ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Softball Team starts the 2025 season in sunny Southern California as they participate in the CUI Kick-Off Classic, hosted by Concordia University Irvine for five games this weekend.
GAME INFORMATION
Friday, January 31
11:00 a.m.
Central Washington vs. Chico State
Great Park (Field 3)
Irvine, Calif.
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6:30 p.m.
Central Washington at Concordia University Irvine
Great Park (Stadium)
Irvine, Calif.
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Saturday, February 1
10:30 a.m.
Central Washington vs. Dominican (CA)
Great Park (Field 4)
Irvine, Calif.
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4:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. Hawaii Pacific
Great Park (Field 1)
Irvine, Calif.
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Sunday, February 2
9:00 a.m.
Central Washington vs. Cal State Monterey Bay
Great Park (Field 4)
Irvine, Calif.
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QUOTING CWU HEAD SOFTBALL COACH JOE DIPIETRO
"We're excited to get the season started," CWU Head Softball Coach
Joe DiPietro said. "We have a completely new team after several graduates last season that's been filled with so many freshmen this season. I'm excited to get the season started and improve upon our fourth-place finish from last season."
THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats will have a revamped roster in 2025 after a team that went 17-30 and 12-12 in GNAC play that saw the 'Cats make the GNAC Tournament where they put up a fight against the top-seeded Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene but fell 1-0, then bowed out of the season with a 4-1 loss to the third-seeded Saints of Saint Martin's.
CWU saw a giant graduating class of 10 student-athletes conclude their careers after the 2024 season with many of them being regular starters for the crimson and black, which made way for 11 freshmen and one transfer to join the team for the 2025 season. There will be plenty of opportunities for the newcomers to make their mark with CWU's top five hitters and top pitcher from last season moving on after all of them started a majority, if not all of the 47 games last season.
Highlighting the returnees for the 'Cats is sophomore catcher/infielder
Brooke Blocker, outfielder
Karsyn Decker, pitcher
Payton Kessler, infielder
Serena Perez, and pitcher/infielder
Zoey Theophilus who all logged big innings last season with Decker starting all 47 games in left field for the 'Cats outfield. The returnees will be spearheading the 'Cats to try and earn a better finish than the fourth place they earned in the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Also coming back for CWU will be former outfielders
Allie Thiessen and
Jillian Hampson who will reup with the 'Cats for 2025 as the Assistant Coach and Graduate Assistant Coach after concluding their careers in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
SCOUTING THE CUI KICK-OFF CLASSIC OPPONENTS
CHICO STATE
The Wildcats will look to rebound after a 10th-place CCAA finish with a 12-24 conference record and a 13-29 overall record. The Wildcats have a solid core returning, including their best hitter and Honorable Mention All-CCAA outfielder Mia Santos who had a .337 batting average a season ago their homerun leader of catcher Ali Lewis and one of their go-to starting pitchers in Amelie Valdez who held a 7-16 record and a 3.69 ERA in 27 appearances that included 22 starts. Chico State will look to replace their top pitcher Katelyn Oldwin as well as their second and third-best hitters, outfielder Tayler Berens and utility player Ashley Rocha.
The 'Clash of the Wildcats' happened in 2024 at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif. with CWU coming out on top 5-4 thanks to a two-run double from
Brooke Jordan in the top of the seventh to score
Sasha Mitchell and
Jillian Hampson and
Ashlee Laver pitching the final two innings allowing just one hit to secure the victory.
CUI
The Golden Eagles have been a staple of the west region for the past almost decade and will look to continue that streak this season after being named the favorites in the PacWest, receiving 10 of the 11 first-place votes. CUI won the PacWest last season and earned a spot in their sixth-straight NCAA West Regional posting a 48-13 overall record and a 27-5 PacWest record.
CUI will be in the same boat as the 'Cats as they look to replace a majority of their primary athletes from a season ago as seven of their nine All-PacWest athletes have graduated including Third Team All-American pitcher Cortney Koelmans and All-West Region members Kaia Nisby and Kaitlin Entrup. Highlighting the returnees will be the 2024 PacWest Freshman of the Year, outfielder Jessica Im who served as the top hitter for the Golden Eagles last season with a .329 batting average. Joining Im is catcher Shelby Pfeiler who was named to the All-PacWest second Team, posting a .276 batting average, six homeruns, and 22 RBI.
