WNCC softball opens regionals Friday

The Western Nebraska Community College softball team’s success this season comes from the team member’s strong bond on and off the field. In fact, that closeness has resulted in a record-setting 32-win season.

Now comes the fun part in whether that tight bond can stay together when the team ventures into the most important part of the season this weekend, the Region IX tournament in La Junta, Colo.

The Cougars begin their quest for a regional championship Friday at noon against McCook Community College, a team they defeated four times this season. The game can be heard on the Internet at www.1021kzmc.com.

A win in the opening round against McCook will then put them into a 4 p.m. contest against the winner of Lamar Community College and Trinidad State Junior College later that day. The championship game is slated for 4 p.m. Saturday.

The team is riding some confidence as well entering the tournament after claiming two shutout wins in the Iowa Western tournament over Southeastern Iowa and Iowa Western. In fact, the way they played in those two games defensively, is the way they team needs to play in the regional tournament.

“We all responded well together in the two wins last weekend,” centerfielder Lauren Bourdon said. “We got back into the swing of things and realized we can play together as one big unit.”

Winning the tournament will not be a sure bet. Otero Junior College comes into the tournament ranked 9^th in the NJCAA national polls with a 44-6 record. WNCC, though, can compete with the Rattlers. In the two games played at LaJunta, the Cougars fell 9-7 and 11-1. Otero blanked the Cougars in the other two games 4-0 and 12-0.

Ashley Patten said those games mean very little now.

“We can’t look at that. Those games [against Otero] are in the past,” she said. “I think we are more pumped up now more then ever. We just need to take one game at a time. Anything can happen.”

That is definitely true, but the one thing riding in the team’s favor is the offensive threats on this year’s team. The Cougars are in the top five in the nation in hitting with a .408 average, and six Cougars are hitting over .400 for the season.

“We have had our ups and downs, offensively, but I think we are coming back into the swing of things,” Bourdon said. “Hopefully we will all show up to play.”

Jessie McNabb is the big offensive threat for the Cougars. She currently is batting .543 for the season, including a slugging percentage of .858. McNabb already owns many school records, including most hits (88), doubles (21), triples (9), runs scored (55), RBIs (55), and is near to setting the batting average and on base percentage records.

McNabb, though, is just one of the offensive threats for the Cougars. Also hitting at 400 clip or better are Jessie Ventoza (.439), Lauren Mills (.416), Ashley Eichelberger (.415), Kara Ryman (.412) and Amanda Hensley (.406).

Another key for the Cougars will be their pitching. The team is led by 20-game winner Natasha Dypchey. Dypchey enters the tournament with a 20-10 mark with a 2.97 earned run average. The freshman from British Columbia also has a school record 141 strikeouts on the season in 174 innings pitched. She is averaging 5.66 strikeouts a game.

WNCC’s other pitcher, Jessica Pexton of Douglas, Wyo., has really come along in the last two weeks. Pexton picked up both wins last week in gaining the shutouts against Iowa Western and Southeastern. Pexton has a 12-7 record and has lowered her ERA by nearly five runs in the last weeks to 3.79. She has struck out 57 so far this season in 130 innings of work.

Patten said that while they have had their ups and downs, they still are a dangerous team.

“We need to be relaxed and be focused,” she said. “We have had our ups and downs, but when it is time to settle down and buckle down, we do it. We just need to have the confidence that we know we can do it.”

Bourdon said this team definitely has the potential to bring a regional title back to Scottsbluff.

“It will take us all coming together and playing like we can,” she said. “We have the potential of winning and we just need to play like we did last weekend. You can’t take ant team lightly, especially at the regional tournament because everybody is going all or nothing.”