WAVERLY, Iowa – Webster University will begin its quest for a regional championship here Friday afternoon as the fifth-seeded Gorloks will face No. 2 seeded and 20th-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III Waverly Regional hosted by Wartburg College and held at Lynes Field on the Wartburg campus. First pitch for Friday's game is scheduled for 12 p.m. and is the second of three first round games in the Waverly Regional.
 
Along with Webster's game against St. Thomas, the other first round games on Friday will feature No. 1 seeded and 24th-ranked St. Olaf (24-6) facing No. 6 seeded Wisconsin-Superior (22-14) at 10 a.m. and No. 3 seeded and 23rd-ranked Milwaukee School of Engineering (33-8) meeting No. 4 seeded and 25th-ranked Coe College (24-13). The tournament is double elimination and the championship is scheduled for Sunday, May 23. The winner of the Waverly Regional will advance to the 2021 NCAA Division III World Series, which is scheduled for May 27-June 1 at Moyer Park in Salem, Va.
 
The Gorloks, who are making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since finishing as the regional runners-up in 2009 and its eighth all-time appearance overall in the postseason, has posted a 9-14 overall record in the tournament. The nine NCAA Tournament wins are third most among the six teams playing in the Waverly Regional, while its eight appearances are third most among the field of six teams.
 
Webster enters the Waverly Regional sporting a 20-10 overall record and the Gorloks have won five straight games and nine of its last 11 games overall with the only losses coming at Fontbonne (12-7) on April 27 and at home to Blackburn (2-1) on May 2. Webster earned the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament after claiming its fifth all-time St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title with 12-2 run-ruled win over Spalding in the championship game on May 7. The Gorloks went a perfect 4-0 in the SLIAC Tournament as they outscored their four foes, 28-7, and averaged 7.0 runs per game.
 
What makes this year's trip to the NCAA Tournament more impressive is the progress the Gorloks softball program has made over the past three seasons under the direction of head coach Katie Griffith, who was named this year's SLIAC Coach of the Year. In Griffith's first year in 2019, the Gorloks posted a 10-24 overall record and then went 6-8 in the 2020 campaign that was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, before winning 20 games this season. In fact, the 20 wins this season are four more than the program had won the previous two seasons combined and the most wins in a season since winning 28 games in 2017. The 20 win season this year is the 16th in the program's 23 year history.
 
"In 2019, my first year, we only won 10 games and in 2020, we only played 14 games and here we are in 2021 headed to (NCAA) regionals," said Griffith following her team's win in the SLIAC Tournament final against Spalding. "Last year, we decided as a group we wanted to be conference champions and get to regionals. After that, every decision we made was with that in mind. Everyone from our fifth-year seniors, to our graduate transfers, our freshman class, and every player between bought it and made it happen."
 
Meanwhile, St. Thomas comes into the NCAA Tournament sporting a 28-8 overall record and is making its 17th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its 28th all-time appearance overall after earning the automatic bid from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference following two wins in the MIAC Playoff Championships against 21st-ranked St. Olaf, who won the MIAC regular season title and is the No. 1 seed in the Waverly Regional. During its four game run in the MIAC Playoffs, St. Thomas outscored its four opponents by a 22-2 margin, including posting back-to-back shutouts (5-0 and 3-0) over St. Olaf. In 28 all-time appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament, St. Thomas has posted an 81-53 overall record and has made six trips to the Division III Softball World Series with its most recent appearance coming in 2019. The Tommies won back-to-back national titles in softball in 2004 and 2005 and were national runners-up in 2006.
 
The Gorloks are making its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2009 thanks to team that is strong in both pitching and hitting as Webster leads the SLIAC and is 74th nationally in ERA (2.67) and is second in the league in hitting with a .308 batting average.
 
Webster's pitching staff has allowed just 97 runs in 201.2 innings of work and has thrown 14 complete games, tossed five shutouts, and has struck out 111 and walked just 58 opposing hitters. The Gorloks' 1.28 WHIP is tops in the SLIAC and is fourth among the six teams in this weekend's Waverly Regional as MSOE, St. Olaf and St. Thomas are all ranked in the Top 25 in Division III in WHIP. Webster's opponents are hitting just .256 this season, but over the last 10 games, their foes are hitting just .226. In fact, over its last 10 games, Webster's pitching staff has compiled a 2.40 ERA and has tossed five complete games and two shutouts and in 67 innings of work, they have allowed 32 runs, while striking out 27 and walking 16.
 
