(As of 1:30 p.m. PT on May 7): Thursday's tournament schedule has been moved up to begin at 9 a.m. with games taking place at 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. due to impending rain in the forecast for Thursday afternoon.
Seattle U to Host 2014 WAC Tournament: Seattle U is set to host the 2014 Western Athletic Conference Tournament this weekend (May 8-10), with all five eligible teams (New Mexico State, Utah Valley, Bakersfield, Kansas City, Seattle U) advancing to the tournament. Grand Canyon, the WAC regular season champion, is not eligible for postseason play, as they are in their first year of Division I reclassification. The winner of the double elimination tournament will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Seattle U, the No. 3 seed, will first face No. 2 Kansas City at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
WAC to Stream Entire Tournament: The WAC will provide a video stream of each game of the tournament on WACSports.tv. The single subscription price to view the entire tournament is $9.95. Links to the stream (and free live stats) are on the Softball Tournament Central page on WACsports.com as well as on the softball schedule page at GoSeattleU.com.
Seattle University Park Closures: The entirety of Seattle U Park, including the track surrounding the park, is closed for the week of May 5-11 to accomodate the tournament. All areas of the park will be ticketed or credentialed, including the walkway behind the third base dugout (those passing by must walk through the Chardin parking lot). All efforts will be made to open the walkway and track as soon as possible following the tournament.
Tournament Tickets and Parking: All-session tickets can be purchased by calling (206) 398-GOSU, on the “Tickets” link on GoSeattleU.com or at the gate on May 8. Pre-ordered all-session passes must be picked up on the first day of the tournament at the 11th & Jefferson gate. Single session tickets will be available for purchase at the gate only. General public parking will be available in the Murphy Garage off of James Street adjacent to the park.
Scouting No. 1 New Mexico State (29-21, 10-4 WAC): The Aggies finished second in the WAC regular season standings but receive the No. 1 seed in the tournament, as Grand Canyon is not eligible for postseason play. The Aggies are led by junior outfielder, Staci Rodriguez, with a .404 batting avg., .780 slugging pct., and .537 on base percentage. Sophomore infielder Fiana Finau leads NM State with 44 RBI and 57 hits on the season. In the circle, Celisha Walker posted a team-high 3.33 ERA and 8-6 record through the regular season. Head coach Kathy Rodolph celebrated her 300th win at NMSU and 500th career win during the 2014 season. The Aggies last won the WAC softball tournament during the 2011 season and is 10-11 all-time in the tournament (the only team in this year’s tournament not making their first all-time appearance).
Scouting No. 2 Kansas City (19-34, 7-8 WAC): The ‘Roos are led at the plate by Cinda Ramos (.360), who has also recorded a team-high 59 hits. Ramos, the most recent WAC Pitcher of the Week, also makes an impact in the circle for UMKC with a 3.61 ERA, 6-11 record, 19 starts, and seven complete games. Earlier this season, the Redhawks won their second straight WAC series, taking the first and last game of the three-game series from the ‘Roos on Apr. 11-12.
Scouting No. 4 Utah Valley (14-38, 5-9 WAC): The Wolverines rely on their power hitting, recording 42 home runs throughout the regular season and a league-high 14 (tied with NM State) during WAC play. Brianna Gatlin leads UVU at the plate (.284 avg.), also recording 38 hits, 26 RBI, two home runs, and a .400 slugging pct. Josi Summers leads the Wolverines in the circle with a 7-17 record and a 4.38 ERA, also recording a team-high 106 strikeouts. Utah Valley will face BYU for a doubleheader on May 6 to close out the regular season.
Scouting No. 5 Bakersfield (15-38-1, 4-11 WAC): As a team, the Roadrunners have a .249 batting average with 348 total hits on the season. They are led at the plate by Karissa Viega (.315 avg, 32 runs, 16 RBI), who has also posted a .418 slugging pct. and 58 total hits. Kelsie Monroe leads the pitching staff with a 3.21 ERA, holding her opponents to a .276 batting average.