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SALEM, VA – The Rowan University softball team plays Messiah College on the first day of the NCAA Championship Tournament on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.  The double elimination tournament continues through Tuesday, May 31 at the Moyer Sports Complex. 
 
The final two teams play a best of three-games for the national title.  Rowan (40-9) advanced to the championship by winning the Super Regional over Ithaca College.  Messiah (44-4) was the winner against Haverford College in the Super Regional.
 
Shortstop Shilah Snead (sr. Malaga, NJ/Delsea Reg.) and pitcher Beth Ann Hyland (sr. East Brunswick, NJ/East Brunswick) are two players that have contributed to Rowan's success.  Snead has a .479 batting average with 31 RBIs.  She has scored 66 runs and stolen 33 bases.  Her extra base hits include 16 doubles, two triples and eight home runs.  Snead has a .743 slugging percentage and a .549 on-base percentage.  Snead was selected the Most Outstanding Player at the Super Regional. 
 
Snead was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America first team for the second straight year.  Snead was chosen the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Player of the Year.  In addition, she was a member of the NFCA East All-Region and NJAC All-Conference first teams.   
 
In 31 starts, Hyland has compiled a 25-5 record with a 1.42 earned run average (ERA).  She has recorded 162 strikeouts in 163 innings and her opponents have a .202 batting average.  Hyland was the Most Valuable Pitcher at the Super Regional.  She was the conference's Pitcher of the Year and a member of the NFCA East All-Region and All-Conference first teams.
 
Rowan won the NCAA Cortland Regional.  The Profs defeated Castleton University, 4-2 and SUNY Cortland, 1-0.  Cortland had a 13-12 victory over Rowan and the Profs came back with a 7-3 decision for the regional title.  First baseman Damariz Mercado (jr. Bloomfield, NJ/Bloomfield) was chosen the Most Outstanding Player at the Cortland Regional Tournament.  Right fielder Morgan Smith (so. Millsboro, DE/Sussex Central), left fielder Mia Baldassari (so. Lake Hoptacong, NJ/Morris Knolls), designated player Ashley DeYoung (jr. Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) and Hyland were named to the Regional All-Tournament Team.
 
DeYoung is hitting .355 with 48 RBIs and 12 home runs.  She leads the team with 30 walks.  DeYoung was chosen to the NFCA All-America first team.  She was also on the NFCA East All-Region and NJAC All-Conference first teams.
 
Smith has compiled 58 RBIs, which is first on the team.  She has a .358 batting average and 39 runs.  Smith was a NJAC All-Conference and NFCA East All-Region second team selection.  Baldassari is contributing with a .348 batting average and she has 36 RBIs and 38 runs.  In the postseason, Mercado leads the Profs with a .471 batting average and seven RBIs.  She recorded a solo home run for the 1-0 victory against Ithaca. 
 
Depth on the mound is supplied by right-hander Allison Nolan (sr. Middletown, NJ/Middletown S.) and rookie MacKenzie Juodaitis (fr. Cheshire, CT/Cheshire).  Nolan has a 5-0 mark with four saves and a 1.95 ERA.  In 20 appearances, Juodaitis has a 7-2 record and two saves.  Her ERA stands at 2.36.  She was the winning pitcher in the final game at the Cortland Regional and earned a save in the second Ithaca contest at the Super Regional.  The pitching staff also includes Ashley Lesch (so. Rockaway, NJ/Morris Knolls) and Rachel Gagliardo (so. Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro S.). 
 
Rowan's lineup includes veteran catcher Alyssa Sims (sr. Cherry Hill, NJ/Cherry Hill W.) and newcomers Carly Anderson (fr. Nutley, NJ/Nutley) at second base, Nicole Paiotti (so. Oakland, NJ/Indian Hills) at third base and Gianna Genello (fr. West Caldwell, NJ/James Caldwell) in center field.  Sims is batting .336 and has chipped in with 28 runs.  Anderson has a .432 batting average, 40 RBIs and 33 runs.  She was selected the conference's Rookie of the Year and to the NJAC All-Conference first team with Sims and Genello.  Anderson was also on the NFCA East All-Region second team.  Paiotti is hitting .357 and has added 33 RBIs and 32 runs.  Genello is third with a .361 batting average.  She has scored 31 runs and knocked in 20.         
 
Rosalie Hood (so. Egg Harbor City, NJ/Cedar Grove), Kristina Mueller (fr. Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge) and Sammy Vradenburg (jr. Park  Ridge, NJ/Park Ridge) supply the speed on the bases.  Hood has scored 18 runs and Vradenburg has crossed the plate 10 times.      
 
This is Rowan's fifth trip to the national championship tournament.  The Profs took fourth place in 1993 and 1994.  Rowan was an automatic qualifier for the national tournament as the New Jersey Athletic Conference Champion.  The Profs have advanced to the NCAA postseason six straight years and 24 times overall.   
 
Rowan leads the series versus Messiah, 7-3.  The last meeting was this season at the Rebel Spring Games in Florida.  The Eagles edged the Profs, 4-3 (March 12).
 
The NCAA Championship Tournament schedule for May 26 and 27 is below.
 
Thursday, May 26 - James I. Moyer Sports Complex - Salem, VA
Game 1 – 11 a.m.: UT-Tyler vs. St. John Fisher
Game 2 - 1:30 p.m: Emory vs. St. Thomas
Game 3 – 4 p.m.: Illinois Wesleyan vs. MIT
Game 4 - 6:30 p.m.: Messiah/Haverford vs. Rowan

Friday, May 27 - James I. Moyer Sports Complex - Salem, VA
Game 5 – 11 a.m.: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6 - 1:30 p.m.: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 7 – 4 p.m.: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4
Game 8 - 6:30 p.m.: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2