May 8, 2006 - Rider #3 Seed in MAAC Tournament

May 8, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

College Softball
Rider 3rd Seed in MAAC Tournament

LAWRENCEVILLE—The Rider University softball team is the third seed in the four-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, the MAAC announced today.

Rider (23-26, 10-6 MAAC) will play the second seed, Marist (30-11, 12-4 MAAC), at 1:00 pm Friday in the tournament’s opening game, at DeLuca Field in Stratford, Connecticut.

Canisius (28-21, 13-3) is the top seed and will play the fourth seed, tournament host Fairfield (30-25, 8-8), at 3:00 pm Friday. Canisius has won the last two MAAC Championships.

The winning teams on Friday will play Saturday morning at 11:00 am in Game 3, the losers from Friday meet Saturday at 1:00 pm in Game 4, and the loser of Game 3 plays the winner of Game 4 at 3:00 pm Saturday.

The MAAC Championship Game is Sunday at 12 noon, and if a second game is needed, it will be played at 2:00 pm Sunday.

Rider began the 2006 season 1-5 in the MAAC and was 2-6 before winning its final eight conference games to make the playoffs for the third time in the last four years. 

Rider was the third seed in 2003 and won the tournament in three straight games at DeLuca Field. Rider was the second seed in 2004 and advanced to the finals before losing to Canisius at Marist.

The Broncs are led by seniors Jen Cullen and Heather Beintema. Cullen (Lake Hopatcong) is a leftfielder batting .373 with 63 hits in 47 games.  Cullen earned All-MAAC honors last season, and has compiled 166 career hits, 12th most ever at Rider.  Beintema (LaMesa, CA) owns a 16-10 record this season with a 2.10 earned run average and 167 strikeouts. The former MAAC Pitcher of the Year (2004) and MAAC Tournament MVP (2003), Beintema owns a career record of 64-42. Her 707 career strikeouts broke the Rider record by almost 300 (414).

-RU-