Live Stats - Fairfield vs. Iona
Tournament Live Video

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- After 49 games and better than eight weeks of competition, the Fairfield University softball team achieved its goal of winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular-season title and the top-seed in the 2011 MAAC tournament that goes with that title. Now, the team will focus on playing for the right to earn the program's first NCAA tournament berth this weekend.

Fairfield is one of four teams competing for that coveted invitation, joining second-seed Manhattan College (25-21 overall, 12-4 MAAC), third-seed Marist College (32-20, 12-4), and fourth-seed Iona College (27-19, 11-5). The double-elimination tournament takes place in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on the Marist campus.

The Stags earned a split with all three teams this season, playing Iona in their conference opener before ending the season with Manhattan and Marist in the first week of May. Kristina Lingo enjoyed the most success against the tournament field, batting .368 with four RBI in the six-game set. Mikayla Shumate (.350 batting average), Kristen Filicia (.333), and Alli Wigand (.308) each hit better than .300 against those three teams. Sarah Minice was the team's top pitcher in MAAC play with an 11-1 record and a 0.56 ERA, which included a 2-1 mark with a 0.88 ERA against the tournament field.

Overall, Lingo is the team's top hitter with a .322 batting average, slightly better than freshman Lauren Liseth's mark of .315. Liseth has enjoyed one of the best rookie seasons in school history with team-highs in doubles (13), triples (4), home runs (6), and RBI (32). Lingo also has 32 RBI in her 49 starts this season. Filicia has contributed as well with a .305 hitting percentage and 28 stolen bases. Minice brings a 16-8 overall record into the tournament, ranking in the top 25 nationally with a 1.26 ERA.

Fairfield needs one win to hit 30 for the season, the first time since posting back-to-back 30-win campaigns in 2005 (31 wins) and 2006 (32 wins). Head Coach Julie Brzezinski led the Stags to four 30-win seasons in her 13 seasons at the helm, the only coach to win 30 games in any given campaign.

For complete tournament coverage, please visit the MAAC tournament central site throughout the weekend.

2011 MAAC Softball Tournament
Host: Marist College – Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Thursday, May 12
Game 1 - #2 Manhattan vs. #3 Marist – 12 pm
Game 2 - #1 Fairfield vs. #4 Iona – 2 pm

Friday, May 13
Game 3 – Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 11 am
Game 4 – Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 1 pm
Game 5 – Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 3 pm

Saturday, May 14
Game 6 – Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 12 pm
Game 7 – Winn of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6 – 2 pm (if necessary)