COMING UP:  Host Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank. Friday - Game 1: College of Idaho vs. British Columbia, 9 a.m.; Game 2: Southern Oregon vs. Simpson, 11:30 a.m.; Game 3: Oregon Tech vs. Winner Game 1, 2 p.m.; Game 4: Eastern Oregon vs. Winner Game 2, 4:30 p.m.
 
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: All 11 games from the CCC Championships will be carried live on the Urban Edge Network, with Live Stats of OIT games available through the OIT SIDEARM Stats Portal. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game of the day (8 a.m. on Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. on Sunday), with ticket prices $15.00 for adults, $12.00 for seniors/military, $5.00 for students for each day (an all-tournament pass of $30.00 for adults and $24.00 for seniors/military will be available). All OIT games will also be broadcast live in the Klamath Basin on 104.3 & 960 Sports with Mike Safford and Josh Eldredge on the call. Fans are asked to park in Lot Q on the OIT campus (west of Moehl Stadium), with a shuttle to be provided.

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Click Here for the Cascade Conference Softball Championship Tournament Central, provided by the CCC
 
LADY OWLS HOST CCC CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FIFTH-STRAIGHT YEAR: Tech needed a win in one of their final three Cascade Conference games at Eastern Oregon to clinch their fifth-straight regular-season title and hosting rights for the CCC Championships. After dropping both ends of last Friday's doubleheader, Saturday's EOU-OIT match-up was for the crown, with Tech rallying from a 2-0 deficit to claim a 5-3 victory. The Owls become the first team in league history to win 5-straight CCC titles and will again host the 3-day tournament this Friday-Sunday at Stilwell Stadium.
 
WHAT'S AT STAKE: Unlike past seasons, the Cascade Conference will receive just one automatic bid to the NAIA Championships - with the winner of the CCC Tournament claiming the spot (the league dropped below the 10-team threshold for two automatic bids). Oregon Tech earned the host site for the tournament by winning the CCC regular-season title with a 20-4 record, two games ahead of Eastern Oregon. Southern Oregon earned the No. 3 seed by one game over British Columbia, while College of Idaho took the No. 5 seed with a Saturday win over No. 6 seed Simpson.
 
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS: The Cascade Conference Softball Championships date back to 2010 - as prior to the 2010 season, postseason qualification was conducted through the NAIA Region I (except for 2006, as Oregon Tech won a 5-team tournament). OIT has six tournament titles to their ledger (2006, 2011, 2012, 2021, 2022, 2023), with Southern Oregon winning consecutive titles from 2017-19. Concordia-Portland won the tournament in 2010 and 2014, Eastern Oregon earned titles in 2016, 2024 and 2025, while both College of Idaho (2013) and Corban (2015) have one championship. The 2025 season marks the ninth time the event has been held in Klamath Falls (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026), with the tournament held in Ashland four times, Salem twice and once in Portland.
 
