MIAC Softball Playoffs
Date/Time	Thursday, May 9 & Saturday, May 11
Location	Arden Hills, Minn. (Ona Orth Athletic Complex) & Saint Mary's Field (Winona, Minn.)
Tickets	General Admission $10 • Students with ID $2 • Children 5 & Under FREE
Live Stream	MIAC Sports Network
Live Stats	athletics.bethel.edu/sidearmstats/softball/summary
Championship Homepage	MIACathletics.com

The No. 18th-ranked Bethel University softball team is set to open up the MIAC Playoffs on Thursday hosting sixth-seeded Macalester at 4:30 p.m. The Royals earned the third seed in the playoff following a three-way tie for first with Saint Mary's and Saint Benedict at 17-5.
 
Bethel claimed a share of the MIAC regular season title making it their third consecutive title.
 
The winner of Thursday's match up moves to Saturday's semifinal and will take on second-seeded Saint Benedict. The two semifinal winners will meet in the championship game slated for 4 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the second semifinal game.

MIAC SOFTBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 9, 2024
Game 1: No. 5 Gustavus at No. 4 St. Olaf | 4:30 PM
Game 2: No. 6 Macalester at No. 3 Bethel | 4:30 PM

Saturday, May 11, 2024 -- Games at Saint Mary's
Game 3: Winner Game 1 at No. 1 Saint Mary's | 11:00 AM
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 2 Saint Benedict | 1:30 PM
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 | 4:00 PM

PARKING 

Fans will be directed to park in the West and East Lot when arriving on campus on Thursday. ADA parking and handicap spots can be found up in the Ona Orth Parking Lot. Click here for a campus map.

PLAYOFF HISTORY

• BU is making its fourth consecutive MIAC Playoff appearance and ninth overall.
• The Royals are 12-12 (.500) all-time in conference playoff games.
• The only other time BU was the three seed was in 2010 where they went 1-2.
• Bethel comes in as the defending playoff champs completing back-to-back titles with a 1-0 win over Saint Ben's in last year's championship game.
• This will be the Royals' first-ever playoff matchup with Macalester.

ROYAL NOTES

• Kayla Simacek enters with 1,146 career strikeouts which is 14th all-time in Division III. Her 108 career wins is 10th and her 143 games are 12th.
• Simacek is second nationally with 213 Ks, 23 victories, 27 starts and 21 complete games.
• Lexi DeBace enters the tournament on a 10-game hitting streak and has reached base in 21 straight.
• Camryn Thurow has reached base in 10 straight games.
• As a squad BU is 11th nationally with a .973 fielding percentage.
• The Royals are fifth in the latest Region IX rankings.  

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