Softball | 2/6/2014 12:00:00 PM
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University softball team is in Las Vegas for the fifth annual Desert Stinger tournament hosted by Montana State University Billings.
The Wolves (0-4) face California Baptist (3-1) and Minot State (0-0) Friday, New Mexico Highlands (1-1) and Cal State-San Bernardino (2-0) Saturday, and Black Hills State (0-0) Sunday.
Six of the GNAC's seven softball teams will be in Las Vegas this weekend to compete in the tournament. A total of 32 teams from the West, Central and South Central regions are entered in the Desert Stinger.
Four of the teams – No. 4 Humboldt State, No. 8 West Texas A&M, No. 14 Texas Woman's and No. 23 Dixie State – were nationally ranked in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association pre-season poll.
Representing the GNAC will be Central Washington, Northwest Nazarene, Simon Fraser, Western Oregon, Western Washington and host Montana State Billings.
Saint Martin's, meanwhile, returns to California for the second week in a row to take on Sonoma State and the Academy of the Art Saturday and Sunday.
The Saints opened their season last weekend in California losing doubleheaders at Cal Baptist and Cal State San Bernardino.
Western Oregon also lost four games to nationally 21st ranked UC San Diego. Western Washington opened its season winning three of four games in Hawaii.
Each team will play five games in the Desert Stinger beginning Friday.
On Tuesday, MSUB got its week started by splitting a twinbill with 23rd ranked Dixie State in St. George, Utah. The Yellowjackets won the opener 3-2 before taking an 11-7 loss in the nightcap.
Northwest Nazarene also made its season debut, splitting two games in California with Menlo. The Crusaders lost the opener 11-2, but then snapped a 34-game losing streak with an 11-7 win in the nightcap. Meanwhile, Western Washington's scheduled doubleheader in Hawaii against Chaminade was rained out.
On Wednesday Northwest Nazarene wraps up its four-game series at Menlo and MSU Billings plays Hawaii Hilo in Las Vegas.
The Wolves' open against Cal Baptist at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. All five of Western Oregon's games will have live stats on WOUWolves.com.
