Mike Safford
COMING UP:Â vs. Corban (DH), Thursday, 2 p.m.; vs. Corban (DH), Friday, 11 a.m.; vs. Simpson (DH), Tuesday (4/2), 2 p.m.
COMPLETE WEEKLY MEDIA NOTEBOOK
GAME DAY INFORMATION: Live Video of the 4-game series vs. Corban, along with the doubleheader vs. Simpson, will be available on the Owls Sports Network – with Mike Safford and Mike Garrard on the call. Live Stats for all games will be available through OIT's SIDEARM Sports Portal.
MULTIMEDIA: Photos from the 2024 season, including the Southern Oregon series, will be posted online via the OIT Softball Flickr Page, with highlight clips posted online via the new OIT Softball YouTube Channel.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – CORBAN: The 6-game homestand starts Thursday against Corban, as the Warriors (1-27, 0-12 CCC) are mired in a school-record 20-game losing streak. The Salem school has struggled mightily at the plate, ranking No. 188 of 189 NAIA schools in team batting average (.150) – recording just 11 extra base hits in 28 games – with the team being shutout 12 times. Only one player has a batting average above .220 – first baseman Madelyn Robinson (.300 0 HR 3 RBI), but catcher Samantha Martinez (.219 0 HR 4 RBI), outfielder Gianna Redman (.219 0 HR 0 RBI) and first baseman Sydney Spickelmier (.194 1 HR 6 RBI) key the top of the order. In the circle, lefty Vanesa Quinones (0-10 5.78 ERA) is the top arm, with righty Kate Banks (1-9 10.07 ERA) earning Game 2 starts. OIT holds an 8-game win streak and a 63-32 series edge with the Warriors, sweeping Corban last season by a 38-5 run margin.
OPPONENT PREVIEW – SIMPSON: After having two previous dates with Simpson washed out due to rain, the Redhawks (8-15) head to Klamath for the first time since 2009. The California Pacific Conference squad dropped early-season games to OIT, Southern Oregon and Eastern Oregon – but has an impressive 1-0 victory over Midland, a 2023 NAIA World Series qualifier. Designated player Madyson Welch (.458 1 HR 12 RBI) leads an offense that is hitting .280 as a team – with center fielder Nicolena Holen (.367 2 HR 10 BRI), first baseman Cailey Rizzardo (.314 2 HR 8 RBI) and third baseman Adriana Delaney (.250 0 HR 13 RBI) all key to the Redhawks attack. Left-handed pitcher Kylee Potes (4-6 2.83 ERA) was an All-Cal Pac pick in 2023, with Jacquelyn Lujan (2-6 4.60 ERA) earning key innings in 2024. OIT is 8-0 all-time vs. Simpson in the Basin and holds a 39-16 series edge, including 9-straight wins.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION IN SPRINGFIELD: The OIT offense was in high gear at Rich Schwab Field in Springfield, as the Lady Owls scored 47 runs on 59 hits in the series sweep of Bushnell – including a season-high 17 hits in the Game 3 win. Tech pounded Beacons pitching for five doubles, six triples and a pair of home runs – adding 10 stolen bases. For the weekend, OIT hit .464 as a team, improving their league-leading batting average to .361.
SPOTLESS DEFENSE: The Lady Owls continued to showcase tremendous play in the field – stretching a string of games without an error to 7-in-a-row. Tech has recorded 223 consecutive defensive chances without and error, improving their team fielding percentage to .979 – ranking No. 5 in the NAIA.
WIN STREAK AT 12: With the 4-game sweep at Bushnell, the Lady Owls ran their win streak to 12-in-a-row – the fourth-straight season with a win streak of at least 12 games. It marks the 18th time OIT has logged a win streak of at least 12 games – including 20-game win streaks in both 2021 and 2022, along with a school record 25-game win streak last season.
SUCCESS AT STILWELL STADIUM:Â OIT heads into the weekend with a 7-0 record at home this season, posting an 88-13 all-time on the turf at Stilwell Stadium. Tech holds a string of 13-consecutive Cascade Conference home series wins, dating back to March of 2021, part of a stretch where the Owls have posted wins in 65 of their last 69 home games.
