USD Softball 2005

14 The Pacific Coast Softball Conference Earns 2005 Automatic Qualifier After two seasons of competition, the Pacific Coast Softball Con– ference has received an automatic qualifier (AQ) for NCAA postsea– son play, Commissioner Wendy Guthrie announced in October. The AQ comes in time for the 2005 season of PCSC competition. A new conference must meet a number of criteria set by the NCAA to earn an AQ, most notably completing two seasons of play. With both the 2003 and 2004 seasons under its belt, the PCSC became eligible for the AQ in May. "We are just absolutely delighted with this announcement," Guthrie said. "The Pacific Coast Softball Conference was established

PACIFIC COAST SOFTBALL CONFERENCE

with the first most priority of improving the experience for the student-athletes within our conference." With the AQ in place, the team with the best conference record at the end of PCSC play will automatically advance to

the 64-team NCAA postseason tournament. The competitive PCSC has yielded different conference champions in each of its two seasons of play: Loyola Mary– mount won the inaugural title, while Santa Clara took the 2004 crown. The NCAA Division I Management Council Administrative Committee announced the approval of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC) for Division I conference membership in women's softball on October 17, 2002. The inaugural season of PCSC softball began on April 5, 2003, with six member schools: Sacramento State, Loyola Marymount, Portland State, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, and San Diego. "An automatic qualification is a significant step in providing a quality experience and providing a championship opportunity for our student-athletes.

2005 PCSC Preseason Poll l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Loyola Marymount (3) Sacramento State (3) Santa Clara Portland State San Diego St. Mary's 23 21 17 14 9 6

I thank the coaches, student-athletes and administrators for their continued dedication and commitment to the PCSC," Guthrie said.

~ Portland State '/

Loyola Marymount

Sacramento State

Saint Mary's College

San Diego

Santa Clara

TORERO SOFTBALL WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT:

•THE SCREEN MACHINE • BERRY'S ATHLETIC SUPPLY

•ADIDAS • EASTON • METAL IMAGERY

2005 University of San Diego Torero Softball