BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 16 nationally-ranked Western Washington University softball team looks to continue its unbeaten start to the 2024 season this week with a pair of non-conference doubleheaders against GNAC opponents on the road.

 

The Vikings came from behind in both games against the UBC Thunderbirds, their 6th and 7th come-from-behind wins of the season, to improve to 11-0 on the season. The Vikings trailed 3-1 after the top of the 5th inning in game one, but a late rally resulted in a Rachel Traxler walk off run on a wild pitch. In game two, the Vikings again only trailed for a short time, before pulling away with three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning for a 7-3 victory.

 

Freshman Maleah Andrews headlined the home opener, batting 4-for-5 with 2 runs and 3 walks. Andrews is now on a 9-game hit streak for the Vikings and is fourth on the team with a batting average of .375 (15-for-40). Senior Ashley Jacobson now leads the team in RBIs, after her 3-run double in the bottom of the 3rd inning of game 2.

 

WWU will look to keep their undefeated record behind a team that is built to win in every category on the field. Head coach Sheryl Gilmore leads the Vikings into a pair of non-conference doubleheaders against GNAC opponents in Lacey, Washington. The Vikings will face off against Saint Martin's on Friday (12 pm start) and then play Western Oregon on Saturday (11 am start), with all games played at Saints Field.

 

Through the first 11 games of the season the Vikings have recorded a team batting average of .301, a staff ERA of 1.88 and a fielding percentage of .963, all marks that rank within the top three amongst Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams. WWU also leads the GNAC in runs scored (65), doubles (18), home runs (10) and is 3rd with a .285 batting average with runners in scoring position.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings schedule this weekend with four "non-conference" games against GNAC opponents on Friday and Saturday, with all games played at Saints Field on the Saint Martin's University campus. Friday's game will feature a live webcast on YouTube, but the Saturday doubleheader vs. WOU will feature live stats only.

 

 

Following the four non-conference games this week in Lacey, WWU returns home to Viking Field to host Simon Fraser in a four-game non-conference series March 2-3, with both doubleheaders scheduled to start at 11 am. WWU will then have an off week on the schedule before opening conference play March 15-16 at home against defending GNAC champion Northwest Nazarene.

 

Although very early in the 2024 season, WWU is one of just 10 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA II, and one of three teams with a perfect winning percentage that has played at least six games.

 

The Vikings have come from behind to win 7 of their 11 games this season, including both games this past weekend against UBC. Two of the Vikings comeback wins required extra innings, including a 12-inning win over #14 Concordia Irvine.

 

The Vikings have hit 10 home runs through the first 11 games of the season, powered by four homers by Emma Andrewjeskiand three by Riley Anderson. The 10 homers are already tied with the entire season total in 49 games from last season, with Hailey Rath accounting for seven of the team's 10 homers. 

 

The Vikings moved up two spots from No. 18 to No. 16 in the second regular-season installment of the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll. WWU cracked the national top 25 last week marking the first ranking in program history since 2011. WWU and NNU (No. 24) are both in the national top 25 to mark the first time in recent history to have two conference teams in the top 25.

 

Here is more information on the Vikings heading into the four-game slate this weekend in Lacey:

 

·         The Record – Perfect 11-0 record to open the 2024 season, going 2-0 at home, 3-0 in road games and 6-0 neutral.

·         Perfect Start – 2nd-best undefeated start in program history trailing 12-0 opening to 2011 season.

·         Top 20 Ranking – Listed No. 16 in NFCA Division II Coaches Poll, moving up from No. 16 last week.

·         Undefeated – One of just three undefeated teams in NCAA II that has played at last six games.

·         Power Surge – Hit 10 home runs in first 11 games, after hitting 10 in 49 total games in 2023.

·         How to Follow – Home games feature a live and free webcast via Vikings TV and live statistical updates…all WWU games that have live coverage feature links available at wwuvikings.com/Live.

·         Turn Two – Ranked No. 9 in NCAA II with six fielding double plays.

·         GNAC Team of the Week – Named the GNAC Team of the Week after going 5-0 in North Bay Challenge.

·         Scoreless Innings – Kaiana Kong is 5-0 with one save, and has a current string of 16.1 consecutive scoreless innings following the home openers vs. UBC.

·         Hitting Streak – Maleah Andrews owns the Vikings longest current hitting streak at nine games, combining to go 14-for-34 (.412) with 9 runs, 3 doubles, one triple and 3 RBI during the streak.

·         Rath Racking – Hailey Rath is batting .378 (14-for-37) this season and is a career .372 (73-for-196) hitter in games during her collegiate career at WWU (2B-19, 3B-3, HR-7, RBI-44).

