MOUNT BERRY, Ga. - In less than 24 hours, two teams that have never advanced to the final site of the NCAA D-III Softball Championship will meet at Kay Williams Field to determine which one will advance farther than either school has been before.

Berry (32-11) will play host to Bethel (37-5) for up to three games this Friday and Saturday to determine who moves on to Salem, Va., next Thursday along with seven other schools to determine the national champion in Division III softball.

Super Regional Schedule
Friday, 2 p.m..: Berry v. Bethel (H) | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, 1 p.m.: Bethel v. Berry (H)  | Live Stats | Live Video
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.: Berry v. Bethel (H) | Live Stats | Live Video

Playoff History
Berry has reached the Super Regional round before, but has never won a game. In 2018, the Vikings won the Atlanta Regional but lost the Virginia Beach Super Regional to eventual national champion Virginia Wesleyan. Between falling short in 2019 and 2021 of making the NCAA postseason and the COVID-19 cancellation of the 2020 tournament, the 2022 season marks Berry's first time back in postseason play in four years.

Bethel had never reached the NCAA postseason tournament in its program history until 2022. Last season, the Royals earned the right to host the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships, but fell three games into the tournament. This year's Bethel squad has already set a program record for wins, and no matter how this season ends up, the Royals' record book will have the 2022 edition etched in as the team with the best winning percentage of all-time.

Scouting Bethel
Kayla Simacek has drawn a great deal of attention this season as the workhorse of the Bethel pitching staff. Of the 287.0 innings pitched by Bethel's staff, 253.1 of those have been worked by Simacek. The sophomore was named NFCA Region IX First Team and the MIAC Pitcher of the Year thanks to her 0.98 ERA for 2022.

However, to believe that the Royals are only as successful as Simacek would be a disservice. Lexi DeBace was also a First Team All-Region IX honoree after hitting .512 with 30 stolen bases in 32 attempts. Her 1.127 OPS is best among all Royals who qualify statistically.

Cortney Hokanson was a Second Team All-Region honoree, hitting .310 with 21 RBI from the catcher's spot. Kayla Hokanson and Allie Fauth were named All-Region Honorable Mention.

The Royals are coached by Penny Foore, who won the MIAC Coach of the Year award for 2022.

Scouting Berry
The Vikings had a pair of players earn NFCA First Team Region VI honors, with five overall earning the recognition.

Berry won the Greencastle Regional by a combined score of 27-3. Playing as the No. 4 seed, the Vikings topped DePauw to start play, then beat Hiram on Saturday and Sunday to take the regional crown.

Hannah Gore was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Greencastle Regional. Gore won two of the three games in the circle for the Vikings, pitching a shutout against Hiram in the second game of the regional and working 3.1 scoreless innings in relief against DePauw. Joining Gore on the Greencastle All-Regional team were Morgan Frye, Blair Hall, and Sydney Moroney.

Seeding Still Matters
Even though Berry is the host, it will be the visiting team on the scoreboard for the first game and, if necessary, the third game of the series. Berry was the No. 4 seed in the Greencastle Regional, while Bethel was the No. 1 seed in the St. Paul Regional. As the Royals have the better seed, they will begin with home field advantage.