The St. Thomas softball team received an automatic bid to the double-elimination 2016 NCAA Division III regional tournament after defeating St. Kate’s on Sunday and claiming the title of MIAC softball playoff champions.

The No. 12-ranked Tommies (38-6 overall, 20-2 MIAC) will travel to Lake Forest, Illinois where they are scheduled to play Wisconsin-Whitewater (28-12 overall, 8-5 WIAC) Friday at 2:30 p.m.

St. Thomas overpowered St. Kate’s in game seven of the MIAC playoffs Sunday. This is the Tommies’ 12th MIAC playoff title in the 13-year history of the tournament.

The Tommies were presented with the MIAC Softball Playoff Champion plaque during a post-game award ceremony held to honor both St. Thomas and St. Kate’s.

St. Thomas fpitcher Kierstin Anderson-Glass was named the tournament’s most valuable player and earned a spot on the 12-player All-Tournament team after her dominant performance this weekend.

Anderson-Glass earned a complete game in the opening match against Hamline and pitched two complete game shutouts against St. Kate’s, increasing her record to 3-0 over the weekend. In 24 innings, she allowed only two earned runs on 22 hits, 4 walks and 21 strikeouts, giving her an ERA under 1.00.

The Tommies had six players named to the All-Tournament team, which was selected by the four coaches who competed in the MIAC Playoffs.

The winner of this weekend’s tournament will advance to the super-regional on May 20-21.

Carolyn Meyer can be reached at cameyer@stthomas.edu.