Region IX Softball Tournament starts Friday in McCook
On March 24, after a pair-of one-run losses in the final at bat at Northeastern Junior College, the McCook Community College softball team fell to 11-13 on the season and 3-3 in Region IX.
That's when MCC caught fire – fuled by a dynamic offense – and went on a 10-game winning streak, lost twice at home April 9 to Otero Junior College, then won 13 straight games to catapult to the top of the Region IX Standings going on a 23-2 run overall and 11 straight Region IX wins.
In addition to winning the first regular-season Region IX title ever for MCC softball, the team swept through the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference schedule to win the title with a 10-0 mark. Overall MCC went 39-19.
MCC finished 21-9 against Region IX Division 1 opponents and won the title by three games in the standings over both Trinidad State and Otero Junior College and four games over Northeastern Junior College and Western Nebraska.
By winning the regular season standings with a 21-9 record, MCC gets to host the post-season Region IX tournament as the top seed for the first time ever. MCC was 17-4 at home this year.
All nine of MCC's Region IX losses came against the five teams that advanced to the tournament. MCC is 11-9 against the field and went 9-3 at home. All teams played each other five times this year. MCC is 4-1 against Western Nebraska, 3-2 against NJC and 2-3 against both Otero Junior College and Trinidad State.
MCC averages 8.34 runs per game this season. The team's 484 runs is the 11th most among all teams in the NJCAA and the 629 hits is fifth best. The team ranks in the top 10 in doubles (third), extra-base hits (eighth), total bases (eighth), walks (sixth). The team has a batting average of .381, a .454 on-base average, and a .596 slugging rate.
Sophomore Alexis Cortez, (Aurora, Colo.) leads the nation with 96 hits in 190 at bats for a .505 batting average with 25 doubles (fourth most in the nation), four triples, four home runs and 62 RBIs. Sophomore Ashland Baca set the single-season home record with 23 as well as the career mark of 41. She is batting .379 with 18 doubles, and 76 RBIs.
MCC's normal batting order includes a lineup of hitters who are all above the .300 mark.
Freshman outfielder Nevaeh Ogden (freshman, Littleton, Colo.) took over at the leadoff spot and hit .398 for the season with a .449 on-base rate. She led MCC with 37 steals. Taylor Thein (sophomore, West Branch, Iowa) batted .377 with a .447 on-base average and was second on the team with 30 steals and tied for second with eight home runs.
After Cortez in the third spot and Baca batting cleanup, freshman Tyler Mooring (Santa Clara, Utah) finished the year hitting .380 with eight homers, freshman shortstop Madisyn Simms (Port Moody, British Columbia) batted .388 with six home runs. Catcher Sydney Erlandson (freshman, Woodbury, Minn.) batted .384 and Rae VanMilligan (sophomore, Marion, Iowa) anchored the infield defense playing first, second and third base while batting .337 with six home runs.
Off the bench freshman Cassidy Fife (Provo, Utah) appeared in 28 of MCC's 58 games and batted .353 while Alyssa Winter (freshman, Lexington) batted .311.
In the pitching circle Avery O'Neil (sophomore, Ellsworth, Wis.) has started 32 games and is 21-6 with a 3.69 ERA. She has struck out 153 hitters in 110 innings. Anna Wilcox (sophomore, Victoria, British Columbia) started 14 games and had the most appearances with 41. In 100 innings she had a 5.23 ERA and struck out 83.
Tyler Mooring (freshman, Santa Clara, Utah), who also plays infield, started eight games and went 7-2 in 62 innings with 54 strikeouts and a 4.40 ERA.
MCC gained the top seed and will open play Friday at 4 p.m. against the winner of the first game of the day (11 a.m.) between fourth-seeded Northeastern Junior College (30-23, 17-17) and fifth-seeded Western Nebraska (24-28 overall and 17-13 in conference).
Second seeded Trinidad State (26-25, 18-12) will play third-seeded Otero Junior College (30-25, 17-12) in the second game of the day at 1:30 p.m.
The final game Friday will be an elimination game between the loser of Game 1 between Western Nebraska and NJC and the loser of the Trinidad State-Otero game. That game will start at 6:30 p.m.
An MCC win Friday would put them in the noon game Saturday against the winner of the Trinidad State/Otero game Friday. If MCC loses its first-round match they would be relegated to the consolation round Saturday.
Here is the weekend schedule:
FRIDAY
Game 1 – Northeastern Junior College (17-13) vs. Western Nebraska (17-13), 11 a.m.
Game 2 – Otero Junior College (17-12) vs. Trinidad State, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 – McCook CC (21-9) vs Game 1 winner (Northeastern JC or Western Neb.), 4 p.m.
Game 4 – (Consolation bracket): Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Game 5 – Game 2 winner vs Game 3 winner, noon.
Game 6 – Game 4 winner vs Game 3 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 winner vs Game 5 loser, 5 p.m.
TO BE ANNOUNCED
Game 8 – Winners bracket champion vs. Game 7 winner
Game 9 (If necessary) If this is the first loss for Game 8 loser
REGION IX FINAL STANDINGS
REGION IX OVERALL
W-L Record W-L PCT.
McCook 21-9 39-19 .672
Trinidad State 18-12 26-25 .510
Otero JC 17-12 30-25 .545
Northeastern JC 17-13 30-23 .566
Western Nebraska 17-13 24-28 .461
Lamar 8-20 13-36 .265
Luna 4-23 8-39 .170