Some extremely impressive resumes will fill the 6th annual Bradley University Softball Invitational when 24 collegiate teams visit Orland Park, Illinois, for three days of softball action at Centennial Park on September 14-16. The field includes four qualifiers from the 2000 NCAA Division I Iowa City Regional, NCAA Division II national runner-up Lewis University, NJCAA Division II national third-place finisher Kankakee Community College and NAIA national seventh-place finisher St. Xavier University. Top Division I entries include NCAA Tournament qualifiers University of Notre Dame (second at Iowa City Regional), DePaul University (third), Illinois State University (fourth) and Western Illinois University. The talented field also includes Midwestern Collegiate Conference regular season champion Loyola University and Big 10 Tournament third-place finisher, University of Illinois. The tournament originated six years ago when then Bradley University head coach Stefanie McAllister had a dream of bringing the college game to the South Suburbs, always a hotbed for softball. McAllister still serves as tournament director. The 60-game college tournament kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 14 at Centennial Park, 156th and West Avenue, in Orland Park. Saturday and Sunday contests begin at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day. The remainder of the field includes Bradley, Butler University, Illinois Central College, Lincoln College, Northern Illinois University, University of Northern Iowa, Northern Kentucky University, Olivet Nazarene University, Robert Morrris College, University of St. Francis, St. Joseph College- Rensselaer, South Suburban College, Trinity International University, Valparaiso University and University of Wisconsin-Parkside and IUPUI.
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