CCC SUCCESS AT NATIONALS: The Cascade Conference has been among the top softball playing leagues in the NAIA - as CCC teams have advanced to the NAIA Softball World Series in 10 of the 12 seasons (since the NAIA moved to a 10-team Final Site). Last season, both Southern Oregon and Eastern Oregon advanced to the World Series, with SOU winning the NAIA national title and EOU placing third. OIT has a string of 11-straight NAIA Tournament appearances - including a runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2023), while winning the 2011 NAIA national title. SOU leads all CCC teams with four NAIA titles, winning the 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025 crowns. College of Idaho earned World Series trips in 2014 and 2021, while former conference member, Concordia-Portland (2015), and current member, Corban (2017), have also represented the CCC at the NAIA Softball World Series.
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 1 SEED – OREGON TECH (40-6): The Lady Owls claimed an unprecedented fifth-consecutive Cascade Conference regular-season title, topping Eastern Oregon on Saturday, 5-3, in the final counting CCC game of the season. Tech secured their seventh-straight 40-win season and will earn their 12th-straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament. The Owls lead the CCC in team batting average (.353), team ERA (2.03) and team fielding percentage (.973), with 2025 CCC Player of the Year, senior Nita Cook (.439 1 HR 24 RBI, 25 SB) leading the way. Fellow seniors – third baseman Addison Kachnik (.407 6 HR 45 RBI), first baseman Puakea Milbourne (.372 9 HR 41 RBI) and catcher Sawyer Stenson (.365 3 HR 31 RBI) – are having tremendous seasons. The pitching staff is anchored by two juniors, Kristine Schmidt (17-2 1.53 ERA) and Alli Parker (12-1 1.83 ERA). The Lady Owls are 19-1 on their own diamond this season and look for their first tournament title since 2023.
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 2 SEED – EASTERN OREGON (37-9): The two-time defending CCC Tournament champions look to join Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech as the only teams to win 3-straight CCC tourney titles. The Mountaineers are coming off a third-place finish at the 2025 NAIA Softball World Series and feature a prolific offense that posts a .330 batting average, has clubbed 36 home runs and leads the league with 89 stolen bases. 2025 CCC Freshman of the Year, Raygun Klippert (.361 1 HR 35 RBI, 43 SB) leads the EOU charge from the top of the lineup, with transfer third baseman Lexi Grumbois (.430 5 HR 48 RBI) stepping into a potent lineup that returns a pair of big bats in outfielder Hope Burke (.413 12 HR 44 RBI) and first baseman Emily Barry (.291 6 HR 34 RBI). The Mountie pitching staff has a trio of quality arms – returners Camille Schmitz (12-1 1.92 ERA) and Natalie Dimitrov (8-3 2.26 ERA), along with transfer Maliyah Mann (15-1 3.38 ERA).
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 3 SEED – SOUTHERN OREGON (37-13): The defending NAIA National Champions are looking to stop a trend in the CCC Tournament – as the Raiders have failed to reach the title game since winning the tournament in 2019. SOU enters the tournament on a high note, taking an 8-game win streak to Klamath, the longest current streak among CCC teams. Southern has posted a .323 team batting average on the season, but utilizes their speed (81 stolen bases, 17 triples) more than their power (10 home runs). Outfielders Kalea Thomas (.373 0 HR 17 RBI, 25 SB) and Ari Williams (.361 1 HR 31 RBI) have had tremendous seasons, along with middle infielders Vanessa Lang (.398 0 HR 33 RBI) and Brooke Nordahl (.324 2 HR 44 RBI). Pitching is key for SOU, as reigning NAIA National Pitcher of the Year, Ayla Davies (19-7 2.10 ERA, 160 K) was nearly unbeatable in the 2025 postseason, with the squad adding Lexi Ramirez (12-5 2.75 ERA) to the staff. The Raiders are looking for their fourth tourney title.
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 4 SEED – BRITISH COLUMBIA (27-19): Last season, the Thunderbirds reached the title game of the CCC Tournament for the first time and parlayed that into an NAIA Tournament bid and a trip to Fayette, Mo., for an Opening Round hosted by Central Methodist. The new UBC squad played a competitive preseason schedule, including games against Oklahoma City and Texas A&M Texarkana, while earning conference series wins against Southern Oregon and College of Idaho. Pitching is the key to the T-Birds success, as Carleen Murray (17-10 1.14 ERA, 174 K) leads the CCC in ERA and strikeouts, with Brynn Fortier (7-4 2.79 ERA) providing key innings. The UBC offense is averaging just four runs per game and hitting at a .267 clip – but a key group of returners, led by outfielder Brielle Donoghue (.339 0 HR 11 RBI), first baseman Jessica Heutink (.311 0 HR 21 RBI), third baseman Jillian Matsubara (.282 2 HR 23 RBI) and infielder Mattea Burrill (.254 3 HR 20 RBI) lead the charge.
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 5 SEED – COLLEGE OF IDAHO (30-18): Offense is the key to the success of the Yotes, as C of I is in the mix to return to the NAIA Opening Round for a seventh-straight year and searching for their first CCC Tournament title since 2013. C of I has key preseason wins over Hope International and Embry-Riddle, while winning the CCC series against Eastern Oregon. The powerful lineup is averaging nearly seven runs per game, with the team leading the CCC in home runs (44) and ranking second in team batting average (.346). Senior outfielder Madelyn Powell (.392 11 HR 56) leads the league in RBI and is No. 2 in home runs, with shortstop Kina Watts (.426 8 HR 46 RBI) third in the league in batting average. Outfielder Kamryn Ham (.373 4 HR 25 RBI) and catcher Hallie Campbell (.371 3 HR 23 RBI) have had key hits for the squad this season. C of I has a deep pitching staff, with Drew Williams (13-8 3.52 ERA) and Rylee Smith (9-3 5.54 ERA) providing the most innings.
 
