ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Softball Team will welcome a pair of teams to Ellensburg this weekend as they look forward to their home and season-opening weekend under the leadership of first year Head Coach Ronnie Ladines.
 
Friday's games will occur during Campus Parking Enforcement hours of operation. Due to that, patrons will need a guest parking pass if you don't already have a CWU pass in order to park in the paved parking lots closest to the Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field (Lots V-18 and V-22). The dirt parking lots by the softball fields are free to park (Lots X-22 and X-23) as well as free parking along East 18th Avenue. 
 
To purchase a daily guest pass click HERE
To view a campus parking map click HERE
 
GAME INFORMATION:
 
Friday, February 6
Noon & 2:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. #3 NAIA Eastern Oregon
Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
 
Saturday, February 7
Noon & 2:00 p.m.
Central Washington vs. Warner Pacific
Gary & Bobbi Frederick Field
Ellensburg, Wash.
WATCH: HERE
LIVE STATS: HERE
 
QUOTING CWU HEAD SOFTBALL COACH RONNIE LADINES:
 
"I've watched this team pour everything into every practice and every rep. Opening Day is the perfect moment to set the tone and let our hard work speak for itself."
 
LAST YEAR:
 
CWU finished last season with a 6-32 record including a 4-20 GNAC record that placed the 'Cats seventh in the GNAC. The 'Cats saw a big nonconference 9-1 victory over eventual NCAA Tournament participant Sonoma State as well as a big home conference victory over Northwest Nazarene and a pair of road conference wins at Montana State Billings that saw the 'Cats break a home run record of eight home runs in a single game. They had four athletes earn All-GNAC led by Mia Flores and Karsyn Decker on the Second Team with Gabi Casco and Jessica Reitz-Eaton both earning Honorable Mention.
 
THIS SEASON:
 
Along with new leadership, the 'Cats will be welcoming in nine newcomers. Transferring into CWU is juniors Joelie Eder (Lower Columbia College) and Brooke Baker (Bellevue college), and sophomores Hallie Sehlin (Bellevue College) and Kasi Thomas (Skagit Valley College). Joining the transfers is a talented group of freshmen: Reese Anderson (Poulsbo, Wash.), Jadyn Holdren (Kennewick, Wash.), Jenna Markuson (Belfair, Wash.), Lizzy Turpen (Boise, Idaho), and Izzy Vargas (Puyallup, Wash.).
 
Highlighting the returnees for the 'Cats are All-GNAC honorees Flores and Reitz-Eaton to lead a young squad. Joining Flores as the two seniors on the team is Olivia Ross while Zoey Theophilus joins Eder and Baker as the junior class. 11 sophomores make up the Wildcats this season as Kathryn Piscotty, Kayla Brusseau, McKayla Cable, Ellie Gilbert, Ashlyn Cook, Alex Flohr, Melise Brown, and Adriana Rodriguez join Sehlin and Thomas as the sophomore class.
 
SCOUTING THE #3 NAIA MOUNTAINEERS:
 
Eastern Oregon is coming off a historic season that saw them finish with a 38-11 record while going 22-5 in CCC play and take home the CCC Tournament title for the second-straight season. They advanced to the NAIA national tournament which saw them first travel to San Antonio where they took down Middle Georgia State before earning back-to-back victories over the hosting Our lady of the Lake to advance to the NAIA World Series. They began the NAIA World Series red hot, defeating Reinhardt, Georgia Gwinnett, and Marian, but fell in the semifinal to Oklahoma City before being eliminated by rival Southern Oregon to end their season.
 
The Mountaineers lost their All-American, Kylie Parsons and All-CCC honorees Madelyn Durham, Katelynn Evans, and Hannah Tyree as part of a senior class that included nine student-athletes. Leading the returning group for EOU is the 2025 CCC Newcomer of the Year, infielder Raygun Klippert and Second Team All-CCC honoree Emily Barry. Klippert paced the EOU offense last season, earning a .404 batting average with 65 hits, five doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs, and 15 earned walks while only striking out 10 times which paired with her 23 of 25 successful stolen base attempts. Barry led the Mountaineers last year with 11 home runs which contributed to her team-high 52 RBIs and her .639 slugging percentage. She added a .323 batting average with 43 hits, nine doubles, and 18 walks drawn while only striking out 10 times.
 
EOU has 12 newcomers this season. Of those 12 newcomers, six are transfers: Macee Matison (Pierce College), Anna Fowler (Bellevue College), Maliyah Mann (North Idaho College), Loryn Barney (St. Thomas (MN)), Lexi Grumbois (Lower Columbia College), and Allison Baumgart (Lower Columbia College). Matison is still in her freshman campaign and is joined by six other freshmen: Ashlynn Komp (Scappoose, Ore.), Irene Griwsold (Missoula, Mont.), Isabella Lauerman (Bend, Ore.), Da'Liese Lomax (Portland, Ore.), Bailey Sandquist (Grants Pass, Ore.), and Elizabeth Heinz (East Wenatchee, Wash.).
 
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS:
 
Warner Pacific finished last season with a 13-32 record while going 9-17 in CCC play. They posted a season-opening split against NCAA Division III Puget Sound and later in the season posted a split at fellow GNAC member Western Oregon. They posted a pair series wins over Corban and Providence (Mont.) while splitting their series with the College of Idaho and Carroll (Mont.), and taking a game each from Bushnell and eventual NAIA National Tournament participant British Columbia.
 
The Knights return their two All-CCC honorees from a season ago in seniors Noe Barawis and Kili Makanani with Barawis earning Second Team and Makanani being named Honorable Mention. Makanani led the Knight offense last season earning a .322 batting average with 39 hits, eight doubles, a triple, and six home runs which paired with 32 RBIs and 27 walks drawn. She also made 20 starts in 21 appearances as a pitcher earning a 5.06 ERA with one shutout, 155 hits, 114 runs with 86 coming as earned, 62 walks, 77 strikeouts, and 11 home runs given up in 119 innings pitched. Barawis was second on the team with a .314 batting average which she added a team-high 44 hits. She also contributed four doubles, a home run, and a team-high three triples. She added 18 RBIs, 14 walks drawn, and was a perfect 55 for 55 on stolen bases during the season.
 
WPU is a veteran team with eight seniors and nine juniors on the team in 2026. They welcomed 10 newcomers to the program with five being freshmen: Alex Brooks (Lompoc, Calif.), Madelyn Lahey (St. Helen's, Ore.), Brylee Demello (Waianae, Hawaii), Kaylee Pokorny (Gresham, Ore.), and Kasey Wallace (Poulsbo, Wash.). Joining the five freshmen to the roster this season is five transfer players: Kenidee Holden (Everett Community College), Sofia Cherry (Odessa College), Giselle Beriault (Southwestern Oregon Community College), Macey Tovar (Mt. Hood Community College), and Eliana Ulafale (Southwestern Oregon Community College).
 
UP NEXT:
 
The Wildcats will turn their attention to Turlock, California for the Stanislaus State Invitational where they will play five games over three days. They first see the 17th-ranked Cal State East Bay Pioneers and the hosting Stan State Warriors on Friday February 13 at 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. They then play the Dominican Penguins and the Warriors a second time on Saturday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. They wrap up their time in Turlock against the Menlo Oaks on Sunday, February 15 at 11:30 a.m. with all five games happening on Warrior Field.