·         Leading Hitter – Ashley Jacobson leads the team batting .400 (14-for-35) with 2 HR and 8 RBI.

·         Emma's Homers – Emma Andrewjeski leads the GNAC with four home runs and 13 RBI. 

·         Comeback Wins – Have recorded a comeback win in 7 of 11 victories this season.

·         Extra Innings – 2-0 record in extra-inning games, including 3-2 win in 12 innings over nationally-ranked CUI.

·         GWRBI – WWU has had nine different players record a game-winning RBI this season, with Kanilehua Pitoy leading the team with a pair of GWRBI including a walk-off home run.

·         Freshman in the Circle – WWU freshman pitchers Alli Kimball (4-0, 1.97 ERA) and Kaiana Kong (5-0, SV, 0.66 ERA) have combined to go 9-0 this season.

·         Free Admission & Parking – All WWU home games offer free fan admission and there is no charge for parking in the C lots on south campus beginning one hour prior to first pitch.

·         The Head Coach – Sheryl Gilmore is in her sixth season as the WWU head coach…owns 126-91 (.581) record at the helm of the Vikings.

·         Team 32 – 2024 is the 32nd season in program history…WWU has an all-time record of 759-620-1 (.550).

 

The 11-0 start is the second-best undefeated start to a season in the 32-year history of the program. The 2011 Vikings got off to a 12-0 start on the way to a 36-16 record and a trip to the NCAA II West Regional Championships. The current 11-game winning streak is tied for 4th-longest in program history.

 

 

Here is a look at the Vikings record breakdown for the 2024 season:

 

 

Through the first 11 games of the season, the Vikings pitchers have posted a 1.88 ERA (22 ER, 82.0 IP) to rank 2nd in the GNAC and No. 19 in NCAA II. Kaiana Kong (5-0, 0.66, 1 SV), Alli Kimball (4-0, 1.97) and Joie Baker (2-0, 2.49) have combined to form one of the best early-season pitching performances in the nation.

 

Here is a look at WWU's all-time record against this week's opponents:

 

• Saint Martin's: The Vikings have an all-time record of 103-50 against the Saints…WWU won the last matchup against SMU 15-6 at the 2023 GNAC Championships…WWU is 40-24 on the road against the Saints…Vikings have won three of the last five in the series following a Saints five-game winning streak.
• Western Oregon: The Vikings have an all-time record of 79-49 against the Wolves…WWU is 7-4 in their last 11 contests against WOU dating back to the start of the 2022 season…the Vikings went 3-2 vs. the Wolves last season, including a 6-3 victory in the last meeting at the GNAC Championships in Burnaby, BC.

 

The 2024 schedule features a 51-game regular-season slate with 24 games in GNAC play and 27 non-conference games. Following the shortened nine-game trip to California, the Vikings return to the Northwest for a non-conference doubleheader hosting the University of British Columbia in the home opener on Saturday, February 17 at Viking Field. WWU is scheduled to begin its GNAC season on March 15 at home against defending conference champion Northwest Nazarene. The complete 2024 WWU Softball schedule can be found online at wwuvikings.com/SB_24 complete with information on how to follow the team on the road and in home games with direct links to available webcasts and live stats.

 

Here is a look at the GNAC Softball team records through the first three weeks of the 2024 season:

 

The Western Washington University softball team had four players selected to the CUI Kickoff Classic All-Tournament Team helping lead the Vikings to a perfect 4-0 start to the season. Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath, junior pitcher Joie Baker, senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson and freshman pitcher Alli Kimball each earned a spot on the 24-player All-Tournament team. WWU's four selections equaled Colorado Christian, which also finished with a 4-0 record in the tournament.
 

Up-to-date season information, including season statistics, bios, roster, schedule and historical information can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com/Softball. WWU Softball also has a strong social media presence on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, so give them a follow!

 

Western Washington University will host the 2024 GNAC softball conference championships at Viking Field between May 2-4. The Vikings have reached the GNAC Championship Game twice in the last three seasons, winning the championship in 2021 and finishing as the runners-up in 2023.

 

Here is a complete look at the 2024 GNAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll:

 

 

The WWU softball program enters its 32nd season in 2024 while coming off a 26-23 campaign in 2023 while advancing to the GNAC Championships Finals. WWU advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the fifth time in program history in 2021 after winning the GNAC Tournament. WWU has posted a winning record 20 times during the 31-year history of the program, which won the 1998 NAIA National Championship in only its sixth season to record the school's first ever team national title. During the 10-season span from 2014-2024, the Vikings have combined to go 261-195 and won a pair of GNAC Tournament titles in 2017 & 2021.