LATROBE, Pa. - After clinching the 2012 Presidents' Athletic Conference regular season title with a 13-5 record, the Saint Vincent softball team is set to host the 2012 PAC Softball Tournament in Latrobe on May 3-4.

The top-seeded Bearcats (24-14, 13-5) will host the fourth-seeded Geneva Golden Tornadoes (27-17, 11-7) at 11 a.m. on Thursday morning. The other opening round match-up of the double-elimination tournament will pit No. 2-seed Thiel (18-18, 11-7) against third-seeded Westminster (21-17, 11-7) at 1 p.m.

The winners of both games will play at 3 p.m. on Thursday, with the losers of the two opening games squaring off at 5 p.m. in an elimination game.

The winner of the 2012 PAC Softball Tournament will received the conference's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division III Softball Championship Tournament.

The tournament is being broadcast on the Saint Vincent Sports Network.


Notes for fans:

• There will be a concession stand and public restrooms available at adjacent Chuck Noll Field.
• On-site portable restrooms are reserved for participants and game personnel.
• The rain date is scheduled for Saturday, May 5.

2012 PAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT PARTICIPANTS

#1 - SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE BEARCATS
Head Coach: Nicole Hinerman (Sixth Season)
Overall Record: 24-14
PAC Record: 13-5
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Notes: The Bearcats are making their first appearance in the PAC Tournament in just their second year as a full-time member of the conference. SVC ranks first in the conference in earned run average, boasting a 1.63 team ERA. Individually, SVC has three of the top four ERA's in the conference as sophomore Ally Vrcek and junior Emily Lauterbach rank first and second with a 1.30 and 1.33 ERA, respectively.

#2 THIEL COLLEGE TOMCATS
Head Coach: Amy Schafer (Sixth Season)
Overall Record: 18-18
PAC Record: 11-7
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Notes: The Tomcats enter the PAC Tournament winners of nine of their final 12 regular season games and are the two seed by virtue of tiebreakers. As a team, Thiel ranks second in the PAC with a .299 team batting average and first with a .409 slugging percentage.

#3 WESTMINSTER COLLEGE TITANS
Head Coach: Jan Reddinger (16th Season)
Overall Record: 21-17
PAC Record: 11-7
Last 10 Games: 4-6
Notes: The Titans, the only returning team from last season's conference tournament, enter the PAC Tournament having dropped six of their final seven regular season games. Westminster ranks third in the PAC with a .285 team batting average and third with a 2.69 team ERA.

#4 GENEVA COLLEGE GOLDEN TORNADOES
Head Coach: Van Zanic (10th Season)
Overall Record: 27-17
PAC Record: 11-7
Last 10 Games: 7-3
Notes: Geneva is making it's first appearance in the PAC Tournament in its first season as a full-time member of the PAC and NCAA Division III. Senior pitcher Julie DiLonardo leads the conference and ranks third in the NCAA with 251 strikeouts in 264.1 innings. The Golden Tornadoes rank second in the conference with a 1.93 team ERA.