Posted: May 01, 2012
The 2012 SUNYAC Softball Playoff field has been set, with six teams battling for a chance to win the postseason conference championship and earn the SUNYAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Softball Championship.
The playoffs begin on Thursday, May 3 with four games. Top-seeded Cortland plays sixth-seeded Oswego at 9 a.m., followed by second-seeded Plattsburgh versus fifth-seeded Brockport. at 11 a.m. and third-seeded Geneseo against fourth-seeded Buffalo State at 1 p.m. The losers of the first two games play at 3 p.m. in an elimination game. The tournament will continue with four games Friday, two Saturday, and one more, if necessary, on Sunday.
2012 SUNYAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
(Dragon Field – SUNY Cortland)
(Dragon Field – SUNY Cortland)
Tournament Web Page
Thursday, May 3
Game 1: (#6) Oswego at (#1) Cortland, 9 a.m.
Game 2: (#5) Brockport. vs. (#2) Plattsburgh, 11 a.m.
Game 3: (#4) Buffalo State vs. (#3) Geneseo, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3 p.m.
Friday, May 4
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 9 a.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 11 a.m.
(remaining schedule to be determined based on results of first six games – schedule includes games Friday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Sunday at 12 p.m., if needed)
Tournament Quick Facts
-The State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) will employ a six team double-elimination tournament format for the 13th straight year. From the 84-86 season the SUNYAC champion was determined by the top seeds from each division playing a single game. From 1987-1999 the tournament format was a four-team double-elimination tournament between the top two seeds from the east and west division.
-Five of the six teams that qualified for the 2011 SUNYAC Tournament return again this season. The absentee is Fredonia being replaced by Oswego.
-Oswego returns to the tournament for the first time since 2008.
-Under the current format, the No. 1 seed has won the SUNYAC Championship seven times. No 2 seed has won twice and seeds three, four and five have won once.
-The longest tournament game went 16 innings in 2004 with Oneonta defeating Buffalo State 1-0.
-The longest tournament game went 16 innings in 2004 with Oneonta defeating Buffalo State 1-0.
-The Buffalo State Bengals are making their 23rd appearance in the SUNYAC playoffs.
-Cortland earns the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight year, all under Head Coach Julie Lenhart. The Red Dragons return to the conference tournament for the 25th time in 29 years including 16 consecutive appearances.
- Only two teams have won consecutive SUNYAC titles. Brockport (1993 and 1994) and Cortland (2007 and 2008) and Cortland again (2010 and 2011).
-Thursday’s tournament opening game will mark the first postseason match-up between Cortland and Oswego.
- Plattsburgh serves as the #2 seed for the third straight year.
- Plattsburgh and Brockport have met 11 previous times in the tournament with the Cardinals holding a slight 6-5 advantage.
- Geneseo is on a nine game winning streak and has earned its highest seed in the tournament since 2005 when they were the #2 seed. The last three years they entered as the #4 seed.
- The Knights are 2-5 against Buffalo State in the tournament but are recently coming off a sweep of the Bengals last Friday.
Below is a Chart providing all-time SUNYAC tournament information (1984-2011).
|
School
|
6-team tournament record (2000-11)
|
4 team tournament record (1987-99)
|
Top seed tournament (1984-86)
|
All-time tournament record
|
|
Brockport
|
15-21
|
29-16
|
0-2
|
44-39
|
|
Buffalo State
|
21-18
|
20-20
|
2-1
|
43-19
|
|
Cortland
|
42-15
|
24-15
|
3-2
|
69-32
|
|
Fredonia
|
3-8
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
3-8
|
|
Geneseo
|
12-20
|
2-6
|
0-0
|
14-26
|
|
New Paltz
|
1-6
|
2-8
|
0-0
|
3-14
|
|
Oneonta
|
17-15
|
3-13
|
0-0
|
20-28
|
|
Oswego
|
0-2
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
0-2
|
|
Plattsburgh
|
14-20
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
14-20
|
|
Potsdam
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
0-0
|
