Softball | 5/11/2016 9:00:00 AM

Arcata, Calif.  (May 11) -- Eight days ago the Central Washington University softball team departed from Ellensburg to compete in the NCAA Division II West Regional 2 Tournament, and since defeating Dixie State in the opening round in Azusa, Calif.  they have been riding one heck of a roller coaster.
 
Nothing, besides winning the West Regional Tournament and advancing to the Super Regionals, has gone according to plan.
 
The softball team was supposed to play just one game on May 5, but due to forecasted lightning they were forced to play twice.  The NCAA rearranged the schedule and allowed the tournament to extend an extra day, forcing the Wildcats to stay in California instead of traveling back to Ellensburg before their Super Regional matchup with top-seeded, and fifth ranked Humboldt State University.
 
The NCAA paid for the team to take a chartered flight from Ontario, Calif. to Arcata.  After checking out of their hotel, the team stopped at Ontario Mills Shopping Mall, the largest one story mall west of the Mississippi River, where half the team headed straight to Build-A-Bear Workshop.
 
Once aboard the chartered aircraft, they indulged themselves on king-sized candy bars and other various snacks and beverages provided by their personal flight attendant.
 
Just when things felt "normal" again, maybe even exceeding the norm, the team was stuck in the small desolate Arcata landing strip for nearly two hours where games of hacky sack and 20 questions were played to pass the time.  Finally their bus arrived, but too late for their scheduled practice.
 
Having spent seven days on the road, getting clean clothes was a must.  The team spent most of the night at a Laundromat, and again the Wildcats found ways to pass the time by playing cards and taking rides in laundry baskets.
 
The team got a good night of sleep and finally enjoyed a regular day on Tuesday.  After breakfast they traveled to HSU for their scheduled practice and had a team dinner before returning to the hotel.
 
The 2016 softball team has gotten used to taking the alternative route.  Even before regionals, they became the only team in GNAC history to win the conference tournament after entering the elimination bracket.  After winning seven-straight elimination contests between the GNAC and NCAA Division II Tournament, they have become the only GNAC school to advance to the Super Regional Round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
"This is a very resilient team, we have proven that so far," CWU Head Coach Mike Larabee said.  "We have battled all season, and the past couple of weeks have been no different.  Regardless of how we got here, I know that these players will be ready to compete, and will give everything they have to get to Denver."
 
The CWU softball team will enter the next stage of their journey at 3 p.m. today when they faceoff with Humboldt State in the first of a potential three game series.  The Wildcats will be the visiting team in the first game, and in game two (May 12) they will hang their bags in the home dugout.  In the "if necessary" game, also scheduled for May 12, a coin toss will determine the home team.