd on the team with 28 RBI.

Senior Macey Lee (.248) has played and started more games in MC history than any other player. She has started 176 games, missing just one over her four-year career. Lee is also MC's all-time leader in at-bats (543) and is tied with Smitherman for most career doubles (42). She is also 2nd in school history with 128 runs scored.

Senior Tori Bankston (.310) got the offense going in last weekend's MidEast Regional with her team-high fourth home run of the season. With the score 1-0 in the opening game, she led off the 3rd inning with a solo shot that propelled them to a 7-1 victory. Bankston's 26 career doubles ranks 8th in school history.

Junior Carlie Sargent (17-12, 2.23 ERA) leads the team in innings pitched (163.0), strikeouts (129) and complete games (14). She has tossed three complete games and had one of her best games of the year on Friday against Kentucky Christian. The Oxford, Ala. native struck out a season-high 11 batters and allowed just one hit over a 13-0 victory.

Senior Lacie Patterson (6-6, 2.78 ERA) has thrown five complete games this season and struck out 47 batters over 105.2 innings pitched. She has allowed just nine earned runs over the last 44.1 innings pitched. She has posted a 1.42 ERA over that span.

Senior Ashley Vann (2-0, 3.45 ERA) tossed a complete game in the 7-1 win over Kentucky Christian. She allowed six hits with four strikeouts and just one earned run.