Oregon Institute of Technology Athletics

COMING UP: at NAIA Softball World Series (Columbus, Ga.), Friday vs. No. 7 Baker (Kan.) or No. 15 Central Methodist (Mo.), 4 p.m. (EDT)

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
BROADCAST INFORMATION: All Oregon Tech games played at the NAIA Softball World Series will be carried live in the Klamath Basin on 104.3 and 960 Sports with Mike Safford on the call. A pay-per-view video stream will be available throughout the tournament via the NAIA Network, with the semifinals and championship game to be carried live on ESPN3. All games will have Live Stats available through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
TRAVEL ITINERARY: The Lady Owls left the Basin late Monday afternoon and traveled via United Airlines from Medford-to-Denver-to-Atlanta, before making the 90-minute drive to the Chattahoochee River Valley. OIT, along with all tournament teams, are staying at the Columbus Marriott (for room reservations, call (706) 324-1800 – mention NAIA World Series for special rate).
 
TICKETS: Both single-day ($15) and full World Series tournament passes ($60) are available – with a $10-off discount for tournament passes available through Wednesday via the Columbus Sports Council's Online Ticket Portal.
 
ABOUT THE VENUE: The South Commons Softball Complex and its adjacent Golden Park, were the host to the 1996 Olympic Softball competition and has been the site to the Southeastern Conference Softball Championships and numerous international softball tournaments. The stadium seats over 1,000 fans on the banks of the Chattahoochee River.
 
OFF TO THE WORLD SERIES: With their victory last Wednesday over Saint Xavier, Oregon Tech secured the championship of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Klamath Falls Bracket and an automatic bid to the 42nd Annual NAIA Softball World Series. It is the fourth-straight appearance for the Lady Owls at the event and their fifth appearance in the current 10-team format (eighth overall appearance). Tech and Science & Arts (Okla.) are the only two teams making a return appearance to Columbus, as the remaining eight squads from the 2022 event failed to qualify – including defending champion, Oklahoma City. More than half of OIT's roster (10 of 17 players) have played in a NAIA Softball World Series game, with Maddie DeVerna making her fourth appearance.
 
OWLS AT THE FINAL SITE: Tech made three appearances in the then-named NAIA Softball National Championships – with the 1997 team playing in a 16-team, double-elimination bracket – losing their opener to Shawnee State (3-2), eliminating Georgian Court (8-0), before finishing in a tie for seventh after losing to William Woods (1-0). The 2011 and 2012 teams competed in a 32-team event, with eight 4-team pools determining an 8-team double-elimination bracket. In 2011, OIT was 3-0 in pool play, riding the right arm of Jackie Imhof to victories over Northwood (1-0), Midland (3-0) and Trevecca Nazarene (8-0) to reach the championship round, followed by wins over Lubbock Christian (7-1), Belhaven (4-2) and Cal Baptist (1-0) to advance to the final. After a 7-0 loss to Cal Baptist forced a winner-take-all championship, where Imhof tossed a 4-hit shutout and Jess Plummer delivered the lone run with an RBI single, as the Lady Owls won the national title with a 1-0 victory. A year later, OIT failed to reach the bracket, despite going 2-1 in Pool Play – defeating Madonna (5-2) and St. Gregory's (3-1), but a 5-1 loss to Shorter eliminated Tech. OIT made four previous appearances in the current 10-team World Series format, placing fourth in 2015, seventh in both 2019 and 2022, while taking second in 2021. The 2015 squad defeated Dickinson State (7-5) in their opener before being sent to the elimination bracket with a 7-0 loss to eventual champ, Auburn Montgomery. Tech battled back, eliminating William Carey (3-0) and Central Methodist (4-3) – the latter a record 16-inning game – before falling to Lindsey Wilson (8-1). In 2019, the Owls lost their opener to Mobile (3-2), before eliminating Valley City State (7-1), but had their season ended in a 5-1 loss to Georgia Gwinnett. In 2021, OIT was the lone unbeaten team remaining in the tournament after wins over Mount Mercy (11-5), Madonna (5-4) and College of Idaho (4-1), but Southern Oregon swept the championship series to claim the national title. Last season, the Owls dropped their opener to Science & Arts (3-0), earning a 1-0 victory over Tennessee Wesleyan in an elimination game before a 3-2 loss to Southeastern ended their tournament play.

HISTORY IN THE POSTSEASON: The Owls have secured a postseason berth for a 12th-straight (non-COVID shortened) as since 2002, OIT has claimed six CCC Tournament titles (2006, 2011, 2012, 2021, 2022, 2023). Tech has received their 12th bid (tenth-straight) to the NAIA National Championships (1997, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) – including World Series appearances (which started in 2013) in 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2022. OIT is 73-37 all-time in the postseason - 30-15 in the CCC Championships, 25-10 in the NAIA Opening Round and 18-12 at the NAIA National Tournament/NAIA Softball World Series.
 
AGAINST THE TOP-25: OIT has a 15-3 record this season against Top-25 teams – going 5-0 against No. 4-ranked Southern Oregon, 5-0 against No. 24-ranked Eastern Oregon, 1-0 against No. 12-ranked Northwestern and 4-3 against No. 6-ranked College of Idaho.
 
