BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The No. 14 nationally-ranked Western Washington University softball team prepares to host the 2024 GNAC Championship Tournament at Viking Field from May 2-4. The Vikings enter as the No. 2 seed after finishing runner-up to Northwest Nazarene in the final GNAC regular season standings.

 

The Vikings broke the program-record for wins in a single season, finishing with a 39-7 record. The previous record was 36 wins set by the 2011 Vikings squad. WWU finished 2nd in the GNAC with a 19-5 conference record and heads into the postseason ranked No. 14 in the NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 1 in the West Region.

 

The Vikings won three of four games in the away series against Western Oregon to close out the regular season, outscoring the Wolves 21-6 in the 4-game series. The Vikings loss in the opening game of the series was their only road loss of the season, with the team going 16-1 in true road games, while also going 11-1 at a neutral venue. The Vikings followed that loss with three consecutive wins scoring at least 5 runs and winning all games by 4 or more runs.

 

The Vikings face off against Saint Martin's in the opening game of the GNAC Championships. WWU won all six games during the regular season vs. the Saints, outscoring SMU 31-8 in those games. The Vikings eliminated Saint Martin's from the GNAC Championships last season to reach the championships final in Burnaby, BC.

 

Western's 39-7 record came with a program record winning streak, one of the longest by any GNAC program. The Vikings record-breaking 17-game winning streak started on 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.

 

GNAC Player of the Year Hailey Rath leads the conference batting .395 (62-for-157) with 22 extra-base hits (2B-13, 3B-2, HR-7) and ranks 2nd in the conference with 42 RBI. 

 

Third baseman Maleah Andrews earned First Team All-GNAC honors batting .338 (51-for-151) with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs and leads the league with 41 runs scored and 27 walks. Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez ranks 2nd in the GNAC with a program single-season record 15 home runs and leads the conference with 43 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 12th in NCAA II with a 1.79 team ERA, and rank 10th nationally with a 1.05 WHIP. The trio of Kaiana Kong (13-1, 5 SV, 1.28), Alli Kimball (15-2, 1.39) and Joie Baker (11-3, 2.20) have all recorded double-digits in wins. Western's defense has been another key to the team success with a .969 fielding percentage, tied for the GNAC lead.

 

The complete 2024 schedule, complete with links to watch games live and follow via live stats, is available at wwuvikings.com/Team32.

 

The Vikings clinched one of the spots in the GNAC Softball Championships that will be held May 2-4 at Viking Field in Bellingham. WWU will be the No. 2 seed in the GNAC Championships and will open postseason play at noon Thursday (May 2) taking on No. 3 Saint Martin's. More info on the GNAC Championships can be found online at GNACSports.com. 

Tickets are available now by visiting GNACTickets.com. Single-session tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for seniors (60 and over), students and youth 6-14. Children five and under are admitted free. A tournament program will be for sale at the facility for $2. While there is no cost of admission for WWU regular-season games, admission to the GNAC Championships at Viking Field will require a paid ticket.

 

All games of the GNAC Softball Championships will be live-streamed through the conference's YouTube page at GNAC.tv. Shawn Walli will serve as the lead broadcaster for championships with WWU students Adam Race and Zen Hill providing color commentary. The games will also feature live statistical updates with links at GNACSports.com.

 

The four-team, double-elimination tournament will be played at Viking Field in Bellingham. Here is a look at the tournament schedule with all games streamed live online at GNAC.tv. The winner of the double-elimination tournament will receive the GNAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships West Regional.

 

2024 GNAC Softball Championships Schedule

Host: Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA | All times listed Pacific

 

Thursday, May 2

Game 1: Noon – No. 3 Seed Saint Martin's vs. No. 2 Seed Western Washington

Game 2: 2:30 p.m. – No. 4 Seed Central Washington vs. No. 1 Seed Northwest Nazarene

 

Friday, May 3

Game 3: 10 a.m. – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Game 4: 12:30 p.m. – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

Game 5:  3 p.m. – Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3

 

Saturday, May 4

Game 6: Noon – Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Game 7: 2:30 p.m. – Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)

WWU has advanced to play in seven of the 11 GNAC Championship tournaments, winning titles 2017 and 2021. The Vikings are 10-8 all-time in GNAC Championships play.

