SHAWNEE C.C. SOFTBALL TEAM QUALIFIES FOR NATIONAL TOURNEY

The National Junior College Athletic Association finally leveled its playing field as far as softball is concerned -- and Shawnee Community College has taken full advantage.

SCC, located in Ullin, Ill., recently qualified for the NJCAA Division II national tournament that will be played May 17-20 in Phoenix.

This is the first year that the NJCAA has two national softball tournaments, splitting up Division I programs from Division II squads, the latter not being on equal footing in the scholarship department.

"They (the NJCAA) have done it in all the other sports and now they're doing it for us," said SCC coach Warren Koch of the addition of a Division II national tourney. "All the time before we had to play against Division I teams in the tournament and it was tough.

"We've had had some good teams. Last year we had a good team, but it was just really hard playing against the Division I schools."

The Lady Saints will carry a 47-25 record into the 10-team national meet. To qualify for nationals, SCC won the Region 24 Tournament held last week in Springfield, Ill., and then defeated Forest Park Community College of St. Louis in a best-of-three series played last weekend in Ullin.

Not only are the Lady Saints the first SCC softball team to make the national tournament, they are the first SCC squad of any kind to qualify for nationals since the 1989 men's basketball team made the Division II tourney.

"It's quite a deal. Everybody is really excited," said Koch, who has coached the Lady Saints the past 14 seasons.

While most of the SCC players are from Southern Illinois, the Lady Saints have two Southeast Missouri products on their roster in Cape Girardeau Central High School graduates Erica McDonald and Michelle Lunsford, both freshmen.

McDonald plays first base for SCC while Lunsford is the squad's right fielder. According to Koch, both players are batting above .300 and have had strong rookie seasons.

"Both have played really well for us," Koch said. "And what's good is we'll have them both back next year."

Koch said SCC's top pitcher has been Nichole Burlison from Goreville. She has three straight shutouts. And the Lady Saints' leading hitters have been left fielder Stephanie Bowen from Anna-Jonesboro and third baseman Beth Widowski from Vienna.