COMING UP: The Yotes take on Ottawa out of Kansas in the 2022 NAIA Softball Championships Opening Round, taking place in Chickasha, Oklahoma, starting Monday, May 16.
LAST TIME: The Yotes fell in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship to Oregon Tech, but earned an automatic qualifying bid to the national tournament.
RECORD HOLDER: Senior shortstop
Haley Loffer is among the top players in program history, holding the program record in stolen bases (111), runs scored (184), walks (106), and is tied for the record in career triples (13). Loffer is second in home runs (21), batting average (.369), and on-base percentage (.502).
ALL CONFERENCE: Four Yotes were named to the Cascade Conference first team, including Loffer,
Hattie Hruza,
Tanner Higgins, and
Katelyn Wilfert.
Hannah McNerney was named to the second team, and
Kaily Christensen earned honorable mention.
GOLD GLOVE: Three Yotes earned gold glove honors this season, as
Kylie Smith took home the honors for second base,
Haley Loffer took the honors for shortstop, and
Hattie Hruza was named a gold glover for the outfield.
CONSISTENT OFFENSE: This season, the Yotes have five batters who are hitting over .500 in Loffer, Hruza, Higgins, Christensen, and
Kaylee MacDannald. These five have accounted for 181 RBI's out of the team total of 309, as well as 245 hits out of the Yotes 434 on the season.
BASE STEALERS: On the basepaths, the Yotes are 97-106 on stolen bases, which is good for a 91.5% success rate.
Haley Loffer is a perfect 38-38. Her 38 stolen bases are good for a school record, breaking her own record of 32.
Tanner Higgins and
Lexi Navarrete are also a perfect 9-9 on the season to lead the Yotes on the bases.
LINEUP CONSISTENCY: This season, 21 Yotes have appeared in at least 10 games, led by Lexi Navarette who has appeared in 52 of the team's 56 games.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: The Ottawa (Kan.) Braves enter the NAIA tournament with a record of 35-13-1, including a 20-4 record in conference play (KCAC). The Yotes and the Braves have matched up only one time prior, as the Yotes took the only game, 4-2, which took place in the NAIA tournament last year.
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