The NCAA has announced that Lee University and Chattanooga’s Warner Park will host the 2020 Division II Softball World Series. Jim Frost Stadium will be the centerpiece for the May 21-25 event next year for eight regional winners. The two survivors of double-elimination play will meet in a best-of-three finals series. “We are excited to be partnering with the Chattanooga Sports Committee in hosting (the D2 nationals),” athletic director Larry Carpenter said in a Lee release. “Chattanooga has a rich history of outstanding softball, and their facilities are first class.”
» Lee’s Lady Flames were swept in a doubleheader Wednesday at King University in Bristol, 6-4 and 7-1. Lily Hatcher was a combined 5-for-7 with two RBIs for Lee (16-23) and the only Lady Flame with multiple hits in the second game, though Bailey Church had a double and Kayla Louie hit a triple. Louie was 2-for-4 with a double in the first game, when Kiley Longmire was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and Zoe Miller had a double. King is 21-14.
General
» Lee University has relegated West Florida to the unusual position of second place in the Gulf South Conference overall all-sports standings. West Florida has won the overall trophy every year since the competition was established in 2013-14, but the Pensacola school is 1.25 points behind Lee – last year’s runner-up – through the winter seasons of the 2018-19 school year. West Florida and the Lady Flames share the top spot in the women’s standings, and Lee is third behind leader West Alabama and Alabama-Huntsville in men’s sports. Alabama-Huntsville, Valdosta State and West Alabama are third through fifth overall.
Baseball
» One day after moving up three spots to third in the NAIA baseball coaches’ poll, Tennessee Wesleyan won 13-2 Wednesday at home against Martin Methodist. The Bulldogs (32-6) had beat Montreat 12-0 on Monday as Irving Martin pitched a seven-inning four-hitter with 12 strikeouts and Tyler Reichenborn, Max Draijer, Dan Fry, Braden Mosley and Jhosmel Rodriquez were a combined 12-for-16 with two walks, 12 runs batted in and nine scored. Draijer homered. The Bulldogs won 13-2 Wednesday, when Mosley went 2-for-3 with a walk, two homers and seven RBIs as part of a 15-hit attack, with Fry and Reichenborn each contributing three. Manny Perez struck out seven as the winning pitcher. Martin pitchers walked eight batters.
Golf
» The Lee women’s golf team, ranked 22nd in NCAA Division II, finished fifth Tuesday in the stacked Argonaut Invitational at Navarre, Florida, while Lee was seventh in the men’s Argonaut Invitational at the Pensacola Country Club. Third-ranked Nova Southeastern won the women’s event handily at 891 for 54 holes, followed by host West Florida at 912, No. 13 Florida Southern at 930, No. 16 Saint Leo at 937 and Lee at 945. Annika Gino led the Lady Flames with a 231, good for 11th place, and Emily Felix shot 235. For the Flames, freshman Dustin DeMersseman tied for eighth at 1-over-par 217, Evan Spence carded a 220 and Scott Odell had a 223.
» Chattanoogan Ryann McCuistion tied for third at 155 and led Tennessee Wesleyan to a fourth-place team finish at 657 in the women’s AAC Spring Championships on Monday and Tuesday in Waleska, Georgia. Bryan’s Krista Reinhardt was seventh at 156. TWU’s Saylem Powell, Kelsey Cassada, Meagan Schauer and Maddi Balthrop and Bryan’s Daniella Banda also finished in the top 27 at 166, 168, 169, 169 and 167.
» Tennessee Wesleyan’s men were seventh at 602, Covenant was ninth at 612 and two-year program Cleveland State was 13th in the Phoenix Invitational hosted by Cumberland at Old Hickory Country Club. TWU’s Simon Nagy and Jeovani Veloz tied for 11th and 16th at 147 and 148, and Covenant’s Will DeMersseman, Nathan Hawkins and Josh Wall and TWU’s Tanner Dowland shot 152, 153, 153 and 154. Cleveland State’s Colbe Cagle shot 155.