TYLER-- After finishing the season 36-7, winning the American Soutwest Conference East division, and the ASC title, the UT Tyler softball team has garnered another honor, being named the No. 1 seed in the Tyler, Texas Regional for the 2012 NCAA Softball Championships.  Tyler will be host to seven teams from around the country, all trying to capture a berth into the 2012 College World Series in Salem, Virginia.

The Patriots, ranked No. 7 in the country by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, have won eight games in a row, including 18 out of their last 20.  UT Tyler is led by ASC East division player of the year Katelyn Thomason, who hit .437, with three homeruns, nine doubles, 42 RBIs, while going 13-3 with a 1.85 ERA in the circle.  Junior Ashley Endsley finished the regular season with 10 homeruns, leading the ASC, batting .412 while teammate Heather Abshire went 19-3 in the circle with a 1.57 ERA.

Rounding out the field of the seven-team Tyler, Texas Regional are No. 2 seed Pacific Lutheran (37-11), No. 3 seed Redlands (31-11), No. 4 seed Louisiana College, No. 5 seed Claremont Mudd-Scripps (28-13), No. 6 seed Birmingham-Southern and No. 7 seed Huntingdon (28-13).

UT Tyler has faced two of the teams already this season, going 5-1 against Louisiana College in ASC action and splitting a two-game series with Pacific Lutheran. 

For information, brackets, rosters, and team info, please visit the NCAA Tyler Regional webpage at http://www.uttylerpatriots.com/ncaa/