Softball aiming to reclaim NWAACC title

After three months of hard work and dedication, the Saints softball team will finally be put to its ultimate test.

Today marks the opening of the 2013 softball NWAACC Championship, held at north Portland’s Delta Park.

MHCC ended the regular season with an overall record of 36-5 and a conference record of 16-4, clinching the Southern Region title.

The Saints are the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament this year.

Their first game today is at 11:30 a.m. against Highline Community College. This season, Highline went 18-18 and is the lowest seed in the tournament.

Should the Saints win, their next game would follow at 3:30 p.m. (and then at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, should they win again).

Their leader likes what she sees, going into the big weekend.

“I am proud of this group. They battled all year long, played for each other, learned from mistakes and never took a game off,” said Saints head coach Meadow McWhorter.

Last Friday, MHCC swept two games against Lower Columbia Community College. The Saints dominated in the first matchup, winning 15-2, and then in Game Two, had to fight from behind but managed to come out on top, 7-5.

MHCC sophomore third baseman Lola Ciu says she’s ready to play in the championship tournament, especially after tearing a knee ligament last season. The Saints won three straight NWAACC championships in 2009-11, but were bounced eliminated during the 2012 tournament.

“It was devastating last year to let the title go to someone else, but I know we are ready to bring the NWAACC title back to MHCC, Ciu said.

“If we continue to play for each other and work hard, I have no doubt in my mind that we will win this year,” she said. “All of us come in and work hard, everyone has a true desire to get better every day. We play for the person next to us and pick each other up; if one of us is having an off day, we get it done for them. Because that’s what a family does.”

MHCC has had great success pitching and hitting all year and that, combined with its chemistry and extra drive, has put the Saints at the top.

“We are playing at such a high level because we practice and play hungry,” said freshman shortstop Teauna Hughes.

“We set goals from the start to get better as the season progressed: be first in our region and to make it to NWAACCs. We have done that by doing the little things like coming in and doing extra – keeping positive attitudes and never taking an inning off,” she said.

“We push each other and play for the person next to us – that’s how a true team succeeds. It’s not just one person that wins games,” Hughes continued. “I go out every game and play my heart out for them, to make us better, in hopes of bringing the title back.”

Ciu observed that it takes dedication and hard work to reach the final goal.

“We have worked hard to get ourselves to the top of the region and we’ve been dedicated to the cause from Day One,” she said.While Wenatchee Valley Community College had the best overall record of all teams in the regular season at 40-5, it is seeded second in the tournament.

According to the NWAACC website, teams are seeded based on overall winning percentage against all other teams in the NWAACC, regional strength and team’s record specifically against the four region champions.

While Mt. Hood’s first opponent is the lowest seed at Delta Park, the Saints assume nothing.

“If we play every game like it’s the championship game, see each team as a No. 1 seed and focus on one game at a time – I believe we will be successful,” Hughes said.