Saturday, June 19, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Following a vote of the conference’s administrators, the Atlantic Sun awarded the 2011 and 2012 Softball Championships to USC Upstate, the conference announced on Saturday.

The 2011 Championship will represent the second Championship of the year contested in Spartanburg, S.C. of the academic year. The Spartans will host their first A-Sun Championships when men’s and women’s cross country will race for titles on October 30, 2010,.

“We are honored and excited to have been awarded the softball tournament for 2011 and 2012,” said Mike Hall, Director of Athletics at Upstate. “The A-Sun Tournament is a wonderful event and will bring a high level of softball to the Upstate community. Stetson has done an outstanding job hosting the A-Sun Softball Championships and we want to continue the tradition to make this experience the best possible for the student-athletes, coaches and fans of the A-Sun. We have a strong tradition of hosting conference, regional and national tournaments on our campus and a top-notch staff to pull off these types of events. We welcome the opportunity to host the A-Sun Softball Championship and look forward to preparing for the event in the coming months.”

USC Upstate has enjoyed a strong partnership with the Atlantic Sun since joining in 2008. In three years, the Spartans own a 38-24 record in league contests and a 104-46 overall record. In 2010, they made the Championship field for the first time and advanced to the title game, ultimately falling to Lipscomb. They shared the national lead in team fielding percentage at .980 and junior Morgan Childers ranked second in the nation with a 1.01 ERA, trailing only A-Sun conference rival Whitney Kiihnl.

“More than anything, I believe the A-Sun awarding us the softball tournament is a testament to the respect our athletic department and institution have received in a short time in the conference,” said USC Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. “We look forward to the challenges hosting the tournament will present. Stetson did a great job of hosting the championship and we have a lot to live up to. I know we have the staff and support needed to pull off a first-class tournament. Hopefully, for our sake, we will play ourselves into one of the six spots in the tournament. If we are fortunate to get in, maybe we can use the home field advantage to our favor. In any event, our program looks forward to hosting what is sure to be a tremendous championship.”

Cyrill Stadium has received numerous awards since its completion. The facility earned the 2006 NFCA/TURFACE National Field Maintenance Award and was named the Sports Turf Manager's 2006 College Softball Field of the Year. In December of 2003, Cyrill Stadium was honored with a regional TURFACE Field Maintenance Award.

The 2011 A-Sun Championship will take place on Thursday, May 12 through Saturday, May 14.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.