WALTHAM, Mass. – For the third time in four years, the Brandeis University softball team will play host the final rounds of the ECAC Division III New England tournament. The Judges (18-14) earned the top seed in the tournament and have received a bye into the double elimination semifinal round, which will start this Saturday, May 9.

Brandeis and second-seeded Southern Maine (23-18) will bypass this Wednesday's first round in the six-team tournament. The Judges will meet the winner of #4 Suffolk (24-14) and #5 Becker (20-14) Saturday at 10 a.m. Southern Maine will take on either #3 Albertus Magnus (24-13) or #6 Newbury (20-13) Saturday at noon. The first elimination game will take place at 2 p.m. with the winner's bracket concluding the day at 4 p.m. Another elimination game will be played at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 10, with the championship series starting at 1 p.m. that afternoon.

Brandeis also hosted the final rounds in 2012 and 2014. The Judges will be looking for their second title in program history to go with their 2008 crown. Brandeis has also finished as runners up three times: in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

The Judges enter the ECAC tournament on a hot streak, having won nine of their last 11 contests. The squad boasts three All-University Athletic Association second-team selections, all seniors: outfielder Amanda Genovese of North Haven, Conn. (.432 BA, 10-12 SB in 13 games before an injury ended her season); shortstop Anya Kamber of Sammamish, Wash. (.413 BA, 11 2B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 25 R); and catcher Cori Coleman of Burr Ridge, Ill. (.376 BA, 6 2B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, 22 R).

Junior third baseman Madison Sullivan of Dover, N.H., has been particularly hot during the team's recent stretch of success, batting .500 (19-38) with six home runs and six doubles (1.132 slugging percentage) and 25 RBI in that span. Senior pitcher Nikki Cote of Durham, Conn., and sophomore Samantha Wroblewski of Delray Beach, Fla., have each posted a 4-1 record in the last 11 contests, with Cote tossing an 11-strikeout game and Wroblewski throwing a five-inning, five-hit shutout in the streak.

The Judges, under interim head coach Brittany Grimm '12, finished in a tie for fourth place in the UAA behind three NCAA tournament squads (Rochester, Emory, Washington University). The Judges have faced one other ECAC tournament squad this season, having swept Suffolk in their regular-season finale, 10-2 and 8-0.