CHATTANOOGA – In the National Semifinals, the No. 2 University of North Georgia softball team will face off against third-ranked UT Tyler in Frost Stadium at Warner Park at 1:30 p.m. with a spot in the NCAA Division II National Championship series on the line. 

#3 UT Tyler (61-4)
The Patriots are back in the final eight for the second year in a row. They advanced after defeating West Texas A&M in the Super Regionals and are making their second appearance in their first two years of becoming NCAA DII eligible.

UT Tyler brought a 36-game winning streak to Chattanooga, with their last loss before falling to Grand Valley State 2-1 in nine innings on Friday (May 26), coming back on March 10 against Nova Southeastern, another NCAA Softball Championship team. 

The Patriots feature one of the most dominant pitchers in the country, Tatum Goff, who now holds the NCAA DII record for consecutive victories, moving to 41-0 this season after their 6-2 victory over East Stroudsburg to advance to the semifinals.

At the plate, UT Tyler is led by Courtney Plocheck and JT Smith, with Plocheck batting .400 this season, scoring 63 runs on 82 hits and 63 RBIs. Smith sits right behind her with a .393 batting average tying for the team lead in home runs with 12. 

The Patriots have begun their run at the NCAA DII Softball Championship with a 5-1 win over eighth-seeded Cal State San Marcos, a 2-1 loss to fifth-seeded GVSU in nine innings and a 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded East Stroudsburg. 

The Numbers
North Georgia -  Ranks top 10 in nine statistical categories nationally, ranking first in hits and runs, second in W/L percentage and doubles, fourth in scoring and shutouts, fourth in batting average, ninth in total stolen bases and tenth in hit by pitch.

UT Tyler - Ranks top 10 in 11 categories nationally, ranking first in hit by pitch and W/L percentage, second in walks, fourth in fielding percentage, fifth in total runs, sixth in on base percentage, seventh in sacrifice flies, eighth in ERA, shutouts and WHIP and tenth in hits.