While its pitching staff has been strong most of the season, Webster's offense has also had a strong year as they have six of their nine regular starters hitting over .300 on the year, including two of those starters hitting over .400. On the year, Webster has recorded 252 hits, scored 149 runs, hit 54 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs and has had 141 RBI. In addition, the Gorloks have drawn 65 walks, been hit by 21 pitches and is 19-for-24 on stolen bases. In the four games at the SLIAC Tournament, Webster's offense hit .389 and averaged 7.0 runs per game and had 37 hits, scored 28 runs, hit five doubles, one triple, four home runs and had 26 RBI. Webster has scored five or more runs in a game 16 times and tallied 10 or more runs in a game four times, including scoring 12 runs in its SLIAC Tournament championship game win over Spalding.
 
Leading the way for Webster's pitching staff is senior Kirbie Mendenhall (Robinson, Ill./Parkland College). Mendenhall, who was named a First-Team All-SLIAC selection, enters the NCAA Tournament leading the Gorloks in wins (9), starts (10) and ERA (1.72). She is 9-2 with a 1.72 ERA and had tossed four complete games, one shutout and in 61 innings of work, she has allowed 63 hits, 19 runs (15 earned), while striking out 28 and walking 21. Over her last five appearances, Mendenhall has gone 3-1 with a 1.22 ERA and has tossed one complete game and had one save.
 
In addition to Mendenhall, freshman Reese Waggoner (Centennial, Colo./Eaglecrest) and senior Morgan Parrish (Lawrenceville, Ill./Parkland College) are also key members of Webster's pitching staff this season. Waggoner enters the NCAA Tournament sporting a 7-2 record and a 2.06 ERA as she has made a team-best 15 appearances in the circle, tossed six complete games, one shutout and in a team-best 68 innings of work, she has allowed 62 hits, 28 runs (20 earned runs), while striking out 33 and walking six for a WHIP of 1.00, which is tops in the SLIAC and 57th nationally, while Parrish is 4-3 with a 3.56 ERA as she has made 14 appearances, eight starts, tossed four complete games and leads the team in strikeouts with 42 and is averaging 5.3 strikeouts per seven innings on the year.
 
Webster's 2.67 team ERA this season is the lowest for the Gorloks since 2013 when Webster recorded a 2.63 ERA. In addition, the ERA is nearly four runs lower than what the Gorloks posted in Griffith's first season at Webster in 2019. In 2019, Webster finished the season with a 6.15 ERA in 34 games.
 
While its pitching staff has performed well, those pitchers have benefited from a Gorlok offense that is averaging nearly five runs per game and recording 8.4 hits per game on the season.
 
Leading the way offensively for Webster heading into the NCAA Tournament is fifth-year senior center fielder Abby Burroughs (Edwardsville, Ill./Triad). Burroughs, who was named this year's SLIAC Player of the Year and earned First-Team NFCA All-Midwest Region honors this past Friday, leads the Gorloks in batting average (.448), hits (43), runs scored (25), at-bats (96), doubles (9), home runs (6), RBI (32), slugging percentage (.771) and on-base percentage (.485). In addition, she has drawn seven walks, is 4-for-4 on stolen bases and has struck out just nine times in 96 at-bats. She ranks in the Top 10 in the league in hits, runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI, batting average, on-base percentage, and batting average. On the year, Burroughs has a team-best 14 multi-hit games, including a Webster season high five hits earlier this season at Spalding and has had 10 multiple RBI games. Additionally, she sits second in school history in career RBI (121), tied for second in career walks (60), fourth in career at-bats (473), fourth in career home runs (23), fourth in career total bases (282), tied for fourth in career doubles (35), fifth in career starts (155), fifth in career runs scored (122) and fifth in career hits (158).
 
In addition to Burroughs, freshman shortstop Sidney Holtz (Taylorsville, Utah/Murray) has also been a strong force in Webster's line-up this season as the Third-Team NFCA All-Midwest Region selection and Second-Team All-SLIAC honoree is second on the team in batting average at .396 and has had 36 hits, scored 20 runs, hit eight doubles and 11 RBI in 30 games. In addition, she has drawn five walks, leads the team with six sacrifice hits and struck out just six times in 91 at-bats and has recorded a .484 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage and has had 11 multi-hit games and three multiple RBI games. 
 
Other key offensive performers this season for the Gorloks are senior right fielder Breelyn Craig (Victorville, Calif./Trinidad State), freshman catcher Paige Thomas (Emporia, Kan./Emporia), freshman second baseman Kaelyn Kearney (Draper, Utah/Corner Canyon), sophomore first baseman Ashlee Seltzer (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Rock Canyon) and freshman catcher Jaelin Holdaway (West Valley, Utah/Cyprus).
 
