East Texas Baptist University softball makes its first foray into the NCAA Division III Championship, heading northwest to Tacoma, Wash., for the Friday-Sunday (May 10-12) West Regional hosted by top-seeded Pacific Lutheran University.

Seeded third in the five-team regional, ETBU (36-6) faces No. 2 seed LaVerne University (35-4-1) on Friday at noon (2 p.m. CDT). The game will be carried live on the internet at www.tsrnsports.com. A win would advance ETBU to Saturday's semifinal game while a loss would drop the Lady Tigers into a Friday afternoon loser's bracket contest.

NCAA Div. III Softball Championship West Regional
Friday-Sunday, May 10-12 at Tacoma, Wash.
Host: Pacific Lutheran University All times PDT
Friday, May 10
Game 1 (10 a.m.): #4 Trinity (Texas) (27-14) vs. #5 Wisconsin-Superior (19-13)
Game 2 (Noon): #2 LaVerne (35-4-1) vs. #3 East Texas Baptist (36-6)
Game 3 (2 p.m.): #1 Pacific Lutheran (31-0) vs. Winner Game 1
Game 4: (4 p.m.): Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 (elimination game)
Saturday, May 11
Game 5 (TBA): Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 1
Game 6: (TBA): Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 (elimination game)
Game 7 (TBA): Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 5 (elimination game)
Sunday, May 12
Game 8 (TBA): Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7
Game 9/if needed (TBA): Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 8

The West Regional champion advances to the eight-team NCAA Div. III Women's College World Series scheduled May 16-20 at Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wis.

East Texas Baptist, ranked No. 16 in the last regular-season USA Today/NFCA Div. III Coaches poll, advanced to the NCAA Championship by winning the ASC Tournament April 27. The ASC East Division champion, ETBU upended Mississippi College 8-2 in the conference title game. This is the first season East Texas Baptist is eligible for NCAA postseason competition. They finished as national runner-up at the 2001 National Christian College Athletic Association tournament.

The Lady Tigers enter postseason action as the nation's top defensive team, sporting a .975 fielding percentage and ranking just ahead of regional host Pacific Lutheran (.973). The defense is led by senior pitcher Alicia Taylor (20-1) who carries a 0.90 ERA and averages 11.1 strikeouts a game. Reliever Kristen Abernathy ranks No. 1 nationally with seven saves. ETBU flexes its offensive muscle, averaging 7.40 runs a game behind a .339 team batting average. Sophomore Tonya Minor, the school's season steals record holder (32-of-34), lists No. 13 nationally in stolen bases.

Complete NCAA Div. III Championship information can be accessed at www.ncaachampionships.com. West Regional information is also available at the Pacific Lutheran website, www.plu.edu.