COMING UP: at California Round-Robin (Foskett Regional Park, Lincoln, Calif.) – Friday vs. Menlo, 12:30 p.m. | vs. Jessup, 4 p.m.; Saturday vs. Simpson, 10:30 a.m. | vs. Jessup, 2 p.m.
COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Live Video of the four games in California will be available through the
GSAC Sports Network, with Live Stats available through
OIT's SIDEARM Sports Portal.
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2024 season, including the Softball Media Day, have been posted online via the
OIT Softball Flickr Page, with highlight clips posted online via the new
OIT Softball YouTube Channel.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – MENLO: The weekend in the Sacramento metro area begins against Menlo, as the Oaks (9-3) are off to quality start in 2024. The Atherton school has series sweeps of Corban and Westcliff, a series win over Antelope Valley and split a series with Academy of Art – with the team hitting at a .302 clip, while recording a solid 2.15 team ERA. Shortstop Emma Medina (.333 0 HR 14 RBI) leads the run producers for the Oaks, with first baseman Bella Cortez (.422 0 HR 6 RBI), Grace Christian (.412 1 HR 4 RBI) and Alexandra Attard (.333 1 HR 2 RBI) all hitting above .333. In the circle, the duo of Brianna Gonzalez (3-0 2.12 ERA) and Vivian Valencia (1-0 0.34 ERA) have led the Menlo pitching staff. The two teams have met 66 previous times, with OIT holding a 49-17 series edge, including an 8-1 win last year and a 34-0 win over the Oaks in 1997.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – JESSUP: OIT will play one game on Friday and Saturday against Jessup (formerly William Jessup), as the Warriors (10-2) are off to their best start in program history. JU opened the year with a sweep of No. 2-ranked Southern Oregon and traveled to Georgia for the NFCA Leadoff Classic – earning wins over No. 3-ranked Cumberlands and No. 12-ranked Mobile. A potent Warriors offense (hitting .331 as a team) is led by All-GSAC first baseman Sarah Giles (.556 7 HR 21 RBI) and third baseman Sam Lorge (.286 2 HR 7 RBI), along with second baseman Kaylee Winn (.353 2 HR 10 RBI) and Northwest transfer, outfielder Madison Leffle (.439 0 HR 4 RBI, 14 SB). The JU pitching staff is anchored by the tandem of Katie Blankenheim (2-1 2.60 ERA) and Bella MacFarlane (4-1 1.78 ERA). The two teams have played 32 times, with OIT holding a 17-15 series edge, including a win in the last meeting, a 5-1 decision in the 2022 NAIA Opening Round championship game.
A RAIN OUT: Inclement weather in Redding forced the OIT-Simpson doubleheader, scheduled for Saturday, to be canceled due to poor field conditions. It marks the first full rain-out for the Lady Owls since the 2022 NAIA Softball World Series, when Tech's opening game against Science & Arts was postponed a day due to rain. The last full cancellation of an OIT softball game was in 2020 at Menlo.
GSAC TO LOOK DIFFERENT IN 2025: The current Golden State Athletic Conference will look much different next season – as three teams (Jessup, Vanguard, Menlo) will be leaving the NAIA for the NCAA Division II (joining the Pacific West Conference with former GSAC members Concordia-Irvine, Fresno Pacific, Point Loma, Biola, Westmont and Azusa Pacific). Four teams will replace them – all from the California Pacific Conference (Embry-Riddle, Benedictine Mesa, Park Gilbert, Saint Katherine). Of the current softball playing schools – only Arizona Christian, Hope International and OUAZ will remain.
TOURNAMENTS IN CALIFORNIA: For the 26th time in the last 30 years, Tech will head to a round-robin tournament in California, meeting at one site (Foskett Community Park) to play multiple opponents over a two-day period. It is the third time they've played at the venue (2021, 2022), with the Lady Owls competing in Hayward from 1994-2005, in Redding from 2010-20 (and 2023), while also playing in tournament in Turlock, Arcata, Fremont and Atherton. The only seasons OIT did not play in a California tourney was from 2006-09.
OIT TOPS THE PRESEASON NAIA TOP-25: For the third time in program history, Oregon Tech has earned the No. 1 ranking in the Preseason NAIA Softball Top-25 Coaches' Poll, released in November by the national office. The Lady Owls were the unanimous selection by the 19 conference raters. Previously, OIT earned top-billing in the preseason NAIA poll in both 2012 and 2022, with the ranking the ninth time the Lady Owls have earned a No. 1 ranking. It is the Owls fifth-straight polling period as the No. 1-ranked team and the 20th-straight week in the Top-10. Interestingly, OIT was picked to win the CCC title in the annual league coaches' poll, but not a unanimous pick – receiving seven of the 10 first-place nods. Southern Oregon took two first-place votes and finished second, while College of Idaho took the final first-place vote and was third.
PERFECT STARTS: Corner outfielders
Zoe Allen and
Malia Mick have started the 2024 season as the lone Lady Owls to record a hit in every game they have played. Allen has hit safely in all eight games – going 8-for-23 on the road trip, scoring six runs, with three RBI and two stolen bases. Mick has hit safely in all six games she has played offensively (was in the flex position in two games) – going 6-for-11 in Arizona with a double, triple and four runs scored.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Both Southern Oregon and Bushnell had perfect weekends – SOU rolling to four wins in Arizona and BU earning two sweeps of Division III foes. Eastern Oregon and British Columbia faced Division II teams – EOU splitting with Central Washington, with UBC dropping two to Western Washington. This week, College of Idaho joins OIT in Sacramento for games, SOU heads south to meet Vanguard and Hope International, UBC travels for a week of games in Florida, while EOU and Warner Pacific meet D-III competition.
RECORD BOOK: Seven players currently sit inside the OIT career Top-25 record book (records do not include the 2020 COVID shortened season), led by
Kaila Mick, who ranks among the Top-25 in 14 categories – No. 2 in stolen bases (65), triples (16) and runs scored (199), No. 4 in hit-by-pitches (30), No. 6 in walks (77) and hits (251), No. 7 in doubles (49), No. 8 in RBI (147), No. 9 in at bats (642), No. 12 in sacrifice flies (8), No. 15 in games started (193), No. 17 in games played (193), No. 24 in sacrifice hits (10) and No. 25 in home runs (14).
Jayce Seavert holds the hit-by-pitch record (51), is No. 2 in sacrifice flies (11), No. 15 in RBI (111), No. 18 in sacrifice hits (11), No. 22 in home runs (16), No. 23 in doubles (32), while ranking No. 25 in runs scored (107) and triples (4);
Lexi Klum is No. 5 in triples (11), No. 16 in sacrifice hits (12) and No. 17 in stolen bases (23);
Zoe Allen is No. 10 in stolen bases (35) and No. 18 in sacrifice hits (11); with
Nita Cook No. 10 in sacrifice hits (13). In the circle,
Mckenzie Staub is No. 4 in wins (64), No. 5 in games started (79) and appearances (98), No. 6 in strikeouts (364), shutouts (11) and innings pitched (460.0), No. 8 in complete games (37) and No. 12 in saves (2); with
Kacie Schmidt No. 8 in shutouts (10), No. 11 in strikeouts (251), No. 12 in wins (33) and saves (2), No. 13 in appearances (70) and complete games (23), No. 16 in innings pitched (269.1) and No. 17 in games started (41).
LOOKING AHEAD: Cascade Conference play opens up next weekend, as the 27-game league schedule starts with a key road series at No. 24 Eastern Oregon.
