BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 11 Western Washington University softball team returns home to Viking Field for Senior Weekend hosting in-state rival Central Washington University in a four-game GNAC series.

 

The Vikings bring a school-record 17-game winning streak into the series that features doubleheaders Friday and Saturday with first pitch scheduled for noon each day. Free admission is offered for fans to all home games and free fan parking will be available in the C Lots each day.

 

WWU continued its historic season last weekend with a four-game sweep at Montana State Billings to improve to 34-4 on the season, nearing the program single-season record of 36. The Vikings are also in first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings with a 14-2 record, with eight regular-season games remaining on the schedule.

 

This weekend's final regular-season home games will give the program an opportunity to celebrate its four seniors – Ashley Jacobson, Hanako Hirai, Taylor Khorrami and Emily Paulson. A pregame Senior Day celebration is scheduled to start at 11:40 am prior to Saturday's doubleheader. WWU is close to clinching one of the four spots in the GNAC Softball Championships that will be held at Viking Field in Bellingham May 2-4, which means this will likely not be the final games for the seniors at home.

 

Western remained at No. 11 in the NFCA Coaches Poll and is listed No. 2 in the West Region via the unofficial RPI. The 34 wins are currently tied for 2nd-most in 32 seasons of program history and within two wins of matching the school record of 36 set in 2011.

 

The Vikings (34-4, 14-2 GNAC) and Wildcats (13-24, 8-8 GNAC) are squaring off for the first time this season. WWU leads the all-time series vs. CWU 85-76 with the recent series tied 3-3 over the last two seasons.

 

The current 17-game winning streak dates to March 22 when the Vikings opened a 5-0 showing at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, California, and continued with three consecutive four-game GNAC sweeps over Saint Martin's (home), Simon Fraser (road) and Montana State Billings (road). The 12-game GNAC winning streak also established a program best for consecutive conference victories.

 

Sophomore Hailey Rath leads the GNAC batting .388 (50-for-129), with a recent surge at the plate going 25-for-58 (.431) during the 17-game winning streak. For the season Rath has 19 extra-base hits (2B-11, 3B-2, HR-7) and ranks 2nd in the conference with a .667 slugging percentage. Senior center fielder Taylor Khorrami is batting .450 (9-for-20) over the last eight games and senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson is batting .369 overall (41-for-11) with nine doubles and seven home runs. 

 

Junior left fielder Lexi Barcomb has also enjoyed success at the plate batting .375 (21-for-56) on the season with a current eight-game hitting streak. Third baseman Maleah Andrews is a top candidate for GNAC Freshman of the Year batting .354 (45-for-127) with 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs and leads the league with 35 runs scored and 23 walks. Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez is 2nd in the GNAC with 12 home runs and leads the conference with 37 RBI.

 

As good as the Vikings have been at the plate, they have been even better in the circle. WWU ranks 2nd in the GNAC and 14th in NCAA II with a 1.90 team ERA, and in the top 15 nationally with a 1.08 WHIP. The trio of Kaiana Kong (11-1, 1.51), Alli Kimball (12-2, 1.56) and Joie Baker (11-1, 2.20) have all recorded double-digits in wins.

 

Western's defense has been another key to the team success with a GNAC-best .969 fielding percentage.

 

Following the four-game set vs. CWU, the Vikings complete the 2024 regular season April 26-27 (Friday-Saturday) with a four-game road series at Western Oregon in Monmouth. The complete 2024 schedule, complete with links to watch games live and follow via live stats, is available at wwuvikings.com/Team32.

 

Here is a look at the Vikings schedule this week with the team closing out its 2024 regular-season home slate with a four-game set against rivals Central Washington. Western is coming off an 8-0 GNAC road trip. The Vikings and Wildcats will square off in doubleheaders beginning at 12 pm PT on Friday and 12 pm PT Saturday at Viking Field. All the games will stream live online via Vikings TV on YouTube and also feature live statistical updates with links provided below:

 

 

 

 

The Vikings close out the regular-season home portion of the schedule hosting Central Washington in a four-game series at Viking Field. WWU's four seniors will be celebrated during the series with a special pregame recognition prior to Saturday's doubleheader, scheduled to start at 11:40 am. The Vikings four seniors are center fielder Taylor Khorrami, catcher Emily Paulson, first baseman Ashley Jacobson and pitcher Hanako Hirai.

All WWU students are invited to a special tailgate event during Friday's doubleheader vs. CWU. Head down to Viking Field for the games vs. the Wildcats with the first 50 students getting to enjoy a hot dog from Street Dawgz! There will be fun, games and music. Register for free via wwuvikings.com/Tailgateto take part in the event hosted by The Foundation for WWU & Alumni.

