Braves excited about Alcorn State's first-round NCAA matchup

When they saw their name pop up on the television screen in the honors dormitory, the Alcorn State University softball team immediately ran the spectrum of emotions. "We were excited and shocked," said starting catcher Chelsie Dahlbeck, a 2008 graduate of Estero High School in Estero, Florida.

Excitement is understandable for the team from southwestern Mississippi that will be making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament. The shock factor can be attributed to Alcorn's first opponent in the 64-team field, which was announced Sunday night during a selection show on ESPNU. Alcorn, whose school's undergraduate enrollment is less than 2,700, will meet powerful Alabama, whose 48-9 record and Southeastern Conference title earned the Crimson Tide the tournament's No. 1 seed.

Dahlbeck knows a daunting task awaits Alcorn, but she said it's a challenge that the Lady Braves won't shy away from. "It's a good experience. I know they're looking at us as the underdog. I hope we do well," Dahlbeck said. The double-elimination Tuscaloosa Regional also includes Alabama-Birmingham and Atlantic Sun Conference champion Lipscomb.

Alcorn (24-24) generated a minor miracle just to get into the NCAA tournament. After losing its first game in the Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament, Alcorn had to reel off five straight wins -- including the title clincher against Mississippi Valley State -- to earn an automatic bid.

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

B-CU wins MEAC title

ORMOND BEACH, FL -- Five years ago, Bethune-Cookman was the darling of college softball. But when the Wildcats' head coach left for greener pastures shortly after they became the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team to reach the NCAA super regionals, they fell off the map. Now they're back.

B-CU defeated North Carolina A&T 7-3 on Saturday at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex to win the MEAC softball championship and qualify for regional play for the first time since its amazing run to the Super Regionals in 2005. "I'm so glad we got this for the program," said B-CU pitcher Allison Garcia, who was named the tournament's outstanding player. Fourth-year coach Chris Cochran was named outstanding coach of the tourney.

"I'm so happy for Chris," B-CU athletics director Lynn Thompson said amid the Wildcats' celebration, noting B-CU was caught off-guard when former coach Laura Watten left the program for the University of Maryland just as the 2005-06 school year was about to begin. After a season under an interim coach, Cochran, a former head coach at Brown University, was hired in August 2006. "She had to come in here and rebuild it," Thompson said. "When we hired her we knew it would be a good fit, and it was. I'm just so proud of what Chris and what these kids have accomplished."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.