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Top Teams Vie for Kia Klassic Title

14 March 2000

CSF to Host Prestigious Collegiate Softball Tournament

    IRVINE, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton will play host to 11 of the Top 25 
women's fastpitch college teams when the Kia Klassic collegiate softball tournament 
swings into action tomorrow evening.  The tournament is widely regarded as second 
only to the NCAA College Softball World Series among collegiate women's 
fastpitch tournaments.  In all, 16 teams will participate in the five-day event.  
The championship game will be contested Sunday at 2 p.m.

    As one of the most prestigious softball events in women's sports, the Kia
Klassic is filled with teams highly ranked on the USA Today/National Fastpitch
Coaches Association Coaches' Poll.  It includes No. 1-ranked Washington, No.
2-ranked Arizona, No. 4-ranked Arizona State and No. 5-ranked Oklahoma.
Fresno State (No. 7) and Oregon State (No. 10) are other Top 10 teams that
will do battle in the tournament.

    In addition, Top 25 teams participating in the event include Cal State
Fullerton (No. 11), Iowa (No. 14), Louisiana-Lafayette (No. 16), Hawaii (No.
21) and DePaul (No. 22).  Notre Dame, Cal State Northridge, Texas and UNLV,
other participants in the Kia Klassic, are not in the Top 25, but all did
receive mention in the coaches' balloting.  Rounding out the field is
perennial southern power Northeast Louisiana.

    The action gets underway at 5 p.m. Wednesday when Arizona State takes on
Texas and Cal State Northridge battles Notre Dame.  The 7 p.m. contest that
evening will feature Cal State Fullerton versus Hawaii.

    The tournament will continue on Thursday with games beginning at 9 a.m.
and running through the day and evening.  A similar schedule of action will be
on tap Friday and Saturday, and the final games will take place Sunday morning
and afternoon.  All games will take place at Cal State Fullerton, where
tickets are available at the gate.

    For ticket information, call 714-278-2783.