ORLANDO, Fla. – The journey towards the NCAA Division II National Championship continues for the Western Washington University softball team with the historic 2024 season set to open the national championship tournament Sunday in Longwood, Florida.

 

The Vikings claimed its first NCAA West Regional title in program history Wednesday with a dramatic come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills and crossed the country Friday with Team 32 making a 3,200-mile trek to Florida. Announced Thursday as the No. 6 seed in the eight-team tournament, WWU opens play in the World Series Sunday taking on No. 6 Wilmington (DE) at 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park.

 

WWU enters the championship tournament with a 48-9 overall record and is 9-2 during the postseason run that includes winning the GNAC Tournament, the West Sub-Regional and the West Super Regional with all games played at Viking Field in Bellingham. 

 

In its 32nd season as a varsity program, the Vikings are aiming for the second national title in program history. In its final season at the NAIA level in 1998 the Vikings upset host Oklahoma City to earn the first team national title in the history of WWU Athletics. WWU is the first team from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to advance to the national championship tournament since the conference was formed in 2001-02. 

 

Now in its 26th season at the NCAA II level, Western will get the chance to play for another national title. Prior to the current postseason run – the school's sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament – WWU had just one NCAA victory (2017 over Cal State Monterey Bay). WWU is 6-2 during this season's NCAA Championships with a perfect 3-0 record in elimination games.

 

The eight-team tournament features two four-team brackets in a double-elimination format, with the winner of each playing a best-of-three series to determine the 2024 national champion. The tournament starts on Sunday, May 19 and the national champion will be crowned on Saturday, May 24. The seven-day tournament is part of the NCAA Division II Spring Sports Festival in Orlando, with national championships determined for softball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis and women's lacrosse. 

WWU enters the national tournament – the D2 Softball World Series – featuring one of the top pitching staffs in the nation with All-West Region pitchers Kaiana Kong (15-1, 10 SV, 1.23 ERA), Alli Kimball (21-2, 1.42 ERA) and Joie Baker (12-5, 2.32 ERA) combining for a 1.78 staff ERA and 1.05 WHIP (Walks + Hits/IP) to rank 9th in the nation. 

 

Leadoff hitter and third baseman Maleah Andrews paces the team batting .364 (67-for-184) with a WWU single-season record 52 runs scored, 16 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs, 31 RBI and 37 walks (1.080 OPS). Andrews delivered the walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the 8th inning in the Super Regional clinching victory over CSUDH. Junior catcher Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team and 17 home runs and 52 RBI. GNAC Player of the Year Hailey Rath is enjoying a solid sophomore season batting .352 (68-for-193) with 22 extra-base hits. Senior center fielder Taylor Khorrami has been one of the Vikings best postseason performers batting .379 (11-for-29), while junior second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy is hitting .353 (12-for-34) with seven RBI during the postseason.

 

All games during the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship will be streamed live and FREE online by visiting NCAA.com/liveschedule. Once visiting that link fans will be able to choose from all NCAA events that will stream that day…just find the Viking logo and click to watch the game live online. A direct link will also be available by bookmarking wwuvikings.com/SB_Watch.

 

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

 

 

The NCAA II Softball National Championship format consists of two four-team brackets that will play a double-elimination tournament May 19-22. The winner of each four-team bracket will square off in a best-of-three championship final round held May 24-25. In addition to No. 6 WWU and No. 3 Wilmington matching up in the final game Sunday, No. 2 UT Tyler and No. 7 Augustana are also in the same bracket. No. 1 Auburn Montgomery, No. 4 Indianapolis, No. 5 Charleston (WV) and No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne are in the other bracket to make up the eight-team field. All games during the DII Softball National Championship will be played at Boombah-Soldiers Creek Park in Longwood, Florida. Here is a detailed look at the game schedule for the NCAA DII Softball National Championship:

 

Sunday, May 19:

Game 1 – #1 Auburn Montgomery (46-12) vs. #8 Lenoir-Rhyne (50-15), 11 am ET/8 am PT

