COMING UP: at NAIA Softball World Series - vs. No. 4 Cumberlands (Ky.), Thursday, 1 p.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Thursday's game, along with all OIT games at the NAIA Softball World Series, will be broadcast live in the Klamath Basin on 104.3-FM and 960-AM with Mike Safford on the call. Live Video (PPV - $9.95 per game, $34.95 for the tournament) will be available through the NAIA's HUDL Streaming Service, with Live Stats via Stat Broadcast. For fans traveling to the South Commons Softball Complex, tickets are available through the Greater Columbus Sports & Events Council ($15.00 per day, $63.00 for an all-tournament pass).

WATCH PARTY: A Watch Party for Thursday's game will be held in the OIT College Union Mount Mazama Room - all fans are welcome.
 
TRAVEL PLANS: The Lady Owls will travel to Georgia via United Airlines (Medford-Denver-Atlanta), leaving the Rogue Valley Tuesday morning at 5 a.m., arriving in Atlanta at 2:30 p.m. – making the 95-mile drive to Columbus. The team will be among five squads staying at the Columbus Marriott (800 Front Ave, Columbus, Ga., 31901).
 
BACK TO COLUMBUS: It marks the fourth-straight year OIT will travel to the Chattahoochee River Valley for the NAIA Softball World Series, looking to continue recent success on the Olympic Diamond at South Commons Softball Complex (venue was used for softball competition at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Summer Games). The Owls placed second in the tournament in 2021 and again last season, while finishing seventh in 2022 – combining for an 8-6 record in their previous three trips.
 
HISTORY AT FINAL SITE: OIT becomes the first time in the current format of the NAIA Championships (Opening Round/World Series) to advance to the Final Site five-consecutive times – both Oklahoma City (2016-19) and Southern Oregon (2017-21) made four-straight trips. It is the Owls ninth trip to the Final Site – going 1-2 during the 1997 bracketed double-elimination tournament in Decatur, Ala., while making two trips during Pool Play tournaments in Gulf Shores, Ala. – winning the 2011 NAIA title over Cal Baptist, while going 2-1 in Pool Play in 2012 (but did not advance to the bracket). Tech placed fourth in 2015 in Sioux City, Iowa and took seventh in 2019 during the tournament's run in Springfield, Mo. Overall, OIT is a combined 21-14 at the final site of the NAIA Softball National Championships.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CUMBERLANDS: For the second-straight season, the Lady Owls will match up against No. 4-ranked University of the Cumberlands from Williamsburg, Ky. – a rematch of a national semifinal game from 2023 won by OIT, 3-0. The Patriots (47-7) finished the season 30-0 at home, rebounding from a loss to Freed-Hardeman in the Mid-South Conference title game to sweep their Opening Round bracket with victories over St. Francis, Benedictine and Coastal Georgia. UC ranks second nationally with 59 home runs and 172 extra-base hits, hitting .343 as a team and averaging over seven runs per contest, while the pitching staff holds a 2.24 team ERA. Outfielder Jade Gainer (.413 8 HR 53 RBI, 20 SB) was the MSC Player of the Year, joined by six other All-MSC picks – designated player Amber Atkins (.362 8 HR 49 RBI), second baseman Carly Oliver (.353 10 HR 42 RBI), first baseman Bailey Turnbow (.342 7 HR 40 RBI), third baseman Emily Bryant (.307 5 HR 37 RBI), outfielder Amber Gainer (.389 7 HR 34 RBI, 29 SB) and catcher Makenzie Keatts (.351 4 HR 62 RBI). MSC Pitcher of the Year, Talli Burgess (14-0 1.85 ERA) anchors a deep staff, complimented by Morgan Radford (9-3 1.84 ERA) and Lindsey Shope (17-2 2.08 ERA).
 
SURVEYING THE FIELD: A win gives Tech Friday off and a date potentially with No. 1-seed Our Lake of the Lake (Texas) – as the Saints have a .355 team batting average and stellar 0.90 ERA. A loss would bring OIT back on Friday in an elimination game against the loser of Georgia Gwinnett and Madonna – GGC defeated Eastern Oregon twice in the Lawrenceville Bracket, while Madonna won the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference crown – thanks to a .360 team batting average and upset Northwestern College in the Sioux Center Bracket. No. 2-seed Oklahoma City is a juggernaut, as the 2022 champs lead the NAIA with a .409 team batting average, while fellow Sooner Athletic Conference squad Science & Arts has a great combination of power (45 home runs) and speed (161 stolen bases). Also in the tournament is No. 3-seed Central Methodist – whom Tech beat in their opening game in 2023, Jessup – who earned two wins over OIT in February, along with defending champ and CCC rival, Southern Oregon, who won the Indianapolis Bracket.
 