TEAM CAPSULE, NO. 6 SEED – SIMPSON (17-31): In their first season as an affiliate member in the CCC, the Redhawks earned a bid to the tournament – clinching a spot with a series win at College of Idaho. SU made four NAIA Opening Round appearances from 2014-18 as a member of the California Pacific Conference – with the league dissolving their softball association due to lack of teams. The 2026 team earned preseason wins over OUAZ, Benedictine Mesa and Hope International, with the club led by shortstop Brianna Lopez Cortez (.400 10 HR 43 RBI), one of the top offensive players in the CCC. Olivia Bicondova (.272 0 HR 14 RBI), Nicolena Holen (.256 1 HR 19 RBI) and Kassandra Soria (.215 3 HR 18 RBI) are also key run producers. Cal-Pac all-star Jacqueline Lujan (7-9 2.93 ERA) has posted wins this season against OIT, C of I and UBC, with Gracie Chojnacki (8-5 3.19 ERA) working as the No. 2 starter.
 
PLAYOFF STREAK CONTINUES: With an April 4 win over Bushnell, the Lady Owls clinched one of six spots in May's CCC Championships, the 15th-straight postseason appearance and 30th playoff appearance in 33 years. Tech is a combined 112-79 in 191 all-time postseason games, including a 39-22 record in CCC Tournament games.
 
HOME FIELD EDGE: The Lady Owls closed out home regular-season schedule with a sweep of Southern Oregon on April 14, finishing 19-1 on their own diamond. Since the construction of Stilwell Stadium in 2019, OIT has a combined record of 146-24 on the home turf, an 86% win percentage.
 
40-WIN SEASON: Saturday's Game 2 win at Eastern clinched the Owls their seventh-straight 40-win season. Tech has posted 26 30-win seasons, 14 seasons with 40-or-more wins and two 50-win seasons.
 
TECH TOPS WEST ARC RATING: For the first time this season, the Lady Owls moved into the No. 1 position in the NAIA West ARC rating, the top metric to determine seeding to the NAIA National Tournament. The CCC dominated the ARC – with Eastern at No. 2, Southern at No. 3, UBC at No. 5 and College of Idaho at No. 6. OIT is ranked No. 1 in the NAIA Massey Rating – a metric used in postseason selection and ranked No. 2 in the latest NAIA Top-25 poll, which is not used in the postseason selection process.
 
MILBOURNE JOINS 200 RBI CLUB, SETS DEFENSIVE RECORD: Senior Puakea Milbourne hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season to cap the 9-3 victory over EOU on Saturday, with the 2-run shot pushing her career RBI total to 200. The first baseman became the fourth OIT player to reach 200 RBI for a career and sits nine RBI away from the all-time career school record. Milbourne also established a new career record for defensive putouts (1,491) and is one defensive chance away from breaking the all-time mark of 1,538.
 
BIG EFFORTS IN LA GRANDE: The Lady Owls got huge performances from Sawyer Stenson, Brooklyn Loose and Hayden Rockwell in the 4-game series – helping Tech to the series split. Stenson was a tough out, going 8-for-14 with a double and three RBI and takes a 6-game hit streak into the postseason. Loose provided big hits throughout the series, going 4-for-9 with three runs scored – recording an RBI single in Game 2, a 2-run homer in Game 3 and an RBI double in Game 4. Rockwell earned the start at shortstop in all four games and recorded her first 3-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with two RBI in the Game 4 win.
 
COOK EXTENDS HIT STREAK: Nita Cook recorded a hit in all four games at EOU, extending a hit-streak to a season-high 12 games. The senior leads the CCC with a .439 batting average and 68 hits, while playing near flawless defense – recording just one error in her last 24 games.
 