Craig, who over her last 10 games is hitting .619 and was named the MVP of the SLIAC Tournament after hitting .778 in four games, is hitting .536 on the season in 18 games and 28 at-bats. On the year, she has had 15 hits, scored nine runs, hit three doubles, one home run and has had 8 RBI and has been hit by three pitches and has had four multi-hit games and three multiple RBI games.
 
Thomas, who was a Second-Team All-SLIAC selection, is hitting .370 with 17 hits, three runs scored, one double, 12 RBI and has a .391 slugging percentage and a .442 on-base percentage as she has drawn five walks and struck out just three times in 46 at-bats.
 
Kearney, who was named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year, is hitting .314 entering the NCAA Tournament. On the season, she has had 16 hits, scored 13 runs, hit one triple, one home run and has had 5 RBI. In addition, she has a .412 slugging percentage, has walked three times, and has committed just two errors at second base on the year.
 
Seltzer, who has been platooning at first base this season with senior Alyssa McWilliams (Windsor, Colo./CSU-Pueblo) is hitting .302 with 19 hits, eight runs scored, five doubles and 14 RBI and has a .381 slugging percentage and has been hit by three pitches and drawn three walks in 23 games and 63 at-bats.
 
Holdaway, who was named a First-Team All-SLIAC selection, is hitting just under .300 this season at .295, but over her last 10 games, she is hitting .389 and hit .600 in her two games at the SLIAC Tournament. On the season, she has had 13 hits, scored nine runs, hit four doubles, one home run and has had 10 RBI. She is slugging .455 and has an on-base percentage of .392 as she has walked three times and is tied for the team lead with four hit by pitches.
 
Webster's opponent on Friday, St. Thomas comes into the postseason hitting .329 as a team and has recorded an ERA of 2.12 and leads Division III in shutouts with 16 and is 17th in Division III in steals with 82. In addition, the Tommies are 12-1 this season when not committing an error and a 24-2 when holding teams to three of fewer runs. St. Thomas has also hit 61 doubles, 11 triples, 17 home runs and has drawn 105 walks in 36 games.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Tommies is sophomore outfielder Coryn Jacobson, who is hitting .421 with 40 hits, 41 runs scored, 11 doubles, four triples, three home runs, 34 RBI and is 20-for-23 on stolen bases. Jacobson, who has walked 26 times and been hit by seven pitches, was named a Third-Team NFCA Midwest All-Region selection last week. In addition to Jacobson, junior infielder Megan Baniecke is hitting .402 with 33 hits, 13 runs, five doubles, one triple, four home runs and 23 RBI, while senior pitcher/first baseman Kierstin Anderson-Glass is hitting .398 with 37 hits, 10 runs, seven doubles, one home run, 24 RBI and has struck out just four times in 93 at-bats. As a team, St. Thomas has eight regulars in its line-up hitting over .300 on the season.
 
The Tommies pitching staff is anchored by Anderson-Glass as the second-team NFCA All-Midwest Region selection is 15-3 with a 1.65 ERA on the season. She has made 23 appearances in the circle, 15 starts and has tossed 11 complete games, six shutouts and has recorded two saves. In 131 innings of work, she has allowed 100 hits, 32 runs (24 earned), while striking out 125 and walking 26. In addition to Anderson-Glass, junior Kendall Hopkins is 8-2 with a 2.04 ERA as she had made 19 appearances and 15 starts and has tossed seven complete game and five shutouts. In 61.2 innings of work, she has allowed 46 hits, 21 runs (14 earned runs), while striking out 50 and walking 30.
 
St. Thomas, who is transitioning at the end of the 2020-21 school to the NCAA Division I level, is coached by NFCA Hall of Famer John Tschida, who has led the Tommies to 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 22 in the last 23 years. He is currently the winning Division III softball coach, both active or retired, as has won 1,004 games, including 85 in the NCAA Tournament and is one of 25 active NCAA softball coaches (at any level) to amass 1,000 career victories.
 
Friday's meeting will be the second ever meeting between the two schools as the first-ever meeting came in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Regional Tournament in Indianola, Iowa. In that game, St. Thomas came in as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation and the Gorloks pulled off a 3-1 victory over Tommies en route to finishing as the regional runner-up after falling 11-1 to Gustavus Adolphus in the championship game of the Simpson College Regional.
 
Listed below is the 2021 Waverly Regional Tournament schedule.