2021 Softball Notebook (Week 2)

GAME COVERAGE: The home opening doubleheader against Eastern Oregon on Wednesday will be covered with Live Video on the Yotes Digital Network. Fans can purchase a single game pass for $7.99, a day pass for $8.99 or a season pass for $29.99. Live Stats will be provided on the C of I Stretch Internet Portal. When the Yotes head to California on Friday and Saturday, Live Video will be offered free of charge on the William Jessup Stretch Internet Portal. Live Stats for the weekend can be found on the WJU SIDEARM Stats Portal.

COMPLETE MEDIA GAME NOTES 

OPPONENT PREVIEW - EASTERN OREGON: The Mountaineers have yet to take the field in 2021 after finishing last season 6-15 overall, including a three-game sweep of British Columbia to end the year. EOU brings back two-way contributor Amanda Smith, who hit .400 with a home run and 10 RBI while also appearing in nine games in the circle, finishing 1-5 with a 6.67 ERA in 28 1/3 innings. Jordan Henley (.296 BA, 4 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI) and Haley Ebner (.283 BA, 2 2B, 7 RBI) are other key returners with the bats. The Mounties will be looking for improvement on the mound this year after posting a 7.67 team ERA a season ago.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW - OREGON TECH: OIT received votes in the first NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll after posting a 12-9 mark last year. The Owls started the new campaign with a sweep of Arizona Christian on Feb. 6. Pitchers Sara Ward (2-0, 3.50 ERA) and Sarah Abramson (7-6, 4.32 ERA, 68 K) each return after being key contributors for Tech last season. Ward also hit .459 with five doubles, three homers and 12 RBI to lead the batting attack. In addition to Ward, Olivia Lethlean (.364, BA, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI), McKenna Armantrout (.328 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI), Aubrie Businger (.323 BA, 4 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI) and Kaila Mick (.309 BA, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI) each return after hitting over .300 last year.
 
OPPONENT PREVIEW - WILLIAM JESSUP: WJU has played one of the toughest schedules in the country so far, starting 3-6, with every loss coming against a team either ranked in the Top-25 or receiving votes. The Warriors split two-game sets with No. 1 Southern Oregon and Simpson last week. Seli Aholelei (.500 BA, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI) paces the bats for William Jessup and Terra Goetz (2-3, 2.46 ERA, 14 K) has been the top pitcher so far on the year.

YOTES IN CALIFORNIA: In program history, C of I has traveled to California in 12 different seasons prior to this trip. The Yotes have played 77 games in the Golden State, posting a record of 38-38-1 overall. Since the inaugural year of the program in 2002, C of I has finished 10 games above .500 in the state of California.
 
CHRISTENSEN MAKES INSTANT IMPACT: Freshman Kaily Christensen stepped into the middle of the C of I order and torched opposing pitching in Arizona, going 13-for-21 at the plate with a double, a homer, seven runs and nine RBI. Her five-hit game against Arizona Christian tied her with Molly Mills and Kalie Kurdy for a single game program record. Christensen has started her career with a six-game hitting streak and has added four multiple RBI games.
 
HARD-HITTING HATTIE: Sophomore outfielder Hattie Hruza slammed a pair of home runs in the desert, wrapping up the weekend with two doubles, two home runs and eight runs batted in. Her nine total bases in the opener at Arizona Christian tied Dani Villyard (2008) for the most in a single game in program history.
 
LOFFER A LEADING BAT: Junior Haley Loffer went 8-for-18 with three doubles, a home run, two RBI and a pair of steals to start the season. Loffer has posted a six-game hitting streak to start the year.
 
UNDEFEATED WHEN SCORING FIVE OR MORE: C of I has won all four games this season when the Yotes have plated five or more runs.
 
NEARING A RECORD: C of I has not been shutout in a game since a 3-0 loss at Southern Oregon last April. The streak of 36 consecutive games is inching towards the program record (43) for games without being shutout, which was set back in the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
 
CLOSE TO HISTORY: Head coach Al Mendiola is the winningest coach in C of I softball program history with 392 wins. In his 15th season, Mendiola is now just eight wins away from 400, which would put him in company with his wife Liz Mendiola - the head volleyball coach - as the only women's sports coaches to eclipse the 400 wins threshold in school history.
 
CROFTS AND WILFERT NAMED CCC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Pitcher Katelyn Wilfert and third baseman Trystin Crofts were honored as Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Players of the Week for the week of Jan. 25-31. In her first two appearances in a C of I uniform, Wilfert went 1-1 with a 2.90 ERA, striking out 10 in 9 2/3 innings of work. Her week was highlighted by a complete game two-hit shutout of Arizona Christian in which she struck out seven Firestorm batters in an 8-0 win. Wilfert was named Pitcher of the Week for her efforts. Over the first four games of the season, Crofts went 6-for-12 at the dish, slugging a pair of doubles and posting six RBI while also stealing three bases and playing error free defense on the hot corner. In two games against ACU, Crofts went 5-for-8 at the plate, scoring five runs and contributing five RBI on her way to Player of the Week accolades. 
 
CROFTS CAREER UPDATES: Senior Trystin Crofts has become one of the most productive players in C of I history since she arrived on campus, ranking tied for third on the all-time record list for the program with 101 runs scored for her career, fifth with 173 hits, second with 38 doubles, tied for first with 12 triples, sixth with 17 home runs, third with 111 RBI and ranking sixth with 39 stolen bases.

C OF I ENTERS SEASON RANKED NATIONALLY: For the second consecutive season and the sixth time in program history, The College of Idaho softball program will enter the season ranked in the NAIA Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning the No. 17 spot in the poll. C of I has been ranked in the preseason poll previously in 2008 (No. 14), 2010 (No. 15), 2014 (No. 13), 2015 (No. 21) and 2020 (No. 19) The Yotes received 235 voter points in the poll, while fellow Cascade Conference opponents Southern Oregon and Corban were each ranked as well. SOU took home 15 first-place votes and was the preseason selection as the No. 1 team in the country. Corban earned 118 voter points to slide in at No. 23. Oregon Tech also received votes in the poll.
 
YOTES PICKED FOURTH IN CCC PRESEASON POLL: The College of Idaho was picked to finish fourth in the 2021 Cascade Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released by the league office. Southern Oregon was picked by the coaches as the preseason favorite for the fifth year in a row. The Raiders finished 2020 ranked No. 1 nationally before COVID-19 shortened the season. SOU took home 100 points in the poll. Oregon Tech was selected second with 88 points and Corban finished third with 80 points. The Yotes were right behind the Warriors in the poll with 77 points. Carroll rounded out the top-five with 64 points.