 

• Saint Martin's – The Vikings are 109-50 all-time against the Saints…WWU swept SMU in all six regular season meetings in 2024, including a 4-game sweep in conference play at Viking Field…the Vikings have won 9 of their last 11 meetings with the Saints.
• Central Washington – The Vikings have an all-time record of 87-78 against the Wildcats…WWU went 2-2 against CWU in the 2024 regular season, splitting a 4-game series at home.
• Northwest Nazarene – The Vikings are 91-29 all-time against the Nighthawks…WWU split the series against NNU in the regular season, the first ever ranked matchup at Viking Field…NNU holds a 16-12 advantage in the matchup since 2020.

 

Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath was named the GNAC Player of the Year following her incredible 2024 campaign. Leading the GNAC with a .395 batting average (62-for-157) while recording 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers, and 42 runs batted in. Head Coach Sheryl Gilmore was named the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings on a record-breaking campaign. The Vikings won a program-record 39 games in the 2024 season, while also recording another program record with a 17-game winning streak

The Vikings had seven players selected to the All-Conference team. WWU tied Northwest Nazarene with three first-team selections:

 

• Hailey Rath – First Team All-GNAC, GNAC Player of the Year
• Ashley Jacobson – First Team All-GNAC
• Maleah Andrews – First Team All-GNAC
• Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez – Second Team All-GNAC
• Kaiana Kong – Second Team All-GNAC
• Joie Baker – Honorable Mention All-GNAC
• Alli Kimball – Honorable Mention All-GNAC

 

The Vikings head into the postseason ranked No. 1 in the West Region. WWU is listed ahead of No. 2 Northwest Nazarene, No. 3 Concordia Irvine, No. 4 Cal State San Marcos and No. 5 Cal State Dominguez Hills. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA II West Regional Championships, with the bracket announced Monday, May 6 at 7 am PT on NCAA.com. The top two teams in the final rankings will have the opportunity to serve as a host site for the opening rounds that will be played May 9-11. The regional field is split into two four-team tournaments (#4, #5, #8 travel to #1 seed, #3, #6, #7 travel to #2 seed). A super regional between the sub-regional winners will be played May 15-16 with the winner advancing to the NCAA II National Championships in Longwood, Florida.

 

Here is a look at the final regular season GNAC Softball standings with the Vikings finishing in 2nd place in the standings with a 19-5 record. 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.

 

 

WWU has set the program record for wins in a season with 39 (and counting), passing the 36 wins achieved by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). This is the 10th 30-victory season in program history.

 

 

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 – 39-7 overall through 46 games, going 12-5 at home, 16-1 in road games and 11-1 neutral.

·         30 Wins – Reached the 30-win mark for the 10th time in program history and one win away from setting the program single-season wins record. 

·         West Region Ranking – Ranked No. 1 in the West Region in both regular-season listings by the NCAA.

·         National Ranking –No. 14 in the NFCA Coaches Poll.

·         Standings – Finished 2nd in the GNAC with a 19-5 record in conference games.

·         Winning Streak – Had a 17-game winning streak, breaking the record for the 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 12th in NCAA II with a 1.79 ERA…also 10th with 1.05 WHIP.

·         Top 15 Ranking – Listed No. 14 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 39 home runs in 46 games, after hitting only 10 in 49 total games in 2023.

·         How to Follow – Home games feature a live and free webcast via Vikings TVand 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 13-1 with five saves and has allowed only 16 earned runs over 87.1 innings this season…leads the GNAC with a 1.28 ERA.

·         Rath Raking – Hailey Rath is batting .395 (62-for-157) to lead the GNAC while also leading the conference with 62 hits…career .383 hitter (121-for-316) during her collegiate career at WWU (2B-30, 3B-4, HR-14, RBI-79).

·         Joltin' Jacobson– Ashley Jacobson ranks T-2nd on the team batting .338 (46-for-136) with 11 2B, 7 HR and 29 RBI…recorded a 13-game hitting streak, the second longest streak of the season for the Vikings.

·         Power Bats – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team and is 2nd in the GNAC with 15 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 longest hitting streak this season, including a 15-game hitting streak from Mar. 29-Apr. 20 (.472/25-for-53), while also recording a 10-game hitting streak earlier in the season…Andrews is batting .338 in 46 games (51-for-151) and has reached base safely in 39 of 46 games…Leads the GNAC with 27 walks.

·         Silver Sluggers – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez (3rd, .638) ,Hailey Rath (4th, .637),and Ashley Jacobson (3rd, .574) all rank in the top five in the GNAC in slugging percentage.