GAME 1 PREVIEW – CENTRAL METHODIST OR BAKER: The Lady Owls will get to watch their opponent on Thursday, as OIT will meet the winner of a pair of Heart of America Athletic Conference foes, Baker University or Central Methodist University, in their Friday opener. The No. 7-ranked Wildcats (47-10), from Baldwin City, Kan., won the HAAC regular-season title and eliminated OIT rival, College of Idaho, in the Opening Round championship game to secure their first-ever trip to the World Series. Pitching has been the ticket for Baker, as freshman Kira Baker (24-1 0.59 ERA, 303 K) is among the best arms in the NAIA, as the club boasts the No. 2 team ERA (1.28) in the NAIA. Infielders Savannah Bray (.342 11 HR 38 RBI) and Kerstyn Finch (.305 7 HR 39 RBI) have combined for 44 stolen bases – but the BU offense ranks in the bottom third of all NAIA teams with a .258 batting average. No. 15-ranked CMU (41-10), from Fayette, Mo., claimed the HAAC tournament title for the second-straight year and are making their first World Series appearances since 2015. Outfielder Kalena Oots (.391 0 HR 23 RBI, 24 SB) was the HAAC Player of the Year, part of an offensive attack that posted a .334 batting average. The duo of Jocelyn Crider (.378 4 HR 42 RBI) and Katelyn Kiser (.386 4 HR 36 RBI) are key to the Eagles success, with pitcher Jordyn Ball (18-3 1.39 ERA) leading the staff in the circle.
 
AGAINST THE HAAC: Friday's match-up will be OIT's third game against a Heart of America Athletic Conference team – as the Owls topped Central Methodist, 4-3 in 16 innings, in the 2015 NAIA Softball World Series – as a Cassidy Hoglund RBI single proved to be the game winner – while in 2021, Tech defeated Mount Mercy, 11-5, in the NAIA quarterfinals.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: A win over Central Methodist or Baker would send Tech into the quarterfinals and a match-up at 4 p.m. (EDT) on Saturday against the winner of Southern Oregon and Georgia Gwinnett. A loss in their opener would send the Owls into the elimination bracket and a 10 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday.
 
SURVEYING THE FIELD: Of the 10 teams in Georgia, three have won softball national titles – OIT (2011), Southern Oregon (2019, 2021) and Science & Arts (2018). No. 4-ranked SOU returns to the World Series for the fifth time in six years, with No. 10-ranked USAO making their fourth trip since 2018. No. 8-ranked Georgia Gwinnett, the Continental Athletic Conference champs, made back-to-back appearances in 2018-19, while No. 9-ranked Marian made 4-straight appearances from 2016-19 and are the Crossroads League champs. Three other teams are making their first appearance in the 10-team bracket – No. 2-ranked Our Lady of the Lake, No. 3-ranked Cumberlands and unranked Midland. OLLU leads the NAIA with 51 wins on the season and are champs of the Red River Athletic Conference; UC finished a perfect 21-0 in winning the Mid-South Conference title; while Midland won the Great Plains Athletic Conference tourney championship and eliminated defending NAIA champ, Oklahoma City, in the Opening Round.
 
WINS RECORD TIED: With the win over Saint Xavier in the Opening Round title game, OIT tied their all-time wins mark, picking up their 50th victory of 2023. The 2022 established the current record, finishing last season with a 50-13 overall mark. The Owls have recorded 23 30-win seasons in program history, 12 40-win seasons, with each of the last four teams (non-COVID seasons) winning 45-or-more games.
 
HOME FIELD EDGE: Since the opening of John & Lois Stilwell Stadium in March of 2019, OIT has a 81-13 all-time record in the facility – including a 28-2 record at home this season – the most home wins in a season in program history. Tech has posted a string of 11-consecutive Cascade Conference series wins at home dating back to March of 2021.
 
CONSECUTIVE CCC TITLES: The Lady Owls made history in 2023, establishing a new CCC record for league wins and tying the CCC record for fewest losses in a league schedule – as Tech finished the slate at 29-1. OIT recorded their second-straight and 12th all-time regular-season CCC title (1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023), winning back-to-back titles for the fourth time (including 3-straight championships in 1990s). The Owls equaled the 2019 Southern Oregon squad that finished the year with just one loss and surpassed that Raider team that won 26 games en route to a national title.
 
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK: Tech went the through the elimination bracket, winning 3-straight Sunday elimination games, to claim their third-straight CCC Tournament championship and sixth in program history. OIT became the second team to win 3-straight CCC tourney titles – as Southern Oregon claimed the crown in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
 
RARE GAMES ON DIRT: The Owls will play on the deep red clay in Georgia at the NAIA Softball World Series – a rare set of games away from an artificial surface. Along with the 30 home games OIT played this season, Tech played a total of 50 games on FieldTurf, posting a 45-5 overall record – while playing just eight games on grass (splitting a doubleheader at OUAZ, splitting a 4-game series at College of Idaho and sweeping a doubleheader at Southern Oregon).
 
