COMING UP: vs. No. 13 Eastern Oregon (DH), Friday, 1 p.m.; vs. No. 13 Eastern Oregon (DH), Saturday, 11 a.m.

COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: The Friday and Saturday doubleheaders at Stilwell Stadium will be broadcast live on the Owls Sports Network with Mike Safford on the call, with Live Stats available through OIT's SIDEARM Stats Portal.
 
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2025 season, including the recent Media Day photoshoot, will be posted online through the OIT Softball Flickr Page, while highlight clips from the season will be posted on the OIT Softball YouTube Channel.
 
OPPONENT INFORMATION – EASTERN OREGON: For the second-straight season, Tech opens the conference schedule against Eastern Oregon – this time in the Basin. The Mountaineers (1-1) are coming off a 39-10 season in which they claimed the CCC Tournament title and advanced to the championship game of the Gwinnett Opening Round Bracket. The bulk of the team has returned – including All-CCC outfielders Katelynn Evans (.352 1 HR 20 RBI, 21 SB) and Haley Tyree (.309 3 HR 31 RBI), catcher Hannah Tyree (.298 5 HR 30 RBI), along with Kelly Monaghan (.325 2 HR 23 RBI), who moves into the shortstop role. CCC Pitcher of the Year Kaylie Hoskins transferred to Oregon State, but All-CCC right-hander Kylie Parsons (20-4 1.04 ERA) is back, one of six pitchers on the EOU roster.
 
HISTORY VS. THE MOUNTAINEERS: Tech has had marked success against EOU in the Basin, taking a staggering 36-game win streak against the Mounties in Klamath Falls into the weekend. OIT head coach Greg Stewart has never lost to Eastern on his own diamond – with the last loss occurring in 2003. The Lady Owls hold a 110-35 series edge, but the Mounties took 2-of-3 from OIT last season in La Grande.
 
AGAINST THE TOP-25: Tech will play 16 games during the regular-season against Top-25 opponents, opening the year with a 3-1 record against ranked foes – including a 4-0 win over No. 2 ranked USAO on Saturday. It was the highest ranked opponent the Lady Owls have toppled since defeating No. 1 ranked Southern Oregon on two occasions during the 2021 season.
 
CONFERENCE SEASON UPON US: This weekend marks the start of the 27-game Cascade Conference schedule, as College of Idaho travels to Carroll, Providence is at Corban, Warner Pacific meets Southern Oregon in Ashland and UBC makes the trip to Bushnell. The 2025 season marks the final year of the current league configuration – as the 10-team league will move to eight teams in 2026 (as Providence and Carroll will compete in a newly expanded Frontier Conference – as the FC and North Star Athletic Association will merge). The current format has teams playing one 3-game league series against each other (a fourth, non-conference game is also scheduled), with the Top-6 teams in the standings advancing to the CCC Championships. With the change in format, the 2026 season will feature only the CCC Tournament champion earning an automatic bid to the NAIA Championships (2025 will be the final year with the CCC receiving two automatic bids).
 
TECH PICKED SECOND IN CCC POLL: For the 11th-straight year, the Lady Owls were ranked in the Top-2 of the Cascade Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, claiming the No. 2 spot in the balloting. OIT received three first-place votes, finishing one point behind Southern Oregon in the tabulation, with College of Idaho, Eastern Oregon and British Columbia rounding out the Top-5.
  
LADY OWLS RANKED NO. 5: OIT began the 2025 season ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll, released in November. It is the 21st-straight polling period that the Lady Owls have been ranked in the Top-10 and the 26th-straight poll the team has been rated in the Top-25. Defending national champ, Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Science & Arts (Okla.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Southern Oregon and OIT. The Lady Owls have nine teams ranked in the poll on their schedule – No. 2 USAO, No. 4 SOU, No. 8 Oklahoma City, No. 13 Eastern Oregon, No. 15 Midland, No. 16 College of Idaho and No. 24 Baker, with Freed-Hardeman and Grand View receiving votes.
 
WEATHER HAMPERS TRIP TO SOONER STATE: The Owls spent last weekend in Oklahoma, competing in the highly competitive NAIASB Invitational – battling weather throughout the trip. Sub-zero wind chills eliminated play Thursday, with Tech playing one game away from the tourney site on Friday due to field conditions – before an updated schedule forced the club to play a tripleheader on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday. In all, the squad finished 5-1 – all against teams in the NAIA poll.
 
