Pitcher Sidney Burns likes the chemistry of this Milligan College softball team as well as any she's been a part of. Whether that translates into a third conference championship in four years will be determined this week.

The Buffaloes are the No. 3 seed for the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament that begins today at Domtar Park in Kingsport. They face No. 6 Union in a firstround game at 3 o'clock.

For Burns, the end of a sparkling career is at hand. The senior from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has won 72 games in her four seasons, with a school-record 748 strikeouts in 699 innings. Her ERA over that span: a miniscule 1.18.

Burns was named AAC pitcher of the year as a freshman, when she threw a whopping 249 innings and was 26-10, and again as a sophomore. It's no coincidence that Milligan won the championship both of those years.

“My goal this year is to just go out with a bang,” she said Monday, “and that means win another championship. I want to pull through for my teammates, not let them down. If I pitch well, everything falls into place for the team.”

It's been a fairly pedestrian season by the Buffaloes' standards. They finished 9-5 in the conference, 28-17 overall.

“Our team has the greatest chemistry in all my years at Milligan. It's been awesome,” said Burns. “On the field, it's been slightly frustrating. We've been up and down, both with our hitting and fielding. We've split with a lot of ballclubs – just so close, but not playing it through. “From a pitching standpoint, I know I can't mess up.”

When it comes to poise in the circle, coach Wes Holly has reason to be confident this week. Besides Burns, who is 16-10 with a 1.09 ERA this season, Chancli Connaster is an emerging talent. The freshman from Maryville is 12-6 with a 2.09 ERA. The team ERA of 1.49 ranks eighth nationally.

Holly's primary concern most days this season has been when his team is at bat.

“My pitching matches up with anybody,” he said Monday. “My hitting is horrendous. It's never really come around; we've streaked and had some improve and go backwards. We have to put something together if we're going to make a run in the tournament.”

The Buffaloes are hitting .254 as team. There are a few notable exceptions. Junior Brittany DiRobbio carries a .396 average – she was above the .400 mark most of the season – while junior Jessica Fix is batting .345 and leads the team with 28 runs batted in.

Milligan won six of its last seven conference games, the lone loss coming in a split at Montreat last Thursday that decided second place. The Buffaloes also split a pair of one-run games with Union during the regular season.

“They're a pretty even matchup for us,” said Holly. “It's almost girl for girl.”

Holly thinks four or five teams have a chance to claim the championship, but Reinhardt looks like a heavy favorite. The Lady Eagles didn't lose a conference game during the regular season; they swept Milligan 3-1 and 11-3.

“Their pitching is no better than the other teams in the top five,” said Holly, “but they just execute. They're consistent where other clubs are inconsistent.”

The regular-season champs apparently will not win any awards for congeniality, however.

“I think every team in this conference despises them,” said Burns. “They came into the league as hotshots. They're definitely good players, but they're cocky and they talk a lot. Everybody wants to beat them.”

The double-elimination format boils down to a championship game Friday at 1 o'clock, with a second contest set for 3 if necessary.