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Richardson, Texas – The Concordia University Texas baseball team will make its first appearance in the ASC Tournament since 2008 when it hosts Louisiana College for a first round, best-of-three series on Friday, Apr. 29 and Saturday, Apr. 30 at Tornado Field. Forever Video Productions will provide a free webcast for fans with Director of Athletics Dan Huntley calling all of the action.

The teams will play the first game on Friday at 6 p.m. and the second on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a third game scheduled to start 30 minutes afterwards if necessary. Tickets for each day will be $7 for reserved seating and $5 for general admission. Kids 12 and under as well as Concordia University Texas staff and students with a valid ID will be admitted for free.

The winners from the four, best-of-3 series (featuring Texas-Tyler vs. McMurry in Tyler, Texas; Texas-Dallas vs. Texas Lutheran in Richardson, Texas; Hardin-Simmons vs. Mississippi College in Abilene, Texas; and Concordia Texas vs. Louisiana College in Austin, Texas) will advance to the championship round, a double elimination format to be held May 6-8 at the site of the top remaining East Division seed. The ASC champion will earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship.

Live video, audio and statistics will be available for all first round games. Links can be found on the conference's website, www.ASCsports.org, as well as the athletics websites of all host institutions.

Nationally-ranked Texas-Tyler is the East Division's top seed after claiming its fifth straight division title. Head coach Paul Wyczawski's two-time defending conference champion Patriots (33-4) are followed in the East by second-seed Texas-Dallas (25-15), third-seed Louisiana College (25-15) and fourth-seed Mississippi College (22-16). Hardin-Simmons and Concordia Texas shared the West Division crown, but HSU earned the top seed from the West due to the head-to-head tie-breaker. Head coach Steven Coleman's Cowboys (28-11) and head coach Tommy Boggs' Tornados (25-14) are followed by No. 3 seed Texas Lutheran (23-17) and No. 4 seed McMurry (15-25).

Game 1 for all series will be on Friday, while Game 2s and any if necessary Game 3s will be on Saturday. All Friday games will begin at 6 p.m., except for UTD-TLU, which will have a 2 p.m. first pitch. Game 2s will all start at 2 p.m., except for the series in Richardson, Texas, which will get going at 11 a.m. All if necessary Game 3s will begin 30 minutes following Game 2. All tournament games are nine innings.

Concordia (25-14) will be making its seventh overall appearance in the tournament as the second seed in the West Division after claiming a share of the division title for the third time in program history. The Tornados, who won the league's postseason event in 2002 before participating in the College World Series that year, have relied on defense and pitching as the formula for their success, ranking third and fifth in the league in the categories, respectively.

Colin Butschek and Pedro Maldonado have been the team's top two starters on the mound. Butschek is 7-2 overall with a 3.72 earned run average, winning six consecutive starts over as many Friday nights at one point this season. He has fanned 55 batters while issuing only 10 walks. Maldonado has been the team's hottest hurler to close out the regular season, garnering ASC Pitcher of the Week laurels twice over the final three weeks. He has gone the distance in two of his last three starts, posting one shutout, and boasts a 3.56 ERA with 66 strikeouts. Ryan Ullmann, Gerry Morrison and Bryant Hernandez have all been solid in relief.

The Tornados have six regular starters batting over .300 in Collin Janssen, Brent Schaekel, Robert Brown, Kyle Bieschke, C.J. Riojas and Colton Gommert. Janssen, a junior catcher who has also seen time on the mound, is hitting .354 with 21 runs batted in. He was also named the institution's Male Student-Athlete of the Year last week. Gommert has driven in a team-best 25 runs, while Bieschke has homered twice and registered 18 of his 23 RBI in conference play. Brown has a team-leading 14 hits for extra bases and has driven in 24 runs. Schaekel has stolen 13 bases.

Louisiana College (25-15) is making its second straight appearance and sixth overall in the ASC Tournament. The Wildcats, who were swept in the first round by Hardin-Simmons in Abilene last season, are led by junior infielder Jordan Marks, who is batting .354 with 10 home runs and a league-best 54 RBI this spring. Other notable contributors on offense include Chris Waguespack and Mike Doughty, who are hitting .355 and .353, respectively. Anthony Benoit and Steven Davis also have averages above .300, while Davis has gone yard a team-best three times. Cole Prejean has been the Wildcats' ace on the mound. He has an 8-1 ledger with a league-leading 2.03 ERA. Justin Reed adds a 4.50 ERA and a 1-1 record with 36 strikeouts over 44 innings of work. Marks has two saves in seven relief appearances.

Game Information (Friday, Apr. 29)
5:50 p.m. Pregame
6:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Louisiana College (Game One)

Game Information (Saturday, Apr. 30)
1:50 p.m. Pregame
2:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Louisiana College (Game Two)
*5:00 p.m. Concordia vs. Louisiana College (Game Three)

*If necessary, a third game will be played approximately 30 minutes after the second one is completed.

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NOTES: This is the 14th year of the ASC baseball tournament … The West Division has produced the ASC champion 11 times ... The only East teams to prevail were Mississippi College in 2003 and Texas-Tyler the last two years … McMurry has won the most ASC titles with four … MC has the most ASC tournament appearances with 12 – including a record-11 straight – followed by McMurry (11) and Hardin-Simmons (10) … The hosting rights for the Championship Round rotate each year between each division's top remaining seed … If all East Division teams were to lose their first round series, Hardin-Simmons would host the championship round due to being the top remaining seed … Admission prices will be the same for every site: $5 for adults and $3 for students. No complimentary passes will be issued.

2011 AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SERIES

-FIRST ROUND-
April 29-30 (Friday-Saturday)

[West #4] McMurry @ [East #1] Texas-Tyler
Irwin Field / Tyler, Texas
Game 1: Friday (4/29), 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday (4/30), 2 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday (4/30), 30 minutes following Game 2, if necessary

[East #3] Louisiana College @ [West #2] Concordia Texas
Tornado Field / Austin, Texas
Game 1: Friday (4/29), 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday (4/30), 2 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday (4/30), 30 minutes following Game 2, if necessary

[West #3] Texas Lutheran @ [East #2] Texas-Dallas
UTD Baseball Field / Richardson, TX
Game 1: Friday (4/29), 2 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday (4/30), 11 a.m.
Game 3: Saturday (4/30), 30 minutes following Game 2, if necessary

[East #4] Mississippi College @ [West #1] Hardin-Simmons
Hunter Field / Abilene, Texas
Game 1: Friday (4/29), 6 p.m.
Game 2: Saturday (4/30), 2 p.m.
Game 3: Saturday (4/30), 30 minutes following Game 2, if necessary

-CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND-
May 6-8 (Friday-Sunday)

Times TBA
(Hosted by highest remaining seed from East Division)

FRIDAY, MAY 6
Game 5: Winner McM/UT TYLER Series vs. Winner LC/CTX Series
Game 6: Winner TLU/UTD Series vs. Winner MC/HSU Series

SATURDAY, MAY 7
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6
Game8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6
Game 9: Winner Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 (Semifinal)

SUNDAY, MAY 8
Game 10 (Championship): Winner Game 8 vs. Winner Game 9
If necessary, Game 11: 30 minutes after Game 10