SB🥎| TAILGATE!

Head down to Viking Field this Friday at 11:30am for a little pregame tailgate (put on by @WWUAlumni) before @WWU_Softball doubleheader against rival Central. First 50 students get a free hotdog! Fun, games and prizes galore! GO VIKS!

🔗: https://t.co/rpiuV8tpWL pic.twitter.com/9GsS5wv8B3
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) April 16, 2024
  

For just the 10th time in program history – and the fastest in just 34 games – the Vikings have reached the 30-win mark in a season. WWU is 34-4 on the season (.895), marking the first 30-win season for the program since going 34-19 in 2017. The single-season school record for wins is 36 set by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). Western's current winning percentage of .895 is listed No. 6 in all of NCAA II.

 

 

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

 

 

If you don't read anything past this portion of the preview on the Vikings, you should find out everything you need to know on the Vikings in the following bullet points:

 

·         The Record – 34-4 overall through the first 34 games, going 10-3 at home, 13-0 in road games and 11-1 neutral.

·         30 Wins – Reached the 30-win mark for the 10th time in program history and now chasing the school record of 36 wins set in 2011 (36-16).

·         Standings – Leading the GNAC with a 14-2 record in conference games.

·         Winning Streak – Current 17-game winning streak, longest winning streak in program history following 13-0 start to the season…5th-longest winning streak by a GNAC team and longest since 2006 by Cal Poly Humboldt.

·         Perfect Start – Best undefeated start in program history going 13-0 to open the season, breaking the previous record of the 12-0 opening to 2011 season.

·         Pitch Perfect – Vikings rank 2nd in the GNAC and 15th in NCAA II with a 1.90 ERA…also 14th with 1.08 WHIP.

·         Top 15 Ranking – Listed No. 11 in NFCA Division II Coaches Poll…ranked in all nine polls this season.

·         Extra Innings – 6-1 record in extra-inning games.

·         Power Surge – Hit 34 home runs in 38 games, after hitting only 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.

·         Nearly Spotless in the Circle – Kaiana Kong is 11-1 with four saves and has allowed only 16 earned runs over 74.1 innings this season…3rd in the GNAC with a 1.51 ERA which also ranks No. 44 in NCAA II.

·         Rath Raking – Hailey Rath is batting .388 (50-for-129) to lead the GNAC while also leading the conference with 50 hits…career .378 hitter (109-for-288) during her collegiate career at WWU (2B-28, 3B-4, HR-14, RBI-71).

·         Joltin' Jacobson– Ashley Jacobson ranks 2nd in the GNAC the team batting .369 (41-for-111) with 9 2B, 7 HR and 26 RBI…Jacobson has the longest active hitting streak on the team at 13 games, the longest by any WWU player this season.

·         Power Bats – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team and is 2nd in the GNAC with 12 homers. Ashley Jacobson (7) and Hailey Rath (7) round out the top three home run hitters on the team.

·         Always Hitting – Maleah Andrews owns the team's second and third-longest hitting streak this season, including a 10-game hitting streak from Feb. 3-23 (.395/15-for-38) and a current 12 game hitting streak starting on Mar. 29 (.512/21-for-41)…Andrews is batting .354 in 38 games (45-for-127) and has reached base safely in 33 of 38 games…Leads the GNAC with 23 walks.

·         Silver Sluggers – Hailey Rath (2nd, .667), Ashley Jacobson (3rd, .640) and Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez (4th, .622) all rank in the top five in the GNAC in slugging percentage.

·         Freshman in the Circle – WWU freshman pitchers Alli Kimball (12-2, 1.56 ERA) and Kaiana Kong (11-1, 4 SV, 1.51 ERA) have combined to go 23-3 in the circle this season.

·         GWRBI – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team with 8 game-winning RBI…also paces the team with nine multi-RBI games…37 RBI on the season lead the GNAC.

·         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.

·         GNAC Championships – WWU will host the GNAC Softball Championships May 2-4 at Viking Field.

·         The Head Coach – Sheryl Gilmore is in her sixth season as the WWU head coach…owns 149-95 (.611) record at the helm of the Vikings.

·         Team 32 – 2024 is the 32nd season in program history…WWU has an all-time record of 782-625-1 (.556).

 

The Vikings have a current 17-game winning streak to set a program record, the team's second double-digit winning streak this season. Western opened the season with a school-record 13 consecutive wins for the best undefeated start in program and GNAC history and have surpassed the school-record winning streak with the current run of consecutive wins. The Vikings have outscored opponents 108-37 in the 17-game stretch, including four shutouts.