COOK HAS STELLAR SERIES: It was a career weekend for second baseman Nita Cook, as the sophomore recorded four multi-hit games, six extra-base hits and drove in 10 runs. In the series, Cook finished 9-for-17 – hitting her second and third inside-the-park home runs of the year, while in Game 2, became the eighth OIT player to record two triples in a contest. In the Game 3 win, Cook posted a career-high five RBI, while pushing her batting average to .402.
COULDN'T GET ALLEN OUT: The top of the Tech order lived on base in Lane County, as Zoe Allen finished the series 9-for-14 with seven runs scored. The Owls left fielder drove in five runs and added four stolen bases in the series, while improving her batting average to .375.
THE DUAL-THREAT: Senior Mckenzie Staub had her best weekend of 2024 – both in the circle and at the plate. The right-hander stymied Bushnell hitters for 11 innings, allowing just six hits and one walk, striking out 12 in picking up two victories. Offensively, Staub finished 7-for-14 with five runs scored and an RBI – improving her batting average by 54 points.
MILBOURNE AND KACHNIK HAVE BIG WEEKEND: Sophomore corner infielders Puakea Milbourne and Addison Kachnik each provided a big spark to the OIT offense. Milbourne extended her hitting streak to nine games with four 2-hit games, going 8-for-15 with two doubles, five runs scored and eight RBI. Kachnik broke out of a slump in a big way, going 7-for-14 with six runs scored, improving her batting average by 70 points.
MICK CONTINUES MONSTER SEASON: Kaila Mick continued a remarkable 2024 campaign, going 7-for-16 with six runs scored and four RBI at Bushnell. Though the grad student had her string of multi-hit games snapped at eight, Mick ended the weekend with a league-best .541 batting average, while leading the circuit with 11 doubles, six triples 46 hits and 34 RBI.
AROUND THE LEAGUE: Sweeps continued around the Cascade Conference, as Southern Oregon, Carroll, Eastern Oregon and C of I all joined OIT with perfect weekends – though C of I had their second CCC game postponed due to weather – needing to make up games later this year vs. Carroll and UBC. This week, UBC heads to Carroll for a key series, while Bushnell travels to SOU, Warner Pacific to C of I and Providence to Eastern.
OWLS RANKED NO. 5: The Lady Owls climbed one spot to No. 5 in the latest NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll, released last Wednesday. Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) holds the top spot, followed by Oklahoma City, Central Methodist, USAO and OIT – with Jessup at No. 8, Southern Oregon at No. 10, Hope International at No. 12, Eastern Oregon at No. 15 and C of I at No. 21. The poll is released every-other week throughout the regular-season.
RECORD BOOK: Seven players currently sit inside the OIT career Top-25 record book (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 runs scored (221) and triples (19), ranking No. 2 in stolen bases (69), doubles (57) and walks (82), No. 3 in at bats (700) and hits (283), No. 4 in hit-by-pitches (32) and games started (211), No. 6 in RBI (168), No. 7 in sacrifice flies (9), No. 8 in games played (211), No. 20 in home runs (17) and No. 24 in sacrifice hits (10). Jayce Seavert holds the hit-by-pitch record (55), is No. 2 in sacrifice flies (12), No. 14 in RBI (121), No. 16 in sacrifice hits (12), No. 19 in doubles (33), No. 22 in triples (5) and runs scored (110), while ranking No. 23 in home runs (16); Lexi Klum is No. 3 in triples (12), No. 16 in sacrifice hits (12), No. 20 in stolen bases (24) and No. 21 in RBI (108), ranking just outside the Top-25 in doubles (28) and home runs (15); Zoe Allen is No. 6 in stolen bases (42), No. 16 in sacrifice hits (12) and No. 23 in runs scored (109); with Nita Cook No. 10 in sacrifice hits (13), No. 17 in stolen bases (26) and No. 22 in triples (5). In the circle, Mckenzie Staub is No. 3 in games started (87) and strikeouts (391), No. 4 in wins (69) and appearances (107), No. 6 in innings pitched (494.2), No. 7 in shutouts (11), No. 8 in complete games (37) and No. 12 in saves (2); with Kacie Schmidt No. 6 in shutouts (12), No. 8 in strikeouts (302), No. 9 in wins (41), No. 11 in complete games (30), starts (51) and appearances (82), ranking No. 12 in saves (2) and innings pitched (330.0).
LOOKING AHEAD:Â The Lady Owls hit the road next weekend (April 5-6) for a key 4-game series at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C.
