Following the conclusion of today’s final regular season games across the conference, the OVC released the final bracket for this years softball OVC Championship Tournament. After finishing the season with a 17-8 conference record the Panthers have earned the No. 2 seed in the tournament.
EIU will open the tournament, which begins next Wednesday [May, 11], against No. 7 Morehead State. The game which is set for a 12:30 pm start time will be the first game for EIU against the Eagles this season as the scheduled doubleheader between the two teams earlier this year was rained out.
The Panthers managed to beat out Eastern Kentucky who holds an identical 17-8 conference record for the No. 2 seed. EIU swept this year’s doubleheader against the Colonels to earn the tie-breaker.
Jacksonville State will be the No. 1 seed heading into the tournament after finishing the season 37-14 and going undefeated in the conference with a perfect 26-0 OVC record. If EIU advances to the second round of the tournament they will face the winner of game one between No. 3 EKU and No. 6 Tennessee Tech.
This year marks the first time in league history that the tournament will be held at a neutral site as the four-day event will be held at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. May 11-14. The entire OVC tournament will be available to watch on the OVC Digital Network.
The rest of the tournament field includes No. 4 seed SIUE, followed by UT Martin at No. 5, and No. 8 seed Murray State