AGAINST THE FIELD: Of the nine other teams in the tournament, OIT has faced seven of the teams previously (have never met Our Lake of the Lake, nor Oklahoma City) – including playing both Jessup and Southern Oregon this season. The Owls are 17-17 all-time vs. JU (dropped two 1-run games in February) and are 73-74 all-time vs. SOU (swept the regular-season series, but dropped two games at the CCC Championships). Tech is 2-0 against both Central Methodist and Madonna, 1-0 vs. Cumberlands, 1-3 vs. Georgia Gwinnett and 0-1 vs. USAO.
 
HOME FIELD EDGE: The Lady Owls finished 2024 with a 27-3 home record and will begin 2025 with a string of 16-straight Cascade Conference home series wins. Since the all-turf facility opened, Tech has a stellar 108-16 record on their own diamond – including victories in 85 of the last 91 home games.
 
RALLYING TO WIN: Unlike past Opening Round brackets in Klamath Falls, Tech had to go the long route to advance to the World Series – winning three elimination games in a row. Following an 8-inning, 4-3 win over Embry-Riddle, the Owls dropped an 8-2 decision to No. 19-ranked Vanguard, sending the hosts into the elimination bracket. OIT erased an early 3-0 deficit against St. Thomas, battling back for a 7-5 victory, setting up a rematch with Vanguard. The Lady Owls trailed 4-2 in the fourth inning, but responded with a Nita Cook 2-run double to take the lead with a run on a Lions error providing the winning margin. In the winner-take-all title game, OIT dominated – taking a 5-0 lead in the third inning and cruising to the run-rule win.
 
SENIORS LEAD THE WAY: Playing their final games ever in the Basin, the trio of Kaila Mick, Mckenzie Staub and Lexi Klum made the most of their opportunity in leading the Owls to the championship trophy. Mick finished the tournament 7-for-18 with two doubles, six runs scored and two RBI – surpassing Southern Oregon's Kelsey Randall as the CCC's all-time hits leader (343) and needs just two at bats at the World Series to set a new all-time NAIA at-bat record. Staub earned her 80th all-time victory in the win over Embry-Riddle, while going 4-for-11 with five runs scored at the plate – including a long 2-run home run in the title game with Vanguard. Klum had three key swings during the week – providing a walk-off sacrifice fly to top ERAU, launching her career-high ninth home run of the season vs. St. Thomas, while opening the scoring in the opening game of the championship series with Vanguard with an RBI single.
 
SEAVERT ENDS HOMER DROUGHT: During the 2022 season, Jayce Seavert led the OIT attack with 12 home runs, earning All-CCC honors as a second baseman. Since making the move to catcher in 2023, the junior had failed to hit a home run – a streak that reached 123 games – before a second inning blast in Game 1 of the championship series with Vanguard. For the tournament, Seavert finished 5-for-16 with three runs scored and five RBI
 
SCHMIDT COMES THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: The Owls leaned on All-America right-hander Kacie Schmidt to deliver a knockout blow in the elimination round, with the junior coming through in a big way. Schmidt bounced back from a rough start last Wednesday vs. Vanguard to dominate opponents in loser-out games, throwing a combined 14 innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits, striking out nine – to log three victories. The junior earned her 25th win of the year in the title game – joining former teammate Sarah Abramson as the only OIT players to have multiple 25-win seasons.
 
MICK HAVING BANNER POSTSEASON: Tech got a huge boost from the bottom of their order, as Malia Mick went a combined 5-for-6 in the championship series with Vanguard – including her first 4-for-4 game as a collegian. For the tournament, the younger Mick sister was 8-for-15 and combined with a quality Cascade Conference Tournament, is 13-for-27 in postseason games – a year removed from not seeing action during OIT's postseason run to the national title game.
 
SOPHOMORES KEY: Along with Malia Mick, the three other sophomore position players each were instrumental in the OIT victories. Addison Kachnik was the lone OIT player to hit safely in all five games of the Opening Round, finishing the week 6-for-17 with two doubles and her second homer of the season. Puakea Milbourne was 6-for-15 with a double and her team-leading 13th home run of the season, while Nita Cook was 4-for-16 with four RBI and remains perfect (21-for-21) in stolen base chances.
 
GOODSPEED STEPS UP: Pressed into a starting role in an unfamiliar position, junior Marla Goodspeed handled the pressure of her first postseason starts like a veteran player. Playing left field in all five games, Goodspeed (who had played 11 games in right field during the year), had a go-ahead sacrifice fly against Embry-Riddle, posting a pair of hits in the Game 1 of the championship series with Vanguard, while making multiple key catches in the outfield during the week.
 
NATIONAL NUMBERS: As a team, the Lady Owls lead the NAIA in triples (31), ranking No. 2 in hits (564), No. 3 in batting average (.361) and doubles (107), while sitting at No. 5 in runs scored (384). Individually, Kaila Mick leads the NAIA with 11 triples, ranking No. 2 in doubles (24), No. 4 in hits (89) and No. 8 in RBI (62), with Puakea Milbourne No. 7 in RBI (65) and No. 14 in home runs (13), while Kacie Schmidt is No. 10 in wins (25).
 