OPENING ROUND HOSTS NAMED FRIDAY: Tech will learn if Klamath Falls is selected as one of the 10 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round sites on Friday morning – with competition set to begin on Monday, May 11. The Owls have hosted the Opening Round each of the last four seasons, winning the event in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
 
TEAM LEADERS: Batting Average – Oregon Tech .352, College of Idaho .346, Eastern Oregon .330, Southern Oregon .323, British Columbia .266; Runs Per Game – EOU 7.41, C of I 6.83, OIT 6.54, SOU 6.14, Simpson 4.29; Home Runs – C of I 44, EOU 36, OIT 29, Simpson 18, Warner Pacific 15; Stolen Bases – EOU 87, SOU 81, C of I 62, OIT 58, Corban 46; ERA – OIT 2.03, UBC 2.34, SOU 2.41, EOU 2.80, C of I 4.29; Fielding Percentage – OIT .972, SOU .970, UBC .968, EOU .962, C of I .956.
 
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS: Batting Average – Nita Cook (OIT) .436, Lexi Grumbois (EOU) .430, Kina Watts (OIT) .426, Riley Peeler (BU) .418, Hope Burke (EOU) .413; Runs Scored – Watts 54, Raygun Klippert (EOU) 52, Kamryn Ham (CI) 47, Cook 47, Vanessa Lang (SOU) 46; Hits – Cook 68, Lang, 68, Watts 63, Kalea Thomas (SOU) 62, Addison Kachnik (OIT) 61; Home Runs – Burke 12, Madelyn Powell (CI) 11, Brianna Lopez-Cortez (SU) 10, Puakea Milbourne (OIT) 9, Watts 8; RBI – Powell 56, Grumbois 48, Watts 46, Kachnik 45, Burke 44; Stolen Bases – Klippert 43, Cook 26, Thomas 25, Noe Barawis (WPU) 19, Isabella Lauerman (EOU) 16; ERA – Carleen Murray (UBC) 1.14, Kristine Schmidt (OIT) 1.53, Camille Schmitz (EOU) 1.83, Alli Parker (OIT) 1.92, Ayla Davies (SOU) 2.10;  Strikeouts – Murray 174, Davies 160, Schmidt 141, Parker 104, Maliyah Mann (EOU) 102.
 
RECORD BOOK: Eight current players rank among the Top-25 in the OIT career record book, including Nita Cook, who is No. 1 all-time in stolen bases (108), No. 2 in runs scored (204), No. 3 in games started (227) and defensive assists (432), No. 4 in games played (227) and walks (77), No. 5 in sacrifice hits (25), No. 7 in hits (264) and at bats (700), No. 8 in defensive chances (852), No. 9 in hit by pitches (17), No. 10 in triples (9), No. 16 in doubles (42) and No. 19 in RBI (119). Puakea Milbourne ranks No. 1 all-time in defensive putouts (1,491), while ranking No. 2 in defensive chances (1,537), No. 3 in games started (227), RBI (200) and sacrifice flies (11), No. 4 in games played (227), No. 5 in hit-by-pitches (26), No. 6 in at bats (705, home runs (30) and sacrifice hits (23), No. 8 in hits (250), No. 11 in runs scored (160), ranking No. 16 in doubles (42) and stolen bases (31); Addison Kachnik is No. 3 in games started (227), No. 4 in games played (227), No. 8 in doubles (50) and defensive assists (345), No. 12 in at bats (678) and RBI (143), No. 15 in triples (7) and sacrifice flies (8), No. 18 in hits (216), No. 24 in walks (45) and just outside the Top-25 in home runs (16); Alli Parker is No. 3 in saves (7), No. 15 in pitching appearances (58), No. 18 in strikeouts (155), No. 19 in wins (23) and No. 23 in innings pitched (174.0); Jenna Gorden is No. 19 in pitching appearances (55), No. 22 in wins (16), No. 24 in shutouts (2), ranking just outside the Top-25 in innings pitched (149.0); Malia Mick is No. 10 in triples (9), No. 12 in hit by pitches (15) and No. 24 in stolen bases (23); Carli Moore is No. 15 in saves (2), No. 23 in strikeouts (87) and No. 24 in both shutouts (2) and pitching appearances (46); with Kristine Schmidt No. 15 in saves (2), No. 18 in shutouts (4), No. 20 in strikeouts (140) and No. 22 in wins (16).
 
NEXT WEEK: Tech will learn their NAIA Tournament opponents next Wednesday at 3 p.m. – with the NAIA Opening Round set to begin on Monday, May 11. The 10 winners of the respective Opening Round sites will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series, set for May 21-27, in Columbus, Ga.