OPENING ROUND RECAP: For the second-straight year, OIT was forced into an if-necessary championship game in the Opening Round, with Tech earning the deciding victory. The Owls opened the tournament with a come-from-behind 4-3 win over Saint Xavier, as Addision Kachnik tied the game in the sixth with a solo homer and Lexi Klum drove in Kaila Mick with a walk-off RBI single in the seventh for the game-winner. Facing No. 12-ranked Northwestern, Tech scored 10 unanswered runs to claim a 10-2 victory – as Klum delivered a go-ahead 3-run double in the third, with both Mick and Klum hitting home runs. A rematch with SXU in the title game saw the Chicago squad hand Tech their first shutout loss of the season, throwing the first 1-hitter against OIT since 2015. In the winner-take-all title game, OIT used a 5-run third inning to erase an early deficit – taking advantage of a pair of errors to plate four unearned runs.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS: The Owls ranks among the Top-3 in the NAIA in runs scored (421), hits (556), walks (189), RBI (383) and on-base percentage (.428), ranking No. 9 in batting average (.348). OIT has out hit their opponent in 48-of-58 games, while outscoring their foes 244-49 in the first three innings. The club is 18-0 this season when hitting a home run and have a 37-0 record when scoring 6-or-more runs. The 2023 team is the first to have two pitchers win 20 games in the same season.
 
700 WATCH: For the ninth time in his OIT career, Greg Stewart was selected as CCC Coach of the Year by his peers. The 19th-year skipper previously earned the award in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022 and 2023. He ranks No. 16 among active NAIA coaches with 695 career wins and is one of 18 active NAIA coaches with 600-or-more career victories.
 
SEASON RECORDS: As a team, OIT has broke two school records – recording the most triples (27) and stolen bases (116) in a season – while the club is on pace to set a new mark for on-base percentage (.428). Individually, three single-season records have been established – as Lexi Klum now holds the triples (9) mark, Jayce Seavert broke her own record for hit-by-pitches (27), with Maggie Buckholz holding the sacrifice fly (8) record. Kaila Mick ranks No. 3 in single-season stolen bases (24) and No. 4 in both runs scored (65) and doubles (20); Buckholz is No. 3 in triples (7), No. 4 in walks (33) and RBI (65); Zoe Allen is No. 3 in walks (34); with Kacie Schmidt No. 4 in pitching wins (26).
 
CAREER RECORDS: Ten members of the Lady Owls currently rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book (which does not include games from the 2020 COVID season), led by Kaila Mick, who ranks No. 2 in triples (13) and in stolen bases (61), No. 4 in hit-by-pitches (28) and in runs scored (184), No. 6 in walks (67) and defensive assists (292), No. 9 in doubles (45), No. 11 in RBI (133) and in hits (231), No. 13 in sacrifice flies (7) and in at bats (598), ranking No. 21 in sacrifice hits (10). Mckenzie Staub ranks No. 4 in wins (60), No. 6 in pitching starts (75) and pitching strikeouts (352), No. 7 in shutouts (10) and in innings pitched (429.1), No. 8 in complete games (36) and in pitching appearances (88), ranking No. 22 in hit-by-pitches as a batter (9); Maggie Buckholz is No. 1 in sacrifice flies (13), No. 4 in walks (74), No. 6 in triples (10), No. 10 in RBI (139), No. 12 in home runs (22), No. 16 in sacrifice hits (11) and in runs scored (124) and No. 24 in hits (172), ranking just outside the Top-25 in doubles (30); Jayce Seavert ranks No. 1 in hit-by-pitches (48), No. 2 in sacrifice flies (11), No. 20 in RBI (107), No. 22 in home runs (16) and No. 25 in doubles (31); Jensen Becker is No. 10 in sacrifice hits (13) and No. 17 in triples (6); Lexi Klum is No. 6 in triples (10) and No. 22 in stolen bases (21); Kacie Schmidt is No. 12 in shutouts (7) and in pitching strikeouts (223), No. 14 in pitching appearances (59), No. 17 in wins (28), No. 18 in complete games (16) and in innings pitched (217.1), ranking No. 19 in pitching starts (31); with Zoe Allen No. 13 in stolen bases (33), Nita Cook No. 16 in sacrifice hits (11) and Maddie DeVerna No. 22 in stolen bases (21).
 
ACADEMIC STANDOUTS: Eleven members of the OIT softball team were selected to the CCC All-Academic Team (sophomore standing, 3.20 or greater GPA) – Zoe Allen, Jensen Becker, Maddie DeVerna, Marla Goodspeed, Jenna Gorden, Lexi Klum, Kaila Mick, Carli Moore, Kacie Schmidt, Jayce Seavert and Olivia Sprague. Nine players – Allen, Goodspeed, Gorden, Klum, Mick, Moore, Schmidt, Seavert and Sprague were recognized as NAIA Scholar-Athletes (sophomore standing, 3.50 or greater GPA), with Klum, Mick, Schmidt and Seavert named to the College Sports Communicators NAIA Academic All-District 4 team (sophomore standing, starter/all-conference player, 3.50 or greater GPA, selected by committee).