Central Michigan University Athletics
Getting Down To Business
5/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MAC Tournament Bracket | Championship Central
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
AKRON, Ohio - Back to work on another mountain to climb for the Central Michigan softball team.
The Chippewas, who on Sunday clinched their first Mid-American Conference regular-season championship since 2004, begin their quest for the double titles on Wednesday when they open play in the MAC Tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
The Chippewas (36-13) will face rival Western Michigan (23-27) in their opener. As the regular-season champion, CMU is seeded No. 1. The Broncos are seeded eighth.
"We've got a quick turnaround," said Margo Jonker, who is in her 38th season in charge of the Chippewa program and who, on Tuesday, was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the 10th time. "We need to refocus and get back at it competing on Wednesday."
The winner is scheduled to face either Kent State (27-25) or Ball State (30-26) on Thursday at 1 p.m. The championship game of the double-elimination tournament is slated for Saturday.
CMU swept Western Michigan in the schools' three-game regular-season series, outscoring the Broncos by a combined 20-2. The Chippewas took all three regular-season meetings with Ball State, and took two of three from Kent State.
The Chipppwas are attempting to become the eighth team to win both the regular-season and tournament titles in the same season. CMU, which has won more regular-season (10) and tournament (10) championships than any other MAC school, has accomplished the feat four times.
Western Michigan, in 2011, was the last team to sweep both crowns.
The tournament champion receives a bid to the NCAA Tournament. CMU last won the MAC tourney in 2013, when Trista Cox hit a two-run home run in the 11th inning to lift CMU to a dramatic 4-2 victory over Northern Illinois in the title game.
The Chippewas enter the tournament riding a six-game win streak. They have won 35 of their last 42 games after beginning the season 1-6. They swept Eastern Michigan in a doubleheader on Sunday. The victory in game one clinched the title.
The 36 victories are CMU's highest total since it won 39 in 2002 - a year that it won both the MAC regular season and tournament crowns.
CMU's Rachael Knapp was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year on Tuesday and landed a spot on the All-MAC First Team. The Chippewas' Maison Kalina and Allison Curtis were also named to the First Team, while CMU's Rachel Vieira and Hanna Warren were named to the Second Team.