The last clash between the 'Cats and the Golden Eagles happened back on February 12, 2022, in Tucson, Ariz. where CUI won 9-6. Thiessen led the 'Cats with three hits and two RBI including an RBI double to center field in the top of the seventh inning to score Harlee Carpenter and start a three-run inning for CWU to cut into the CUI lead.
DOMINICAN (CA)
The Penguins were tied for sixth in the PacWest Preseason Poll with 59 points after finishing just shy of the PacWest Tournament with a 12-16 conference record and a 19-24 overall record in 2024. Dominican will be looking to replace their top player on each side of the ball in batting leader Olivia Lee who was named First Team All-PacWest after hitting .339 and dual-threat pitcher/hitter Shelby Keltner who was named Second Teach All-PacWest after leading the Penguins pitching group with a 2.42 ERA.
Leading the charge of the returnees is Tiare Guerrero who led the PacWest in stolen bases with 22 on the season and was right behind Lee in hitting with a .338 batting average. Alyssa Rue and dual-threat Taylor Rodriguez are also back after leading the Penguins with three homeruns apiece with Rodriguez looking to lead the pitching group after finishing second on the team with a 3.34 ERA and leading DU with three saves.
The last time the Penguins and 'Cats met was back on April 2, 2022, in Turlock, Calif. at the Tournament of Champions when DU took the 7-5 victory after a three-run homerun in the top of the seventh inning by Alicia Garcia sealed the deal. Thiessen and Jordan led the 'Cats with three hits apiece with Jordan logging an RBI and
Makenna King pinch hitting in two runs on a double.
HAWAII PACIFIC
HPU will be looking to rebound after a 9-31 2024 campaign that saw the Sharks go 4-21 in PacWest play for an eighth-place finish. The Sharks were picked in a tie for ninth place in the PacWest Preseason Poll earning 28 points. Hawaii Pacific has a large core returning, highlighted by All-PacWest First Team utility player Jewel Larson who was the leader of the Sharks hitting with a .325 batting average and 19 RBI. The Sharks will have to replace their dual-threat pitcher Gianna Kerschbaum who also garnered a First Team All-PacWest nod after posting a 3.59 ERA as a pitcher and a .261 batting average with 17 RBI and one homerun as a hitter.
The last meeting between HPU and CWU came on March 31, 2023, in Turlock, Calif. at the Tournament of Champions when CWU came away with the 2-0 victory. Thiessen was the difference of the game when she doubled to left center field in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Hampson and
Kate Hopkins. Ashee Laver tossed the seven-inning shutout, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out one.
CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY
The Otters will be looking to grow after a 19-30 campaign in 2024 that saw them finish ninth in the CCAA with a 13-23 record. CSUMB will look to the leadership of Emily Montañez who took over the program this season after spending the past six seasons after as the Associate Head Coach of NCAA Division I St. Mary's. She has a solid core returning for the Otters, led by First Team All-CCAA catcher Ally Alcayaga who led CSUMB with a .413 batting average, seven homeruns, and 28 RBI. Also, back for the Otters is Honorable Mention All-CCAA infielder Anastacia Alba who recorded a .280 batting average with two homeruns and 19 RBI last season. They will have to replace Second Team All-CCAA pitcher Mackenzie Willis who led the Otters with a 2.68 ERA, four shutouts, and 195 strikeouts in 2024.
CWU and CSUMB met on February 3, 2023, at the CUI Kick-Off Classic in Irvine where the Otters took the 4-1 victory.
Sasha Mitchell had the only RBI for the 'Cats in the bottom of the sixth when she sacrificed herself to score
Alyssa Benthagen. Hopkins and King led CWU with two hits apiece. Isabel Womack pitched the full seven innings for CWU allowing eight hits, four runs, and five walks but struck out six.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will head back to the Pacific Northwest and down to La Grande, Ore. to take on perennial NAIA power, the NAIA's 13th-ranked Eastern Oregon Mountaineers in a double-header from Peggy Anderson Softball Field on Saturday, February 8 with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m.
