Flames find success in spring season

The UIC athletic department continues to excel during the spring season as a pair of teams advanced to their respective NCAA Tournaments while a third team is in position for a potential postseason run.

UIC’s women’s tennis team made its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament after capturing the 2021 Horizon League Championship with a 4-1 victory over Youngstown State in the championship match. Behind Horizon League Coach of the Year Shannon Tully, four Flames earned All-Horizon League honors, including a pair of first team selections. The Flames took on 10th-seeded Ohio State in the opening round of the tournament, battling the Buckeyes before falling by a 4-0 final score.

The Flames’ softball program became the department’s second team to advance to the national tournament, as UIC captured the 2021 Horizon League Softball Championship with a 4-3 win over Oakland in the finals. Entering the tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Flames went a perfect 3-0 in their championship run, including a 5-4 victory over the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Youngstown State. Horizon League Player of the Year Kayla Wedl and the Flames earned the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, where they were selected to compete in the Columbia Regional, hosted by the University of Missouri. The Flames will begin their tournament run on Friday, May 21, against the No. 8 seed, and regional hosts, Missouri.

UIC’s baseball team, the reigning Horizon League champions from 2019, will look to win their second consecutive conference title at the upcoming Horizon League Championship. Winners of 15 out of their last 16 contest, head coach Mike Dee’s squad has clinched a berth in the four-team conference tournament, held May 27-29 at Wright State. With one win, or one loss by Youngstown State, over the final four games of the regular season, the Flames will secure the No. 2 seed in the tournament. Bryan Rosario ranks 11^th in the country in batting average (.413) while Jacob Key is among the nation’s leaders in wins, ERA and fewest hits allowed.