The current 17-game winning streak is established as the program record, bettering a pair of 13-game winning streaks. The 13-0 start to the season entered the record books as the best undefeated start in the 32-year history of the program, and the best winning streak by a GNAC program to start a season. WWU passed the 12-0 perfect start by the 2011 team that finished 36-16 to earn a spot in the NCAA II West Regional Championships. 

 

 

The 17-game winning streak is the longest by a GNAC team not named Humboldt State (now goes by Cal Poly Humboldt). WWU's current streak is 5th-longest in conference history and the longest since the 2006 season when CPH had winning streaks of 29 and 19 games.

 

 

Through 38 games of the season, the pitching staff has posted a 1.90 team ERA, allowing 74 earned runs in 272.0 innings pitched. The Vikings rank 15th nationally and 2^nd in the GNAC in ERA, while also ranking 14th in NCAA II with a 1.08 WHIP (Walks + Hits/Innings Pitched). Freshman Kaiana Kong (11-1, 1.51, 4 SV), freshman Alli Kimball (12-2, 1.56) and junior Joie Baker (11-1, 2.20) have logged the vast majority of the Vikings innings this season combining to form one of the best pitching performances in the nation. Here is a statistical look at the top pitching staffs in NCAA II this season based off ERA:

 

Nearly as impressive to the pitching stats this year has been the defensive team performance. The Vikings lead the GNAC and rank 39th in the nation with a team fielding percentage of .969, making only 35 errors in 38 games. The team has played error free in 16 of 38 games, boasting an 14-2 record in those contests. Over the last 23 games (since March 3) the Vikings have made just 17 errors with 12 games playing error free in the field. The team single season record for fielding percentage is .970 by the 2011 team.

 

During the current 17-game winning streak, the Vikings are batting .323 (162-for-501) with 25 doubles, 2 triples, 14 home runs and have out-scored opponents 108-37. The pitching staff has combined for a 1.91 ERA (33 ER, 121.0 IP) with four shutouts. Senior center fielder Taylor Khorrami leads the Vikings batting .450 (9-for-20, 7 R) during the winning streak, with sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath (.431/25-for-58, 15 R, 8 2B, 5 HR, 23 RBI), junior left fielder Lexi Barcomb (.412/14-for-34, 11 R, 2B), freshman shortstop Maleah Andrews (.404/23-for-57, 23 R, 7 2B, 3B, 2 HR) and senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson (.400/18-for-45, 4 R, 2 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI) all batting .400 or better during the streak. Freshman Alli Kimball is 7-0 with a 1.13 ERA to lead the pitching staff.

 

The Vikings have an all-time record of 85-76 against Wildcats, with Central holding an 8-7 advantage over the last 17 meetings dating back through the 2021 season…the Vikings went 1-3 in over a four-game set against the Wildcats last season in Ellensburg, and split a four-game set last time the two teams faced off on Viking field back in 2022.

The NCAA will announce their first regional softball rankings on April 17, but info provided by InkBlotSports.com shows the Vikings as having the No. 2 RPI in the West Region at .598. The Vikings are listed just behind GNAC rival Northwest Nazarene (.605) and ahead of CUI (.575), Saint Martin's (.568) and Cal State Dominguez Hills (.559).

 

The Vikings remained at No. 11 in the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll after the four-game sweep at Montana State Billings, extending the winning streak to 17 in a row. WWU has moved up gradually during the 2024 season to its current top 15 ranking, after debuting at No. 18 on February 14. This season marks the first time WWU has ranked in program history since 2011. WWU and NNU (No. 17) 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 a look at the national week-by-week national rankings for the Vikings in 2024:

 

 

Four players have active hitting streaks of at least eight games, led by a current 13-game hitting streak by senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson. Here is a look at the active hitting streaks and the player stats during the streaks:

 

 

WWU is 34-4 on the season having played extremely well in close games going 10-2 in 1-run games and 6-1 in games decided by two runs. The Vikings are also 6-1 in extra-inning contests.

 

When hitting a home run the Vikings are perfect at 22-0 this season. WWU tied the single-game program record with five homers in the third game of the series at MSUB and hit a longball in every game of the four-game set in Billings. Through the first 38 games, the Vikings have hit 34 home runs to tie for the 5th-most in program history. Here is a look at WWU's top home run hitting seasons in 32 years of program history:

 

 

Here is an up-to-date look at the GNAC Softball standings heading into this week's schedule with the Vikings in first play at 14-2 in league play. The top four teams in the conference standings at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the GNAC Championships May 2-4 in Bellingham at Vikings Field. All updated stats, standings and schedule from the conference are available online at GNACSports.com.