Game 2 – #4 UIndy (58-5) vs. #5 Charleston (51-6), 1:30 pm ET/10:30 am PT

Game 3 – #2 UT Tyler (53-8) vs. #7 Augustana (50-13), 4 pm ET/3 pm PT

Game 4 – #3 Wilmington (45-14) vs. #6 Western Washington (48-9), 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT

 

Monday, May 20:

Game 5 – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 am ET/8 am PT

Game 6 – Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 1:30 pm ET/10:30 am PT

Spring Championships Festival Opening Ceremonies, 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT

 

Tuesday, May 21:

Game 7 – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 am ET/8 am PT - Elimination Game

Game 8 – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1:30 pm ET/10:30 am PT - Elimination Game

Game 9 – Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 4 pm ET/1 pm PT - Elimination Game

Game 10 – Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8, 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT - Elimination Game

 

Wednesday, May 22:

Game 11 – Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 9, 11 am ET/8 am PT

Game 12 – Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 10, 1:30 pm ET/10:30 am PT

Game 13 – First bracket if necessary, 4 pm ET/1 pm PT

Game 14 – Second bracket if necessary, 6:30 pm ET/3:30 pm PT

Winner of each 4-team bracket advances to National Championship best-of-three series

 

Thursday, May 23:

Off Day / Practice for final two teams

 

Friday, May 24:

Championship Game 1 - 12 pm ET/9 am PT

 

Saturday, May 25:

Championship Game 2 - 12 pm ET/9 am PT

Championship Game 3 - 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am ET - if necessary

Winner of each best-of-three series wins national title

 

Here is a statistical look at the eight teams in the NCAA II Softball World Series with the national champion crowned during the NCAA II Championships Spring Festival in Orlando.

 

 

Here is a look at the re-seeded NCAA Championship Bracket with the final eight teams set to play for the national title in Longwood, Florida. More info is available online at NCAA.com:

Here are links on how to follow the 2024 NCAA Division II Softball Championships with the original 64-team field now down to the final eight teams at the DII College World Series in Longwood, Florida:

 

• NCAA Spring Sports Festival
• Championships Festival Schedule
• Live Webcast on NCAA.com (FREE)
• NCAA Tournament Scoreboard
• NCAA Bracket
• Digital Gameday Program
• NCAA Softball
• WWU Softball Statistics
• Super Regional Website

 

The Vikings are making the longest trek across the country of any of the eight teams in the DII College World Series, traveling 3200 miles from Bellingham to Longwood, Florida. The 2024 season is the 32nd in in program history, thus earning the name Team 32. When the team reported to campus in Fall 2023 head coach Sheryl Gilmore laid out a Team 32 Challenge laying out the Road to a Championship with an animation of the graphic below. WWU played its first varsity season of softball in 1993 (Team 1) and began playing at the NCAA level in 1999.

 

Here are a few statistical notes on the Vikings from the 2024 postseason, with WWU going 9-2 so far in playoff games spanning the GNAC Tournament (3-0), West Regional (4-1) and Super Regional (2-1):

 

• Home Field Advantage – Played all 11 postseason games in Bellingham at Viking Field.
• Long Day of Travel – Crossed the country 3200 miles Friday arriving in Florida at 11 pm ET (15-hour day).
• Queens of the West – Won first West Regional title in program history, also becoming first GNAC program to advance to the NCAA II National Championships.
• Comeback for the Ages – Erased a 6-0 deficit (heading into bottom of 4th inn) to defeat Cal State Dominguez Hills 7-6 in Game 3 of the Super Regional…scored 4 runs in bottom of 7th inning keyed by 3-run home run by Kanilehua Pitoy and punctuated on a walk-off opposite field homer by Maleah Andrews.
• Andrews in the Postseason – Freshman Maleah Andrews is batting .485 (16-for-33, 11 R, 4 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 10 BB) in 11 postseason games while batting leadoff…in the NCAA Tournament is hitting at a .478 (11-for-23) clip with 1.557 OPS…in eight NCAA games batting .400 (10-for-25).
• Klutch Kani – Second baseman Kanilehua Pitoy is batting .353 (12-for-34, 4 R, 3 2B, 3B, 7 RBI) while starting all 11 postseason games…walk-off triple in regional opener vs. APU and 3-run HR in 7th inning vs. CSUDH.
• Sparkplugs – Outfielders Taylor Khorrami (.379/11-for-29, 7 R) and McKenna Crum (.323/10-for-31, 6 R, 2B, 3 RBI) have sparked the offense while batting primarily 8th and 9th in the lineup.
• Freshman Closer – Kaiana Kong is 2-0 with a 1.05 ERA (4 ER, 26.2 IP) with five saves during the postseason.
• Kimball Undefeated in Playoffs – Alli Kimball is 6-0 in 8 postseason appearances (7 GS) with a 1.52 ERA (7 ER, 32.1 IP).
• Postseason Paulson – Emily Paulson has a GWRBI and game-tying RBI during the postseason…four RBI during the postseason after seven during the regular season.