SCHMIDT DOMINATES, WINS NATIONAL AWARD: Headlining the trip to Oklahoma was Kacie Schmidt, as the All-American showcased why she is among the top arms in the NAIA. The senior went 3-1 in the tournament with a 0.32 ERA, striking out 28 batters in 21.1 innings – earning CCC Pitcher of the Week, NAIASB Pitcher of the Week and NAIA National Pitcher of the Week honors. Schmidt tossed a 2-hit shutout in a win over Freed-Hardeman on Friday, followed by a 3-hit shutout in a victory over No. 2-ranked USAO.
 
PARKER GOES DISTANCE IN EXTRA INNING WIN: Tech got a stellar pitching performance on Saturday from Alli Parker, as the sophomore tossed a 2-hitter against No. 15-ranked Midland, tossing eight innings in a 2-1 victory. The right-hander allowed just one hit after the first inning, striking out six, earning her second win of the season.
 
MORE FROM THE CIRCLE: Both Jenna Gorden and Carli Moore were key in the circle for the Lady Owls, each pitching important innings in Oklahoma. Gorden got the save against Grand View, retiring the final five batters in a row to preserve a 4-3 victory, with Moore earning the win in the contest – working into the sixth inning, allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out a career-high seven batters.
 
NEW SHORTSTOP, SAME RESULTS: Transfer Gina Allen had big shoes to fill at shortstop, replacing a 3-time All-American, but the sophomore has been up to the challenge. Allen led Tech at the plate in Oklahoma, going 6-for-14 with three doubles, three runs scored and three RBI, adding a trio of stolen bases. In addition, Allen fielded 14 chances at shortstop – without committing an error.
 
COOK TAKES HIT STREAK INTO LEAGUE PLAY: Nita Cook takes a 4-game hit streak into CCC counters, going 5-for-14 at the plate over the past four games, while recording six stolen bases on the trip. Cook leads the team with seven stolen bases on the season and has swiped 46 bases in a row.
 
KACHNIK CONTINUES SOLID START: Addison Kachnik continued her strong start to 2025, hitting safely in 5-of-6 games in Oklahoma. The junior finished 6-for-19 on the trip, with a triple and three RBI, taking a 4-game hit streak into Friday's doubleheader.
 
DEFENSE THE KEY: The Lady Owls played outstanding defense in Oklahoma, committing just three total errors in six games. For the season, OIT has a .975 fielding percentage – with no player committing more than one error on the season.
 
TEN WINS FROM 1,300: Heading into weekend play, the Lady Owls have an all-time record of 1,295-657-2 – needing five wins to earn all-time win No. 1,300.
 
RECORD BOOK: Seven Lady Owls rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book. Jayce Seavert holds the all-time record for hit-by-pitches (57) and sacrifice flies (14), ranking No. 4 in defensive chances (1,004), No. 5 in defensive put outs (825), No. 8 in games started (208), No. 9 in RBI (145), No. 10 in doubles (46), No. 12 in games played (210) and triples (7), No. 15 in sacrifice hits (14), No. 17 in at bats (573), No. 19 in walks (49), No. 20 in runs scored (122) and hits (185), No. 21 in home runs (17), ranking No. 25 in stolen bases (20); Zoe Allen is No. 4 in stolen bases (51), No. 8 in sacrifice hits (18), No. 11 in walks (60), No. 13 in runs scored (139), ranking just outside the Top-25 in hits (173); Nita Cook is in No. 6 in stolen bases (46), No. 7 in sacrifice hits (18), No. 12 in triples (7), No. 13 in defensive assists (247) and No. 24 in hit-by-pitches (9); Puakea Milbourne is No. 4 in defensive put outs (834), No. 7 in defensive chances (858), No. 10 in hit-by-pitches (15), No. 22 in RBI (107) and No. 25 in home runs (16); with Addison Kachnik No. 21 in defensive assists (194). In the circle, Kacie Schmidt ranks No. 3 in shutouts (20) and strikeouts (456), No. 5 in wins (62) and appearances (113), No. 6 in complete games (44), ranking No. 7 in saves (4), games started (75) and innings pitched (485.0); while Alli Parker is No. 3 all-time in saves (5).
 
NEXT WEEK: OIT hits the road for a 4-game series against the University of Providence, tentatively set to be played in Great Falls, Mont.