·         Freshman in the Circle – WWU freshman pitchers Alli Kimball (15-2, 1.39 ERA) and Kaiana Kong (13-1, 5 SV, 1.28 ERA) have combined to go 28-3 in the circle this season.

·         GWRBI – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team with 8 game-winning RBI…also tied for the team lead with 10 multi-RBI games…43 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 154-98 (.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 787-627-1 (.556).

 

The Vikings recorded a program record 17-game winning streak, 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 outscored opponents 108-37 in the 17-game stretch, including four shutouts.

 

The Vikings had its program-record 17-game winning streak snapped with the 3-2 loss in the opener last weekend vs. CWU, the first defeat since March 16. WWU also had a 13-0 start to the season to mark the best undefeated start in program and GNAC history. 

 

 

The 17-game winning streak was 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.

 

 

Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez has tallied a single-season record 15 home runs in the 2024 season, surpassing the 14 homers hit by Emily Benson in 2019. Here is a look at the WWU single-season HR leaders

 

 

Through all 46 games of the season, the pitching staff has posted a 1.79 team ERA, allowing 83 earned runs in 325.0 innings pitched. The Vikings rank 12th nationally and 2^nd in the GNAC in ERA, while also ranking 10th in NCAA II with a 1.05 WHIP (Walks + Hits/Innings Pitched). Freshman Kaiana Kong (13-1, 1.28, 5 SV), freshman Alli Kimball (15-2, 1.39) and junior Joie Baker (11-3, 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. 

 

Nearly as impressive to the pitching stats this year has been the defensive team performance. The Vikings tied for the lead the GNAC and rank 38th in the nation with a team fielding percentage of .969, making only 41 errors in 46 games. The team has played error free in 21 of 46 games, boasting an 16-5 record in those contests. The team single season record for fielding percentage is .970 by the 2011 team.

 

The Vikings are ranked at No. 14 in the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll after taking three games in the four-game series against Western Oregon. 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. 13) 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:

 

 

WWU is 39-7 on the season having played extremely well in close games going 11-4 in 1-run games and 5-2 in games decided by two runs. The Vikings are also 6-1 in extra-inning contests.

 

When hitting a home run the Vikings are 25-1 this season. WWU tied the single-game program record with five homers in the third game of the series at MSUB and have homered in 26 of 46 games. Through the first 46 games, the Vikings have hit 39 home runs to tie the most single-season home runs hit in program history. Here is a look at WWU's top home run hitting seasons in 32 years of program history:

 

 

The Vikings have hit 39 home runs in 46 games, after belting just 10 longballs in 49 games last season. The 39 home runs rank 2nd 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 15 home runs, followed by seven homers from both Ashley Jacobson and Hailey Rath, four from Maleah Andrews, three from Riley Anderson, and two from Kanilehua Pitoy. 

 

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

 

Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath leads the GNAC batting .395 (62-for-157) through all 46 games of the regular season. Rath is also 4th in the GNAC with a .637 slugging percentage with 13 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. She also leads the conference with 62 hits and is 2nd with 42 RBI. In 95 games as a Viking, Rath is batting .383 (121-for-316) with 30 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 79 RBI.

 

Senior first baseman Ashley Jacobson currently ranks 7th in the GNAC with a .338 batting average (44-for-136), while also 10th in the conference with a .397 on-base percentage and 5th with a .574 slugging percentage. Jacobson has belted seven home runs and driven in 29 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 recorded 111 extra base hits this season (2B-65, 3B-7, HR-39) with sophomore Hailey Rath leading the team lead with 22 extra-base hits through 46 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 13-1 with five saves and a 1.28 ERA on the season and Rath is batting .395 with 13 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 42 RBI.

 

The Vikings are a remarkable 16-1 in true road games this season, while going 27-2 combined when playing away from Bellingham. The 39-7 overall record also includes a 12-5 record in home games, going 10-5 at Viking Field and 2-0 at Sehome High School. 

 

Freshman pitcher Kaiana Kong was named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week following a dominant performance against Western Oregon. Kong pitched 8.2 shutout innings, earning a win and a save in the series against the Wolves. Kong also recorded seven strikeouts and did not issue a walk, while holding the opponent batting average to just .133.

 

Here is a look at the GNAC Player and Pitcher of the Week selections from the 2024 season, with the Vikings winning eight 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 Khorramihighlighted 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.

 

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 285-202 and won a pair of GNAC Tournament titles in 2017 & 2021.