Western Oregon (7-7) vs. Central Washington (2-12)
11 a.m. Saturday (DH) | WOU Softball Field (Monmouth, OR)
11 a.m. Sunday (DH) | WOU Softball Field (Monmouth, OR)
2024 WOU SCHEDULE - LINKS TO LIVE STREAMS / LIVE STATS

GNAC STANDINGS | GNAC STATISTICS | WOU STATS | WOU STAT RANKINGS

SERIES HISTORY ...
VS. CENTRAL WASHINGTON

• All-time: 70-67
• Home: 32-20 | Road: 27-34 | Neutral: 11-13
• First Meeting: 1995
• Streak: Lost 1
• Last 10: 7-3
• Last season: 3-1 in Monmouth (Series: 4-3 WOU, 8-7 WOU, 4-0 WOU, 3-2 CWU)

THE WOLVES ...
LAST WEEK: 2-1 win vs. #16 Western Washington on Saturday in Lacey, 3-1 win at Saint Martin's on Saturday (Non-GNAC games)
STREAK: Won 4
SPLITS: Home 0-2 | Road 5-2 | Neutral 2-3
TEAM STATS (GNAC Ranking out of 7):

•  Runs/game: 3.50 (6th) | AVG: .279 (5th) | ERA: 2.77 (4th) | Fielding %: .941 (6th)

The Western Oregon softball team last week is coming off handing then-No. 16 Western Washington its first loss of the season in a non-GNAC game in Lacey, Washington, 2-1 behind freshman Alivia Holden's stellar performance in her first career start - giving up no earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Senior Mackenzee Collins followed that up with another impressive performance - taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning before tossing a two-hitter, giving up a run with six strikeouts and three walks.

Sophomore Victoria Zimmerman leads the Wolves and GNAC in hitting this season with a .488 average, .542 on-base percentage and 21 hits to go along with five stolen bases and nine runs scored. Freshman Aaliyah Gaboriault ranks tied for third in the conference in runs with 10. In the circle, WOU has two of the top four in ERA with Holden third in the GNAC with a 1.50 ERA while Collins is fourth at 1.88. Collins is also third in innings pitched (41) and opposing batting average (.197 - Holden is fourth at .200) and second in strikeouts (39).

THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT ...
CENTRAL WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: 0-4 vs. #24 Northwest Nazarene (6-0, 5-1, 3-0, 6-2) (Non-GNAC games)
STREAK: Lost 5
SPLITS: Home 1-5 | Road 1-2 | Neutral 0-5
TEAM STATS (GNAC Rank out of 7)

• Runs/Game: 2.0 (7th) | AVG: .218 (7th) | ERA: 3.69 (5th) | Fielding %: .966 (2nd)

The Wildcats dropped four non-GNAC contests against 24th-ranked Northwest Nazarene last week - scoring three runs in the series. 

Ashlee Lavar paces CWU in the circle with a 3.03 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. Payton Kessler leads the Wildcats in innings pitched with 39.0 to go along wit ha 4.85 ERA. At the plate, Jillian Hampson leads the team with a .265 average while Laney Kaysner has a team-high six RBI. 

WOU NOTES ...
WOLVES PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN GNAC | RELEASE
The Western Oregon softball team was picked fourth in the GNAC Softball Preseason Coaches Poll released by the conference on Friday. Three-time defending GNAC champion Northwest Nazarene was unanimously picked first followed by Western Washington, Saint Martin's, Western Oregon, Central Washington, Montana State Billings and Simon Fraser. The Wolves are coming off a GNAC Championships appearance in 2023 in head coach Aly Boytz's first year at the helm by going 11-13 in conference and 22-30 overall. Two all-conference players return for the Wolves in outfielder Maddie Doig (second team) and Natalie Willoughby (honorable mention).