10 UIndy Greyhounds (47-13) vs. 6 North Geogia Nighthawks (49-7)
Game 1, NCAA Division II Chmpionships - Thursday, May 21, 3:30 pm ET, Oklahoma City , Okla.
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ON TAP
The 10th-ranked Greyhounds (47-13) open the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship versus No. 6 North Georgia (49-7) Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET.  The contest features the only top-10 match-up among the four opening-round games.

The nation's eight Super Regional champs have been divided into two four-team, double-elimination brackets, with the winner of each side facing off in a winner-take-all championship game Monday, May 25.

The victor of Thursday's UIndy/North Georgia game will face the Shorter/St. Mary's winner Friday at 4 p.m. CT.  The two losers will have a day off before facing off in an elimination game Saturday at noon CT.

HOW TO FOLLOW
A video stream and live stats for each of the Greyhounds' games in OKC will be available.  The games will also air live on the radio at UIndy's own 88.7 FM and on WICRonline.com.  Follow UIndy athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for additional coverage.

HOUNDS AT THE NCAAs
UIndy is in the midst of its eighth consecutive postseason run under Head Coach Melissa Frost.  The Greyhounds are 22-16 (.579) all-time at the NCAA Tournament.  This week marks the Hounds' second-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Championship, with their only other appearance coming 2009.

SUPER RECAP
Just like their 2009 counterparts, the Hounds dropped game one of the Midwest Super Regional and needed to sweep a doubleheader on the road to advance.  UIndy did so last Saturday by outscoring GLVC-rival and top-ranked Missouri-St. Louis by a combined score of 13-3 in games two and three.  UIndy bested UMSL ace and Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II Player of the Year finalist Hannah Perryman in both contests.  Perryman had lost just three games all season heading into the weekend until the Hounds handed her two losses in one day.

TOUGH DRAW
The route through the Greyhounds' side of the bracket could be a bumpy one.  All four teams in UIndy's cluster are ranked in the latest NFCA D-II poll - compared to three on the opposite side.  Additionally, the combined winning percentage on UIndy's side is 40 points higher than the other.  See below for a breakdown.
 

	RANK	PCT
North Georgia	6	.875
St. Mary's	7	.828
UIndy	10	.783
Shorter	24	.732
TOTAL		.804

 

	RANK	PCT
Dixie State	4	.875
Central Mo.	20	.778
Califormia (Pa.)	21	.788
Adelphi	NR	.600
TOTAL		.765

ABOUT NORTH GEORGIA
Owners of a stellar 49-7 record, the Nighthawks enter the week tied for the highest winning percentage in Division II, matching Dixie State's .875 mark.  UNG is led by 15th-year head coach Mike Davenport.  Since North Georgia, an NAIA convert, became eligible for NCAA Division II postseason play in 2008, Davenport has guided his squad to the postseason every season, including three consecutive trips to the NCAA DII Championship (2009-11).  

In 2010, Davenport led North Georgia to a 51-game winning streak, the second longest in NCAA history. The then-Saints entered the "College World Series" with a perfect record of 50-0, winning their opening game before losing the next two and falling short of the national finals.

Led by ace Courtney Poole, the Nighthawks top DII in team ERA at 1.11.  Meanwhile, senior first baseman Kim McMillan ranks fourth in the nation in on-base percentage (.584) and sixth in slugging (.872).

HOUNDS vs. NIGHTHAWKS
Thursday's opponents have matched-up just three times previously, all coming at the annual early-season Charger Chillout in Huntsville, Ala.  After UNG wins in 2008 and 2010, the Nighthawks earned an extra-inning victory earlier this season, downing the Hounds 5-3 in eight innings back on Feb. 7.

The teams battled to a 3-3 stalemate through seven innings, but North Georgia pushed two across in the top of the eighth and hung on for the 5-3 win.  Following a solid 5 2/3 innings from starter UIndy Coryn Tirpak, Morgan Foley came in to retire the first five batters she faced before surrendering the extra-inning runs and taking the loss.

Erika Goodwin and Casey Williamson each had a home run that day, with Williamson also adding a double.

PITCHING MATCH-UP
Much like at the Super Regional, UIndy fans will see quite a pitching match-up in the NCAA Championship opener.  UIndy's Morgan Foley and UNG's Courtney Poole are two of the top hurlers in the nation, ranking in the top 10 in Division II in a number of statistical categories. (see below).
 

	FOLEY		POOLE
	stat	DII rank	stat	DII rank
Wins	38	2nd	42	1st
ERA	1.08	8th	0.95	2nd
Strikeouts	438	1st	335	5th
SO per 7 IP	11.0	3rd	7.8	39th
H per 7 IP	3.6	3rd	4.3	8th
BB per 7 IP	3.1	NR	0.7	3rd

Though not the power pitcher Foley is, Poole has amazing control, surrendering less than a walk per game.  Poole is also one of the few pitchers in the nation to toss more innings than Foley.

Both pitchers were among the 10 finalists for the inaugural Schutt Sports/NFCA Division II Player of the Year, with Poole being included in the final three.

MORE ON FOLEY
UIndy's junior ace is looking for a third consecutive NFCA All-America First Team nod this week.  Last season, the Louisville, Ky., native was voted the Division II Pitcher of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).  A career highlight came on May 2, 2014 when she set the NCAA record (all divisions) with 30 strikeouts in a 13-inning win versus Rockhurst in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament.  Foley allowed just one hit - a 10th-inning single - while surrendering just three walks in her record-setting performance.

POWER PAIR
Seniors Casey Williamson and Taylor Russell, UIndy's No. 3 & 4 hitters, are both wrapping up record-setting college careers this week.  The sluggers rank in the top three in the UIndy career annals in most major offensive categories.  See below for a concise list.
 

	RUSSELL		WILLIAMSON
	stat	UIndy rank	stat	UIndy rank
Runs	168	3rd	208	1st
Hits	243	2nd	277	1st
Doubles	49	2nd	58	1st
Home runs	45	1st	41	3rd
RBI	191	1st	187	2nd
Total bases	437	2nd	490	1st

In addition, Williamson holds program career marks for triples (16), stolen bases (123) and walks (139).  She recently became the first player in program history to be named first team all-region all four seasons.  The Indy native has twice been named an NFCA All-America First Team honoree and the GLVC Player of the Year, both in 2012 and 2013.  She also won Midwest Region Player of the Year as a freshman in 2012.

Meanwhile, Russell has been voted all-region each of the last three years, including a first-team nod from the NFCA this season.

HOT STREAK
Sophomore Natalie Lalich has nine hits in six NCAA Tournament games to date, leading the team this postseason in batting average (.500), on-base percentage (.526) and slugging (1.056).  A native of nearby Greenwood, Ind., Lalich has smacked three homers in the tournament to date, including a walkoff, two-run shot versus Trevecca Nazarene in the eighth inning of the Midwest Regional 2 opener.

B1G TEN CONNECTION
Both UIndy's and North Georgia's first basemen spent time playing for Indiana-based Big Ten schools, with Lalich transferring from Indiana University and McMillan coming from Purdue.