LA GRANDE, Ore. – Survive and Advance. That continues to be the theme for No. 15 Mountaineers Softball as they get set to begin Opening Round action for the 2022 NAIA National Championships. In the Oklahoma City bracket, Eastern Oregon is one of three ranked teams and is the No. 2 seed.

OPPONENTS/FIELD
No. 22 (3) Texas A&M-Texarkana Eagles (42-12)
No. 2 (1) Oklahoma City Stars (47-6)
(4) William Woods Owls (29-29)

WHERE
Oklahoma City, Okla. - Ann Lacy Stadium
Oklahoma City University Hosts

WHEN (All Times Central)
Monday, May 16 
Game 1: No. 2 Eastern Oregon vs. No. 3 Texas A&M Texarkana, 11 a.m. 
Game 2: No. 4 William Woods (Mo.) at No. 1 Oklahoma City, 1 p.m. 

Tuesday, May 17 
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m. 
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1 p.m. (Loser Eliminated)
Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 3 p.m. (Loser Eliminated)

Wednesday, May 18 
Championship 
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 11 a.m. 
Game 7: If necessary, 1 p.m.

First Pitch
• The Mountaineers (41-15) make a return trip to the NAIA National Tournament for the first time since 2018.
• Eastern is one of seven teams in the NAIA Opening Round that made the tournament as an at-large qualifier.
• Going into the Oklahoma City bracket, EOU is one of three nationally ranked squads along with No. 22 Texas A&M-Texarkana and No. 2 OCU.
• The Mounties are one of four teams out of the Cascade Collegiate Conference to make the NAIA National Tournament, which is the most of any conference in the NAIA.

How to Watch/Follow
• Live video coverage of the Opening Round will be available through the SAC Sports Network BlueFrame page at www.SACSportsNetwork.com. All games are Pay-Per-View and will cost $4.99 per game.
• Live stats coverage can be accessed by clicking the respective link above and by going to the EOU Softball schedule page.
• All home EOU Softball games from this year are available On-Demand through the Mountie Sports Network at www.eousports.com/watch. All EOU home games are Pay-Per-View and can be purchased for $7.95 per game or $11.95 for a day pass. Fans can also purchase an Eastern Oregon All-Access pass to watch all 2021-22 EOU home sporting events for $100.
• Live stats coverage for EOU Softball games can be accessed at www.eousports.com/livestats.

Story Lines
• The Mountaineers are just one win away from setting a new single season wins record of 42.
• The match-up against Texas A&M-Texarkana is the first ever for Eastern.
• This is the fourth overall appearance in program history for EOU at the NAIA National Tournament.
• Eastern is back on the NAIA national stage for the first time since 2018 and it is the first berth to Nationals under head coach Nicole Christian.

CoSIDA Academic All-District
• The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced its 2022 Academic All‐District® Softball Team and EOU had two players make the list.
• Garnering CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team honors were Kayla Berg and Taylor Dow. Berg was selected as an outfielder, while Dow was selected as a Designated Player.
• The two selections are first for EOU Softball under head coach Nicole Christian. Both Berg and Dow are now eligible for Academic All-America® status … Read more.

All-CCC Mountaineers
• Eastern had five players tabbed as All-CCC athletes for their performance during the regular season. Garnering All-CCC honors for Eastern Oregon was Amanda Smith (Pitcher), Grace Gaither (Infielder), Caitlin Crist (Infielder), Shelby Starr (Outfielder), and Karsyn Zaragoza (Outfielder).
• Smith and Gaither were named to the First Team, while Crist was the lone Second Team selection. Both Starr and Zaragoza were selected as Honorable Mention. The group of five players were key parts in the Mounties going 39-13 overall in the regular season and 24-6 in CCC action.
• The five selections are the most in a single season under the skipper Nicole Christian and EOU has produced eight since her arrival. No CCC Teams were named in 2020 as the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic … Read more.

Quick Hits
Last Time Out - CCC Championships
• The Mountaineers went 2-2 at the CCC Tournament and finished third overall. Eastern picked up wins over Corban and No. 8 Southern Oregon.
• EOU routed Corban in its first game with an 8-1 win to advance. Eastern then upset No. 8 SOU, 3-1, to move onto the semifinal round.
• In the two wins, Amanda Smith pitched complete games in the circle with 12 total strikeouts.
• At the plate in the two wins, Madison Stateler went a combined 3-6 and had the gamewinning three-run homer against the Raiders.
• The final two games went against EOU as the team fell 1-0 in eight innings to No. 4 Oregon Tech and dropped an 8-2 elimination match-up to No. 20 College of Idaho.