 

The 2024 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship is part of the Spring National Championships Festival in Orlando, Florida. Along with softball, national champions will be crowned during the festival in men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis and women's lacrosse. Division II is the only NCAA division that conducts "National Championships Festivals," Olympic-style events in which a number of national championships are held at a single site over several days. The concept was developed in the early 2000s as a way to provide student-athletes with a championships experience that exceeds what they normally would enjoy in their conference or NCAA postseason events. This is the 13th edition of a DII Championships Festival with over 850 student-athletes in Orlando set to compete for national titles. This marks the first festival since Fall 2022 when it was hosted in Seattle, with the WWU women's soccer team winning the national title and the men's cross country team placing 14th.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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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 – 48-9 overall through 57 games, going 21-7 at home, 16-1 in road games and 11-1 neutral.

·         Road Warriors – 16-1 in true road games this season and 27-2 overall in games played away from Bellingham (11-1 neutral site record).

·         Most Games – WWU has set a single-season record playing in 57 games.

·         Hosting Duties – WWU checked off a trio of program first by hosting the GNAC Championships (May 2-4), NCAA West Sub-Regional (May 9-11) and NCAA West Super Regional (May 14-15) at Viking Field.

·         30 Wins – Reached the 30-win mark for the 10th time in program history and passed the 40-win mark for the first time. 

·         National Ranking –No. 13 in the final regular-season edition of 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 March 22-April 13, 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.

·         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 9th in NCAA II in ERA (1.78) and WHIP (1.05).

·         Saves Leader – Kaiana Kong has set the WWU and GNAC single-season record with 10 saves, a mark that is tied for the NCAA II national lead.

·         Top Freshman – Starting pitcher Alli Kimball is 21-2 on the season with a 1.42 ERA in 31 G/26 GS…selected as one of eight finalists for the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year award.

·         Patience at the Plate – Maleah Andrews leads the team with 37 walks, including 10 during the postseason.

·         Record Runs – Maleah Andrews has established the WWU single-season record with 52 runs scored.

·         Extra Innings – 7-1 record in extra-inning games.

·         Power Surge – Hit 46 home runs to set the single-season HR record, after hitting only 10 in 49 total games in 2023.

·         The Longball – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team with a WWU record 17 home runs. Ashley Jacobson (8), Hailey Rath (7) and Maleah Andrews (7) round out the top four home run hitters on the team combining for 39 of the 46 home runs.

·         Big Fly Emma – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez ranks No. 24 in NCAA II with 17 home runs, establishing a WWU single-season record…has a pair of HR and 7 RBI during the postseason…leads the team with 52 RBI.

·         Multi Hit Rath – Hailey Rath leads the team with 22 multi-hit games and has at least one hit in 42 of 57 games.

·         Leading After 6 – The Vikings are 30-0 when holding a lead after 6 innings and 28-1 when leading after 5 innings.

·         GWRBI – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez leads the team with 10 game-winning RBI (overall lead with 52 RBI.

·         RISP – Batting .310 with runners in scoring position (161-for-520), led by a Riley Anderson (.455/10-for-22) and Hailey Rath (.422/27-for-64).

·         2 Out RBI – Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez paces the team with 18 2-out RBI, followed by 16 by Hailey Rath.

·         Back in Black – Perfect 12-0 record when wearing all black uniform combination.

·         The Head Coach – Sheryl Gilmore is in her sixth season as the WWU head coach…owns 163-100 (.620) record at the helm of the Vikings.

