Feb 22, 2010 8:45:36 AM

Sixteen Division II softball teams from 11 states, five conferences and three regions converged on Las Vegas for a three-day tournament to help inaugurate the 2010 season and provide plenty of in-region, nonconference opportunities for schools in the West.

The February 12-14 Desert Stinger Tournament featured a unique hosting opportunity for defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion Montana State-Billings, which entertained rivals at a facility almost 1,000 miles from its own.

"Months of preparation and work went into the logistics and scheduling to make the tournament so successful," said Yellowjackets assistant softball coach Lisa Allen, who credited tournament director Steve Johnson, Clark County (Nevada) Commissioner Larry Brown and the City of Las Vegas Parks and Recreation for a successful event.

The schedule was arranged so that teams were assured not to play opponents from their own conference in order to get the in-region, nonconference contests that are valuable for postseason selection purposes. GNAC Umpire in Chief Jim Adrian scheduled the umpires so that no field saw the same umpires every game.

Grand Canyon was declared the tournament champion in a tiebreaker after the Antelopes went unbeaten along with Augustana (South Dakota) and St. Mary's (Texas). Other participating teams in addition to Montana State-Billings were St. Edward's, St. Martin's, Mary, Dixie State, Academy of Art, Colorado School of Mines, Chadron State, Colorado-Colorado Springs, New Mexico Highlands, Hawaii-Hilo, Western New Mexico and Fort Lewis.

Four fields were used for the competition while two other fields in the 12-field complex were used for warm-up areas for the teams waiting to play. Each team was guaranteed five games from Friday through Sunday, and eacThis portlet is temporarily disabled.