COMING UP: at OUAZ (DH), Tuesday, 2 p.m. (MST); at Benedictine Mesa (DH), Wednesday, 4 p.m. (MST); at Arizona Christian (DH), Friday, 4:30 p.m. (MST); vs. No. 21 Hope International (DH), Saturday, 4 p.m. (MST)
 
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Live Stats are expected for the first six games of the Arizona Trip through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal, with Live Video links through the OIT Softball Homepage.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – OUAZ: Tech begins their tour of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference on Tuesday, meeting Ottawa University of Arizona at Willow Canyon High in Surprise. The Spirit (0-0) are coming off a 27-21 season in which they posted a stellar .358 team batting average and stole 113 bases, but had a 4.73 team ERA. All-GSAC infielder Elysa Moreno (.400 0 HR 11 RBI, 13 SB) is joined by fellow infielders Alexis Jimenez (.407 2 HR 47 RBI) and Nayeli Inzunza (.324 2 HR 16 RBI) to lead the offense, while pitchers Stephanie Cortazar (16-8 4.49 ERA) and Alexis Ayersman (9-8 3.75 ERA) are back. OIT holds a 3-1 series lead on OUAZ.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – BENEDICTINE MESA: Wednesday, the Owls travel to Chandler Gilbert CC in Mesa to meet Benedictine Mesa for the first time. The Redhawks (0-0) open their season the day before vs. UBC, coming off a 15-24 campaign that saw the team record a .299 team batting average. Outfielders Amaleia Jenkins (.322 0 HR 15 RBI) and Leiana Madrazo (.274 0 HR 22 RBI) return for BenU, along with first baseman Chloe Wright (.312 3 HR 16), with the team also bringing back pitchers Nancy Velez (1-8 5.22 ERA) and Jacquelyne Morales (2-3 8.80 ERA).
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – ARIZONA CHRISTIAN: After a day off, it's on to Glendale for a date with Arizona Christian, as the Firestorm (0-0) last played in Klamath Falls in May at the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round bracket hosted by OIT. ACU, the reigning GSAC tournament champs, return their top player – 2-way star Dayna Herrera (.387 1 HR 43 RBI; 17-15 4.32 ERA), who was instrumental in their run to Nationals. Also back is the trio of Nadia Landeros (.381 0 HR 17 RBI), Sierra Lauko (.338 4 HR 40 RBI) and Morgan Bradford (.341 1 HR 29 RBI). The teams have met eight previous times, with the Lady Owls holding a 7-1 series edge.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW – HOPE INTERNATIONAL: The trip ends with a neutral-site date in Glendale (at ACU) against No. 21-ranked Hope International. HIU (6-3) has been a mainstay in the Top-25 poll and won the 2025 GSAC regular-season title, advancing to the title game of the Ashland Opening Round tourney – riding the arm of GSAC Freshman of the Year, Kaitlyn Maaske (18-6 2.21 ERA). Two key parts of the Royals lineup are back – first baseman Emma McCraw (.401 1 HR 36 RBI) and outfielder Vivian Little (.376 2 HR 39 RBI). The two teams have played six previous times, with the all-time series knotted up at 3-3.
 
SEASON OPENERS: Since the 1994 season, the Lady Owls are 19-14 in season opening games, including opening wins in 2024 and 2025. OIT has opened the season 19 times in California, 11 times in Oregon (home games in 1996 and 2004), twice in Washington and prior to this season, once in Arizona (2023).
 
THIRD TRIP TO THE DESERT: Tech heads to the Phoenix metro for the third time – a trip that may become more prevalent as the bulk of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference hails from Arizona. The Lady Owls traveled to Maricopa County in 2023, splitting three doubleheaders, while a year later, the team finished the trip with a 4-2 mark.
 
EARLIEST STARTS: The Lady Owls open the season on Feb. 10, the 22nd-straight year the club will begin in February – but the latest start by the team since beginning Feb. 12 in 2017. OIT had the earliest start to their season in 2020, beginning on Feb. 1.
 
PRESEASON RANKINGS: OIT opens the 2026 season ranked No. 10 in the preseason NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll, the 32nd-straight polling period the Lady Owls have been in the Top-25. Two other Cascade Conference teams – No. 1 Southern Oregon and No. 3 Eastern Oregon – are in the Top-25, while College of Idaho and British Columbia each received votes. In the CCC Preseason Poll, SOU took 8-of-9 first-place spots and holds the top spot, ahead of Tech, Eastern Oregon, C of I and UBC.
 
CONFERENCE CHANGES: The CCC went from a 10-team league in 2025 to a 9-team lead this season, with the circuit losing their second automatic bid to the NAIA Championships. The two Montana affiliate schools (Carroll and Providence) will compete in their home conference (Frontier) this season, while the CCC added longtime regional rival, Simpson, as an affiliate member. This season, teams will play a 24-game league schedule, with the Top-6 teams advancing to the CCC Championships, which will determine the lone automatic bid to Nationals.
 
STREAKS TO START 2026: The Lady Owls open the 2026 season looking to extend a pair of long success streaks. OIT will put a streak of 4-straight Cascade Conference regular-season titles on the line, while Tech looks to add to a run of 11-straight trips to the NAIA Championships (including hosting 4-straight Opening Round tournaments).
 
SEASON PREVIEW: Click Here for the 2026 OIT Softball Season Preview
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Five of the nine CCC teams opened their season last week, including British Columbia traveling to Texas and posting a 4-2 record against quality competition and Southern Oregon sweeping Division II Vanguard and split a twinbill vs. No. 21 Hope International. Eastern Oregon and Warner Pacific faced Central Washington – EOU earning a split, while WPU was swept, with Bushnell splitting a doubleheader with Willamette. This week, while SOU remains in California for games, OIT is joined in Arizona by Simpson, Bushnell, UBC and College of Idaho, while WPU and EOU play games in Washington.
 
RECORD BOOK: Heading into the 2026 season, six current players rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book. Nita Cook is No. 2 all-time in stolen bases (83), No. 6 in sacrifice hits (21), No. 7 in defensive assists (350), No. 10 in runs scored (157), No. 12 in triples (8), No. 19 in defensive chances (689), No. 20 in hits (196) and No. 23 in games started, with Puakea Milbourne No. 8 in hit by pitches (19), No. 9 in sacrifice hits (18), No. 10 in RBI (159), No. 13 in home runs (22), No. 14 in sacrifice flies (8), No. 19 in stolen bases (25), No. 20 in at bats (560), No. 21 in hits (195) and No. 23 in games started (181). Addison Kachnik is No. 11 in defensive assists (275), No. 15 in doubles (35), No. 19 in triples (6) and No. 23 in games started (181); Alli Parker is No. 4 in saves (5) and No. 25 in strikeouts (74); Jenna Gorden is No. 23 in shutouts (2) and No. 24  in appearances (39); with Malia Mick No. 18 in hit by pitches (11).
 
NEXT WEEK: The Lady Owls will head to Redding for a three-day, six-game, round-robin tournament from Feb. 19-21 – facing Arizona Christian, Westcliff and Park Gilbert.