·         Team 32 – 2024 is the 32nd season in program history…WWU has an all-time record of 796-629-1 (.559).

 

Before the calendar turned to May, Viking Field had never hosted a softball tournament…and now the on-campus facility has hosted three. Over the last three weeks WWU hosted the GNAC Championships, West Regional and Super Regional with 16 games spanning a 14-day period. The Vikings entertained the home crowd by going 9-2 during this span and hoisting the West Regional trophy on Viking Field.

WWU is making its sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Softball Championships and first since 2021. Entering the 2024 postseason with one NCAA Tournament victory, the Vikings are 6-2 during the current playoff run and are 7-12 all-time in the NCAA Championships. Prior to moving to the NCAA level in 1999, WWU won the NAIA World Series for the first team title in WWU Athletics history. Here is a look at the Vikings game-by-game listing in the NCAA Championships with the regional host site listed next to the year:

 

2003 (Bakersfield, CA):

Lost to UC Davis, 4-2

Lost to Humboldt State, 7-1

 

2007 (Turlock, CA):

Lost to Stanislaus State, 2-0

Lost to Sonoma State, 3-1

 

2011 (Chico, CA):

Lost to Chico State, 3-1

Lost to Central Washington, 8-4

 

2017 (Seaside, CA):

Defeated Cal State Monterey Bay, 5-3

Lost to Dixie State, 5-0

Lost to Sonoma State, 6-4

 

2021 (Irvine, CA):

Lost to Hawai'i Hilo, 3-0

Lost to Central Washington, 9-5

 

2024 (Bellingham, WA):

Defeated Azusa Pacific, 1-0

Lost to Cal State San Marcos, 4-3

Defeated Azusa Pacific, 3-0

Defeated Cal State San Marcos, 7-1

Defeated Cal State San Marcos, 2-1

Defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, 4-3 (Super Regional)

Lost to Cal State Dominguez Hills, 3-2 (Super Regional)

Defeated Cal State Dominguez Hills, 7-6 (West Region Champions) – 8 innings

 

WWU has set the program record for wins in a season with 48 (and counting), passing the 36 wins achieved by the 2011 squad (36-16/.692). This is the 10th 30-victory season in program history.

 

 

The Vikings went undefeated in GNAC Championship play while hosting the four-team tournament, winning all three games by at least two runs. WWU started the tournament with a 4-1 win over Saint Martin's, then a pair of wins over regular-season champion Northwest Nazarene in the semifinal and championship game. Freshman pitcher Alli Kimball recorded her 17th win of the season in the championship game, pitching five shutout innings allowing just 3 hits and recording 5 strikeouts. Fellow freshman pitcher Kaiana Kong picked up the save in the championship game, pitching two perfect innings and striking out the final batter of the game. Freshman third baseman Maleah Andrews was selected as the GNAC Championships Most Outstanding Player.

The awards for the Western Washington University softball team keep rolling during the historic 2024 season. WWU had five players earn All-West Region honors, including a pair of first-team selections from the D2CCCA. Here is a look at the WWU players that earned All-West Region awards for 2024:

 

• Hailey Rath, SS (D2CCA – 1st Team, NFCA – 2nd Team)
• Kaiana Kong, P (D2CCA – 1st Team)
• Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez, C (D2CCA – 2nd Team, NFCA – 2nd Team)
• Maleah Andrews, 3B (D2CCA – 2nd Team, NFCA – 2nd Team)
• Alli Kimball, P (D2CCA – 2nd Team, NFCA – 2nd Team)

Sophomore shortstop Hailey Rath was named the GNAC Player of the Year following her incredible 2024 campaign. Head Coach Sheryl Gilmore was named the GNAC Coach of the Year after leading the Vikings on a record-breaking campaign. The Vikings had seven players selected to the All-Conference team, tying regular-season champion Northwest Nazarene with three first-team selections:

 

• Hailey Rath, SS – First Team All-GNAC, GNAC Player of the Year
• Ashley Jacobson, 1B – First Team All-GNAC
• Maleah Andrews, 3B – First Team All-GNAC
• Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez, C – Second Team All-GNAC
• Kaiana Kong, P– Second Team All-GNAC
• Joie Baker, P – Honorable Mention All-GNAC
• Alli Kimball, P – Honorable Mention All-GNAC
• Sheryl Gilmore – Coach of the Year

 

Freshman pitcher Alli Kimball has been named as one of eight finalists for the 2024 TUCCI/NFCA Division II Freshman of the Year award. Kimball was a consensus Second Team All-West Region selection by the NFCA and D2CCA. Entering the DII World Series, Kimball is 21-2 on the season with a 1.42 ERA (28 ER, 138.0 IP), leading the team with four shutouts.