 

 

Shortstop Hailey Rath was selected as the GNAC Softball Player of the Week for games played April 7-14. Rath earned her second conference Player of the Week award this season, also earning the honor for games played March 18-24. The Vikings have had seven GNAC Player and Pitcher of the Week awards this season, tying for second most in a single season, one short of the record eight set in 2011. In a four-game series sweep on the road at Montana State Billings, Rath put together one of the best offensive performances by a GNAC player this season batting .615 (8-for-13) with seven runs scored, four doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and a 1.615 slugging percentage. The shortstop also anchored the middle of WWU's defense committing one error in 19 chances.

 

Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez is second in the GNAC with 12 home runs, already the second-most homers in a single season by a Viking in 32 years of program history. Only program all-time home run leader Emily Benson has hit more homers in a single season than Andrewjeski-Ramirez 12 home runs, recording 14 homers in 2019 for the single-season record. Here is a look at the WWU single-season HR leaders, with the Vikings 34 homers this season tied for 5th-most in program history:

 

 

Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath leads the GNAC batting .388 (50-for-129) through the first 38 games of the season. Rath is also 2^nd in the GNAC with a .667 slugging percentage with 11 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. She also leads the conference with 50 hits and is tied for 2^nd with 34 RBI. In 87 games as a Viking, Rath is batting .378 (109-for-288) with 28 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 71 RBI.

 

 

Senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson currently ranks 2nd in the GNAC with a .369 batting average (41-for-111), while also 4th in the conference with a .440 on-base percentage and 3rd with a .640 slugging percentage. Jacobson has belted seven home runs and driven in 26 runs in her first season as a Viking. The Snohomish native spent her first three collegiate seasons at Division I Stony Brook, combining to bat .298 (67-for-225) with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 81 games. Her mother, Margaret, played softball at WWU during the program's inaugural season in 1993.

 

The Vikings have already hit 34 home runs in 38 games this season, after belting just 10 longballs in 49 games last season. The 34 home runs rank 2^nd in the GNAC and rank in the top 50 in the nation for home runs per game. The season total home runs have also cracked the program top five for a single season. Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team and is 2nd in the GNAC lead with 12 home runs, followed by seven homers from both Ashley Jacobson and Hailey Rath, three from Riley Anderson and Maleah Andrews and two from Kani Pitoy. 

 

The Vikings have recorded 94 extra base hits this season (2B-53, 3B-7, HR-34) with sophomore Hailey Rath leading the team lead with 20 extra-base hits through 38 games. Last season Rath set the freshman record for extra base hits by picking up 26 total (2B-17, 3B-2, HR-7), which was one-off the all-time record of 27 set by Emily Benson in 2019. 

 

The Vikings combined to go 14-0 this season in games played in California, recording a 4-0 record at the CUI Kickoff Classic, 5-0 in the North Bay Challenge and 5-0 in the Tournament of Champions. The Vikings out-scored opponents 76-30 when playing in California.

 

WWU has a pair of players listed on the 2024 Tucci/NFCA DII Player & Pitcher of the Year Watchlist. Freshman pitcher Kaiana Kong and sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath were among 120 players across the nation to be included on the first edition of the list, with 15 players selected from each of the eight regions across the country in NCAA Division II. Kong is 9-1 with a 1.01 ERA on the season and Rath is batting .388 with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 34 RBI.

 

The Vikings are perfect at 13-0 in true road games this season, while going 24-1 combined when playing away from Bellingham. The 34-4 overall record also includes a 10-3 record in home games, going 8-3 at Viking Field and 2-0 at Sehome High School. Western's remaining regular-season schedule includes a four-game set at home against Central Washington and a four-game road series against Western Oregon in Monmouth, OR.

 

Here is a look at the GNAC Player and Pitcher of the Week selections from the 2024 season, with the Vikings winning six awards, including all three pitchers winning the Pitcher of the Week award:

 

 

The Western Washington University softball team has been successful on the field this season earning a top 15 national ranking and has also performed well as student-athletes with seven players earning a spot on the 2024 GNAC Softball All-Academic Team. Senior center fielder Taylor Khorrami highlighted the seven selections with her fourth career GNAC Academic All-Star award with a 3.62 GPA as a finance major. Junior pitcher Joie Baker, junior outfielder Lexi Barcomb and senior catcher Emily Paulson were repeat selections to the GNAC All-Academic Team, presented by Barnes and Noble College.

The 2024 GNAC Softball Championships will be played May 2-4 at Viking Field on the campus of Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. The four-team double-elimination tournament will determine the recipient of the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships. The top-four teams in the final GNAC regular-season standings earn berths into the conference tournament. 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:

 

 

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!

 

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 280-199 and won a pair of GNAC Tournament titles in 2017 & 2021.