Series History vs. TAMUT & the Field
• The match-up vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana is the first ever for Eastern.
• EOU and OCU have matched up just one time, back in 2018, with the Stars winning the contest 4-0.
• Eastern and William Woods also have never squared off before entering the week.

Mounties in the National Rankings
• In the final NAIA Softball Coaches' Top-25 regular season poll, EOU finally entered the rankings at No. 15.
• Eastern had been receiving votes in each of the last three polls before catapulting into the top-25 for the first time this season.
• The Mounties are one of four ranked teams out of the CCC and the third highest. 

Mounties on the NAIA National Stage
• In Opening Round action, EOU is 0-4. The team has made the Opening Round twice prior to 2022 in 2016 and 2018.
• At the NAIA World Series, Eastern is 5-4 all time in two appearances (1999 & 2000).
• In 1999, the Mounties had their best finish in program history, placing fourth. The 2000 squad for EOU placed fifth

A Season for the Record Books 
• The Mountaineers have reached 40-plus wins in a season for the first time since 1999.
• EOU's 41 wins this year is tied for the most in a single season with the 1999 squad.
• In CCC play, EOU swept six series, 3-0, and  won 4-0 overall in five of them.
• The Mountaineers tied their 11-game winning streak from 2018, after winning the series opener over SOU.
• Eastern nearly matched their win streak of 11, winning 10 straight before falling in the finale to OIT.

Comin' Out Swingin'
• Four players are batting over .300 in Shelby Starr (.316), Kayla Berg (.316), Haley Ebner (.311), and Caitlin Crist (.306).
• Hannah Tyree leads the team in RBI with 34, while Berg is second at 32. Tyree is second in homers with five.
• Crist continues leads the team in runs scored and home runs with 44 and six, respectively.
• Berg is the team leader in doubles smacked with 19. She is tied for third in home runs with Gaither at four apiece.
• Second in runs scored is Madison Stateler with 33, while Karsyn Zaragoza is third with 32.
• Zaragoza leads the team in walks drawn with 28, while Gaither is second with 23.

Swing and a Miss!
• Through 56 games, the Mounties have fanned 259 batters and allowed just 82 walks.
• Eastern has a 2.53 team ERA and is holding batters to a .241 average.
• Amanda Smith leads the team in strikeouts with 133 and is 19-6 on the year with a 1.85 ERA.
• Smith has pitched 19 complete games and earned three saves.
• Mckenna Stallings is second in strikeouts with 62 and is 10-4 with a 2.65 ERA.
• Abby Giles has an ERA of 2.42 in 18 games played and has fanned 23 batters in 55.0 innings pitched.

CCC Stat Leaders (As of May 13)
• The Mounties still ranks second in the CCC in team ERA at 2.53. 
• Eastern also ranks fourth as a team in fielding percentage in .957.
• EOU is fifth in the league in batting average at .291.
• Amanda Smith ranks third in the CCC in ERA and strikeouts at 1.85 and 133, respectively.
• Smith is also second in total wins with 19 and is third in saves with three. She is the CCC leader in opponent batting average at .188.
• Kayla Berg is second in the league in doubles hit with 19. Grace Gaither is tied for fifth with 14.
• Caitlin Crist is eighth in runs scored with 44 on the year. She is tied for fifth in stolen bases with 24.
• Hannah Tyree and Haley Ebner are tied for eighth in doubles smacked with 13, respectively.
• Karsyn Zaragoza is fourth in the CCC in walks drawn with 28. Gaither is seventh with 23.

Scouting the Competition
No. 22 Texas A&M-Texarkana Eagles
• The Eagles enter the Opening Round as the No. 22 team in the NAIA and will be the No. 3 seed in the OKC bracket.
• TAMUT boasts a 42-12 overall record. They went 21-7 in Red River Athletic Conference play and were the RRAC Tournament Champions along with being the RRAC East Division Champions.
• Offensively, the Eagles are batting .332. They have hit 12 home runs this year and have scored 325 runs. They have 291 RBI to go along with 82 doubles and 37 triples.
• In the circle, TAMUT boasts a 1.97 team ERA. They have fanned 312 batters and allowed just 78 walks. They have allowed just 10 home runs in 358.1 innings pitched.
• Defensively, the Eagles own a .960 fielding percentage. The team has turned 12 double plays and committed 54 errors.
• The team boasts five All-RRAC selections in Anna Westberry (1st Team - P) , Katie Slamer (1st Team - OF), Erika Richardson (2nd Team - UT), Mackenzie Vittitow (2nd Team - P), and Sierrah Kupihea (Champions of Character Team).
• Westberry is the ace in the circle with a 23-4 overall record. She has a 1.02 ERA and has fanned 193 batters this season. She has pitched 18 complete games as well.
• Vittitow is second in strikeouts and wins. She is 21-13 on the year, has struck out 74 batters, and owns a 2.09 ERA.
• Slamer is the team leader in runs scored and hits with 51 and 67, respectively. She bats .396, has hit two homers, and knocked 13 doubles to go along with 10 triples.
• Richardson leads the way in batting with a .401 average and has a team-high 44 RBI. She also has a team best three home runs and 16 doubles.
• Tied for the team lead in stolen bases is Laura Dyer and Slamer. The duo have 26 each on the year. 
• Macie Reeves is second in RBI with 37 and is batting .329 on the year. She has also tallied 16 stolen bases. 