 

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. All updated stats, standings and schedule from the conference are available online at GNACSports.com.

 

 

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 recorded a program-best 17-game winning streak spanning games from March 22-April 13, breaking the 13-game winning streak to open the season and a 13-game streak in 2001. The 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 17 home runs in the 2024 season, surpassing the 14 homers hit by Emily Benson in 2019. Including two seasons at BYU, Andrewjeski-Ramirez has hit 18 collegiate home runs in 79 games. Here is a look at WWU's single-season HR leaders:

 

 

Heading into the DII World Series the WWU pitching staff has posted a 1.78 team ERA, allowing 102 earned runs in 402.0 innings pitched. The Vikings rank 9th nationally in both team ERA (1.78) and WHIP (1.05). Freshman Kaiana Kong (15-1, 1.23 ERA, 10 SV), freshman Alli Kimball (21-2, 1.42) and junior Joie Baker (12-5, 2.32) have logged most of the Vikings innings this season combining to form one of the best pitching performances in the nation. Here is a look at the current top 10 in NCAA II ranked by ERA heading into the championship finals:

 

 

Nearly as impressive to the pitching stats this year has been the defensive team performance. The Vikings rank in the top 30 in the nation (27th) with a team fielding percentage of .971, making just 49 errors in 1,672 total chances. WWU has played error-free in 25 of 57 game, boasting an 18-7 record in those games. The 2024 squad is chasing the team single season record for fielding percentage of .970 set by the 2011 team.

 

The Vikings are ranked at No. 13 in the NFCA Division II Coaches Poll after winning the GNAC Softball Championships (most recent national poll). 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. 14) 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 48-9 on the season having played extremely well in close games going 15-6 in 1-run games and 6-2 in games decided by two runs. The Vikings are also 7-1 in extra-inning contests.

 

When hitting a home run the Vikings are 29-1 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 30 of 57 games. The Vikings have hit 46 home runs to set the program single-season record, passing the old mark of 39 homers set in 2019. WWU hit just 10 home runs in 49 total games last season. Here is a look at WWU's top home run hitting seasons in 32 years of program history:

 

 

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 .383 (64-for-167) through all 49 games of the regular season. Rath is also 4th in the GNAC with a .611 slugging percentage with 13 doubles, two triples and seven home runs. She also leads the conference with 64 hits and is 2nd with 44 RBI. In 98 games as a Viking, Rath is batting .377 (123-for-326) with 30 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 81 RBI.

 

 

The Vikings have recorded a program record 135 extra-base hits this season (2B-79, 3B-10, HR-46) with freshman Maleah Andrews leading the way with 27 extra-base hits (2B-16, 3B-4, HR-7) to tie the single-season WWU record (Emily Benson, 2019) and set the program freshman record. Sophomore Hailey Rath is 2nd on the team this season with 22 extra-base hits (2B-13, 3B-2, HR-7) after originally setting the freshman record last season with 26 extra-base hits in 2023 (2B-17, 3B-2, HR-7). In two seasons as a Viking Rath has combined for 48 extra-base hits to already rank No. 5 in the WWU record book.

 

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. Overall WWU went 20-2 against California schools during the 2024 season, with a 15-2 record vs. schools from the CCAA and 5-0 vs. PacWest programs.

 

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 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. Junior right fielder McKenna Crum holds the highest cumulative GPA on the team at 3.87 while majoring in Biology.

 

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 is in its 32nd season in 2024. WWU won its third GNAC title by winning the 2024 postseason tournament at Viking Field. WWU advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the sixth time in program history and won its first West Regional title. WWU has posted a winning record 21 times during the 32-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.