The Central Washington University softball team opens its 2018 season this week when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the 28 team MSUB Desert Stinger Tournament. The Wildcats will play five games from Feb. 2 – 4.
The Wildcats finished 2017 with a 34-15 record and captured its second-straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference title.
The Wildcats are 19-16 all-time at the Desert Stinger, but are 16-4 in the last four years including a 5-0 showing in 2014.
CWU's 2018 Desert Stinger Schedule
DESERT STINGER TOURNAMENT PAGE
LIVE STATS – Two games will have video – Friday, Feb. 2 vs CSUSB (7pm), and Sunday, Feb. 4 vs Academy of Art (2pm).
Weekend Preview:
Last year, Central went 3-2 with losses to a Concordia (Calif.) team that finished 36-15 in its final year of NCAA Division II provisional status, and Cal State Monterey Bay who finished 2017 as the top ranked team in the West Region.
Central Washington opens the 2018 Stinger with Texas Woman's University on Friday followed by Cal state San Bernardino at 7 p.m.
Texas Woman's finished 2017 37-22 and advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament as the #2 seed in the South Central and advanced to the Super Regionals losing to eventual national runner-up Angelo State.
Cal State San Bernardino also earned a trip to the NCAA tournament as the 5
th seed after finishing 37-17 on the season. The Wildcats and Coyotes met a year ago with CWU taking a 7-0 victory in the opening game of the Tournament of Champions in Turlock Calif.
Saturday brings a pair of California Collegiate Athletic Association foes in San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay. The Gators had one of its better seasons finishing with a 21-31 record, but return six seniors and are looking for their first winning season since 2009.
The Otters of Cal State Monterey Bay hosted the NCAA Division II West Regional Tournament as the top seed, but were ousted in two games to finished 2017 43-13. The Otters lost four of its top six hitters form a year ago but return its two best pitchers from a staff that owned a 2.60 earned run average.
The Desert Stinger wraps up with a 2 p.m. matchup with Academy of Art on Sunday, Feb. 4. The Urban Knights were an even 25-25 last season including a 1-9 loss to Central Washington at the Tournament of Champions.
The Wildcats are one of seven teams representing the GNAC at the Desert Stinger, along with 21 NCAA Division II schools from the West Region.
Coach Mike Larabee's Expectations at Desert Stinger:
I expect us to play solid fundamental softball, and continue to improve. As a team, we have been focusing on learning, growing, and getting better whether we win or lose. We are going to get the opportunity to learn a lot about ourselves this week, which is why we love this tournament. We get to see a large chunk of teams from our region, and compete against some stiff competition, which is the best way to learn and grow.
I can't wait to get out and play some outside competition. I feel we are more prepared at this point than we have been in the past couple of years. I think a big reason for our progress is that we have a lot of depth which has created some great competition at practice.
CWU Players to Watch:
Jacie McDaniels – Sr., catcher, Walla Walla, Wash.
McDaniels was the 2017 GNAC Newcomer of the Year after batting .331 with 12 homeruns and 54 RBI.
Celine Fowler – Sr., center field, North Bend, Wash.
Fowler is a two-time All-GNAC Second Team, and a 2016 All-West Region selection. She holds a career batting average of .373 and ranks 4
th all time with 189 hits.
Julia Reuble – So., first base, Edmonds, Wash.
A 2017 All-GNAC Honorable Mention selection after batting .313 with eight homeruns, and 35 RBI as a freshman.
Savannah Egbert – So., third base, Connell, Wash.
Batted .305 in 2017 with a team high 21 stolen bases in 21 attempts. Set a new school record with four steals in one game.
Lexie Strasser – Fr., pitcher, Chehalis, Wash.
An All-League Pitching MVP, Strasser was named The Olympian's Female Athlete of the Year after she finished 16-1 as a senior with a 0.54 ERA. Strasser pitched every game of the WIAA State Tournament and helped the Bearcats capture the state championship.
