Thursday, May 8, 2014

NCAA WEST REGIONAL (May 8-11)

At Seaside, Calif. (May 8-10): Thursday - #4 Cal Baptist (41-11) vs. #5 Sonoma State (37-20), noon; #8 Western Oregon (33-21) vs. #1 CSU Monterey Bay (45-8), 2:30 p.m. Friday - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 2 p.m.; Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 4:30 p.m.; Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 7 p.m.  Saturday - Championship game, noon (2nd game if necessary).  (Note: Game times are Pacific time)

At St. George, Utah (May 9-11): Friday- #3 Humboldt State (44-13) vs. #6 UC San Diego (33-16), 1 p.m.; #2 Dixie State (43-8) vs. #7 Central Washington (28-17), 3:30 p.m.  Saturday - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m.; Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30 p.m.; Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 4 p.m.  Sunday - Championship game, Noon (2nd game if necessary). (Note: Game times are Mountain time). 

PORTLAND, Ore. - GNAC champion Western Oregon and conference runner-up Central Washington head in slightly different directions this weekend.

But, ultimately their goal is the same.  To play the underdog role and advance to the NCAA Division II West Regional best-of-three championship series.

Western Oregon, which won two of three games with CWU last weekend in the GNAC conference tournament in Richland, Wash., and is seeded eighth in the regional, travels to Seaside, Calif., to compete in one of two four-team qualifiers for next weekend's best-of-three regional finals.

The Wolves are led by outfielder Amanda Evola and pitcher Kelli Demianew.  Evola, who has hit in 13 consecutive games, leads WOU in average (.415), home runs (8) and RBI (53).  Earlier this season she put together a GNAC season-best 16-game hitting streak. Demianew has a 16-10 record and leads the GNAC in ERA with a 1.82 average.

Catcher Bridget Box is coming off a 9-for-12 hitting performance in the conference tournament which earned her MVP honors.  She tied a GNAC record by hitting three home runs in WOU's 20-9 win over Central Washington in Saturday's GNAC championship game.

Western Oregon opens the sub-regional against nationally third-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (Pacific).  The Otters (45-8) are the top-seed in the eight-team West Regional tournament.

Also competing in WOU's sub-regional is 23rd ranked Cal Baptist (41-11) and unranked Sonoma State (37-20).  Western Oregon lost 14-8 to Cal Baptist on Feb. 7 in Las Vegas, but has not played Cal State Monterey Bay or Sonoma State.

Central Washington's sub-regional begins Friday in St. George, Utah, as the Wildcats take on host and No. 2 seed Dixie State (43-8) at 3:30 p.m. (Mountain time).

Also competing in the Dixie sub-regional is nationally sixth-ranked Humboldt State (44-13) and unranked UC San Diego (33-16). Four of the Tritons' wins came in a four-game series back in early February in California against Western Oregon.

Central's only game this season against one of its three sub-regional opponents was on April 5 at Turlock, Calif., against Humboldt State.  The Wildcats lost that contest 5-1.

The Wildcats, who are 4-3 against Western Oregon this season including 3-1 in the regular season, are paced by second baseman Jill McDaniels and GNAC Pitcher of the Year Maria Gau.

McDaniels leads CWU in hitting (.359), home runs (11) and RBI (43).  Her home run total leads the GNAC.  Gau has a 19-8 record and a 2.95 ERA and leads the conference in strikeouts with 135.  The Wildcats are the tournament's seventh seed.

The winners of the two sub-regionals will play a best-of-three series, May 16-17 for the regional title with the top seed hosting.  The winner of that series will advance to the NCAA Division II Elite 8 May 22-26 at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.

TEAM PROFILES

#7 Central Washington (30-18; 16-8, 3rd): Head Coach - Mallory Holtman-Fletcher (103-83, 4 years). NCAA Appearances - 3rd (2010 - 3-2, lost in sub-regional final.  2011 - 1-2, lost in sub-regional semifinal). .300 Hitters - Jill McDaniels (2B, .359, 11 hr, 43 rbi); Austin Wilkerson (C, .341, 2 hr, 18 rbi); Kailyn Campbell (DH, .336, 1 hr, 31 rbi); Sammy Morris (OF, .336, 1 hr, 21 rbi); Maikala Galusha (1B, .333, 2 hr, 23 rbi)l Taylor Ferleman (SS, .313, 0 hr, 9 rbi); Andrea Hamada (3B, .302, 5 hr, 22 rbi).  Key Pitchers - Maria Gau (10-8, 2.95, 135 strikeouts); Kiana Wood (8-3, 2.92, 75 strikeouts).

#8 Western Oregon (33-21; 18-6, 1st): Head Coach - Lonny Sargent, Warner Pacific '01 (60-47, 2 years; Overall, 91-114, 4 years).  NCAA Appearances - 2nd (2008 - 3-2, lost in regional championship game),  .300 Hitters - Amanda Evola (OF, .415, 8 hr, 53 rbi); Kelsie Gardner (2B, .392, 3 hr, 25 rbi); Melanie Pfeiffer (SS, .379, 0 hr. 15 rbi); Bridjet Box (C, .379, 7 hr, 41 rbi); Ashlie Gardner (1B, .306, 6 hr, 34 rbi).  Key Pitchers - Kelli Demianew (16-10, 1.82 ERA, 71 strikeouts); Eryka Brill (7-6, 4.22, 41 strikeouts).

QUICK FACT: Central Washington is the first GNAC team to qualify for the NCAA softball tournament as an at-large selection since 2008.  A big reason why may be because GNAC teams posted their first winning record (24-19) in the Cal State Stanislaus Tournament of Champions in early April.

For more GNAC News, check out the GNAC Weekly Report.