3-PEAT AS CONFERENCE CHAMPS: With a sweep of the final regular-season series against College of Idaho, the Lady Owls clinched their third-straight Cascade Conference regular-season title and 15th conference title in the last 30 years. Under head coach Greg Stewart, OIT has claimed regular-season titles in 2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023 and 2024, while co-head coaches Danny Miles and Mary Bradford won titles in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2002.
 
POSTSEASON STREAK CONTINUES: With their win on April 13 at UBC, the Lady Owls clinched a spot in the 6-team Cascade Conference Championships – their 13th-straight playoff appearance and their 28th postseason appearance in the last 31 years. With the CCC regular-season title, the OIT clinched their tenth-straight NAIA National Tournament appearance, with the win in the Klamath Falls Bracket of the Opening Round securing a fifth-straight trip to the NAIA Softball World Series.
 
40-WIN SEASONS: The Owls improved to 47-10 following the Klamath Falls Bracket of the Opening Round, their 12th season with 40-or-more wins. OIT has recorded 12th-straight 30-win seasons, while logging 50-or-more wins each of the last two years. It is the sixth time Tech has recorded 47-or-more wins and the fourth-straight 47-win season (recording 48 wins in 2021, 50 wins in 2022 and a school-record 54 wins in 2023).
 
OWLS RANKED NO. 5 IN FINAL POLL: The Lady Owls close the 2024 season ranked No. 5 in the final NAIA Top-25 poll of the season – as the Top-7 spots in the ranking remained in the same spot. It was the 20th-straight poll OIT has been ranked in the Top-10 and the 25th-straight poll in the Top-25.
 
10-TIME COACH OF THE YEAR: The dean of CCC softball coaches, Greg Stewart was honored as CCC Coach of the Year for the third-straight sason and the tenth time in his 20-year career at Tech. Stewart, who picked up his 700th career win in February, previously won the award in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022 and 2023.
 
SEASON RECORDS: As a team, the Owls have set school records with 31 triples and nine saves on the season, needing one shutout to tie the school record of 20, while ranking No. 3 in stolen bases (89) and No. 4 in doubles (107). The squad is on pace to break the school record for batting average (.361) and slugging percentage (.541), ranking No. 2 in on-base percentage (.422) and fielding percentage (.974). Individually, Kalia Mick has set the single-season record for triples (11), has tied the mark for doubles (24), with her 68 runs scored one off the school mark and ranks No. 8 in RBI (62). Alli Parker has tied the single-season record for saves (5), with Puakea Milbourne No. 5 all-time in RBI (65) – 12 RBI off the school record. 
 
RECORD BOOK: Nine players currently sit inside the OIT career Top-25 record book (career records do not include the 2020 COVID shortened season), led by Kaila Mick, who ranks among the Top-25 in 14 categories – holding the school record for games played (242), games started (242), at bats (804), runs scored (256), hits (326) and triples (24), ranking No. 2 in stolen bases (77), doubles (70) and walks (90), No. 3 in RBI (196), No. 4 in hit-by-pitches (37), No. 7 in sacrifice flies (9), No. 17 in home runs (19) and No. 24 in sacrifice hits (10). Jayce Seavert holds the hit-by-pitch record (57), is No. 2 in sacrifice flies (13), No. 12 in RBI (138), sacrifice hits (14) and doubles (43), No. 15 in games started (196), No. 17 in games played (198), No. 18 in triples (6), No. 19 in walks (49) and in runs scored (122) and No. 21 in home runs (17) and hits (179); Lexi Klum is No. 3 in triples (12), No. 6 in games played (217), No. 7 in sacrifice hits (16), No. 13 in RBI (130), No. 15 in doubles (35), No. 16 in stolen bases (30), No. 21 in home runs (17), No. 23 in runs scored (113) and No. 24 in hits (176); Zoe Allen is No. 4 in stolen bases (50), No. 7 in sacrifice hits (16), No. 13 in walks (57), No. 15 in runs scored (134), ranking just outside the Top-25 in hits (167); Nita Cook is No. 7 in stolen bases (39), No. 9 in sacrifice hits (15) and No. 12 in triples (7), with Puakea Milbourne No. 13 in hit-by-pitches (13), No. 23 in RBI (102) and No. 25 in home runs (16). In the circle, Mckenzie Staub is No. 2 in wins (80), No. 3 in games started (100), appearances (125) and strikeouts (441), No. 4 in innings pitched (571.2), No. 6 in shutouts (14), No. 8 in complete games (40) and No. 9 in saves (3), while also ranking No. 13 in sacrifice hits (13), No. 17 in hit-by-pitches (11) and No. 24 in triples (5); Kacie Schmidt is No. 3 in shutouts (18), No. 4 in strikeouts (409), No. 6 in appearances (104), No. 7 in wins (56) and in saves (4), No. 8 in games started (66) and innings pitched (437.0), ranking No. 9 in complete games (39); with Alli Parker No. 3 in saves (5).