No. 2 Oklahoma City Stars
• The Stars are the host of the NAIA Opening Round and enter the NAIA Tournament as the No. 2 ranked team in the country. 
• OCU was both the SAC Regular Season and Tournament Champion. They boast a 47-6 overall record and went 28-4 in league play.
• Offensively, the Stars are batting .373, which ranks third in the NAIA. They have 23 home runs and scored 388 runs to go along with 331 RBI. Their total runs rank sixth in the NAIA, while their RBI total is eighth.
• In the circle, OCU relies on just two pitchers who have been dominant. The duo of Sheleby Cornelson and Lexi Duff have a combined ERA of 1.71 They have fanned 346 batters and allowed 84 walks. They have given up 23 home runs on the year.
• Defensively, the Stars boast a .967 fielding percentage. They have turned 15 doubles plays this year and committed just 44 errors.
• This season, OCU had 10 All-SAC selections led by the now two-time Player of the Year in Kennedy Jackson who was a First Team selection and now a five-time All-SAC athlete.
• Cornelson, Duff, Brooklyn Mason and Nicole Robinson were also First Team All-Conference selections.  Amy Crabaugh, Kaitlyn Jones, Tiffany Paul and Rally Radacy reeled in second-team all-SAC. Mallory McCoy became a conference gold glover.
• Jackson leads the team in runs scored with 65 and is second in batting average at .439. She has hit 11 doubles and five triples. She leads the way in stolen bases with 41 on 42 attempts.
• Mason is the team leader in batting average at .451. She has the third most RBI at 43 to go along with 13 doubles, a pair of home runs and is 26-27 in stolen bases attempts.
• Duff is a two-way threat both in hitting and pitching. She leads the team in home runs with six and is batting .373. She has also hit 12 doubles and has the second most RBI with 46.
• In the circle, Duff sports a 1.84 ERA and is 17-3. She has struck out 65 batters and is holding opposing hitters to a .238 average.
• The ace for the Stars is Cornelson. She is 30-3 on the year with a 1.73 ERA. She has fanned 281 batters and pitched 25 complete games. She holds batters to just a .184 average.
• Paul is the RBI leader for the team with 65 driven in this year. She bats .369 and has a team-high 16 doubles to go along with three home runs.

William Woods Owls
• The Owls enter the Opening Round with a .500 record of 23-23 overall and were 9-9 in American Midwest Conference play. They were the AMC Tournament Runner-Up to earn their bid to Nationals. They are the No. 4 seed in the bracket.
• Offensively, WWU is batting .302 as a team. They have scored 289 runs on the year, tallied 277 RBI and hit 19 home runs.
• In the circle, the Owls sport a 4.15 team ERA. They have fanned 177 batters and allowed 134 walks. They have surrendered 23 home runs and hold batters to a .315 average.
• Defensively, WWU boasts a .951 fielding percentage. They have turned 12 double plays and have committed 55 errors on the year.
• This season, the Owls had six players make the All-AMC Teams. Sarah Randermann, Celeste Sermeno and Emma Taylor each picked up First Team All-AMC honors, while Alexis Hassler, Arianna Donovan and Mallory Feldewerth were named to the Second Team.
• Sermeno is the team's top hitter with a .390 average and a team-high 33 RBI. She also leads the bats in home runs with five and is second in runs scored with 38. 
• Taylor and Feldewerth are tied for second in batting average with a .368 average, respectively. They are also tied for second in RBI with 31 apiece. Taylor leads the way in runs scored with 41 and doubles with 16.
• Second in home runs is Donovan with four. She is batting .330 and has tallied 29 RBI. Feldewerth and Taylor are tied for third in homers with two, respectively.
• Randermann is the team's ace in the circle. She leads the way in strikeouts with 106 and has a 12-8 record on the year. She boasts a 2.43 ERA and holds batters to a .239 average.
• Kalee Wall is second in strikeouts at 30. She is 5-9 this season and has a 4.22 ERA. 

Up Next
• Should the Mountaineers win the OKC bracket, they will advance to the NAIA Softball World Series. The 2022 World Series will take place May 26-June 1 at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Georgia.

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