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Softball to tackle four-year schools this weekend
The Advocate
The back-to-back NWAACC champion softball team starts fall action today at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The Saints will play six games over the next three days, and then add a doubleheader on Oct. 16.
The Saints start competition today against the Bellevue Community College Bulldogs at 3 p.m., and then play again at 7 p.m. (team to be determined).
The Saturday games will also be at the University of Washington, where MHCC will face the Bulldogs again at 9 a.m., followed by a 1 p.m. start against the Division-I Seattle University Redhawks. Last season the Redhawks finished with an overall record of 16-32-1.
The Saints head back down from Seattle Sunday to play on the road against Division-I Portland State University Vikings at 2 p.m. Downtown, Portland. The Vikings were 30-27 last year.
On Oct. 16 the Saints play a doubleheader at Western Oregon University versus the Corban College Warriors, The NAIA school finished last season with a record of 24-23.
"We are one of the top three (hardest working) programs within the NWAACC for softball," two-time coach of the year Meadow McWhorter said. "My student athletes work extremely hard.
"We talk about, from day one, that every player, whether they're on the field or on the bench, plays a role in our success."
Some key returners to look out for are Co-Southern Region Player of the Year 5-foot-2 outfielder Jessica Guy, and starting pitchers Kayla Anderson and Chelsea Schriber, who both came up big in last years NWAACC title run.
"Kayla and Chelsea are perfectionists, which can be good and bad as a pitcher," said McWhorter. "But they grew so much as freshmen that I expect big things out of them as sophomores."
Newcomers include 5A 2010 all-state outfielder Jessi Lindsey, a freshman from Pendleton High, freshman Mackenize Samuelson from Vancouver, Wash., who grew up attending MHCC softball clinics, and Kendra Groom, a starting pitcher from Gresham High School.
McWhorter has been coaching here for nine years and is also the student events coordinator on campus.
Asked about her future at Mt. Hood, McWhorter said, "I've had several offers to move on, and I just feel that this level really needs people who are passionate about coaching community college athletes."
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