MCMINNVILLE, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College softball is set to make their second-ever Northwest Conference Tournament appearance this weekend, when they travel to Linfield University for the 2024 NWC Tournament. The second-seeded Pioneers will take on #3 Pacific Lutheran University on Friday night at 6:30 p.m.
 
FRIDAY'S MATCHUP 
 
#3 Pacific Lutheran University vs. #2 Lewis & Clark 
(Lewis & Clark 26-14, NWC 20-8) 
(Pacific Lutheran 23-17, NWC 18-10) 


Game Schedule –Double Elimination Tournament
 
Friday, May 10
Game 1: #4 Willamette at #1 Linfield, 4:00 p.m.
Game 2: #3 Pacific Lutheran at #2 Lewis & Clark, 6:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, May 11
Game 3: Loser of G1 vs. Loser of G2, noon
Game 4: Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5: Loser of G4 vs. Winner of G3, 5:00 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 12
Game 6: Winner of G4 vs. Winner G5, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of G4 vs. Winner of G5, 5:00 p.m., if necessary
 
Ticket Pricing
 
Admission will be charged for spectators. All-day session passes are priced at $6 for adults, $3 for children 6-12, non-NWC students (with ID), or seniors. Children under 6 and NWC students (with valid ID) will be admitted for free. You can purchase your tickets ahead of time here. 
 
Follow Live
 
Video and live stats will be available through the links at lcpioneers.com.
 
Previous Meetings
 
Lewis & Clark won three out of four games against Pacific Lutheran University at the Huston Sports Complex on April 13 and 14. The Pioneers swept the Lutes on Saturday with a pair of walk-off hits from Sam Gildersleeve (sac fly and double) in 8-0 (6 innings) and 3-2 (eight innings) wins. The Pioneers took the series with a 9-4 game three win on Sunday, before falling 8-6 in a back-and-forth game four. 
 
SERIES HISTORY 
 
While Pacific Lutheran holds a 111-23 all-time advantage over Lewis & Clark, the Pioneers have won seven of the past 10 meetings dating back to March 20, 2022. Lewis & Clark won their first-ever four-game series against the Lutes this year. The Pioneers have also split the four-game conference series with the Lutes in each of the previous three years. 
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS 
 
Lewis & Clark has put together the best season in program history en-route to making their second-ever NWC Tournament appearance (2021). The Pioneers have already set the program record for wins (28), conference wins (20), runs scored (257), hits (345), strikeouts thrown (210), saves (five) and are on the verge of setting the single-season shutout record (tied for first with six) and doubles record (62 and counting). 
 
The Pioneers won six of their seven conference series and racked up seven run-rule victories. Lewis & Clark won their first-ever four-game NWC series over Pacific Lutheran and earned their first series victory over George Fox University since 2009. As a team, the Pioneers outscored their opponents 201-98 in conference play and took at least three out of four games from every team but #1 Linfield University. Lewis & Clark has been especially strong on the road, winning nine in a row and 16 of their 22 games away from the Huston Sports Complex. Their nine-game road winning streak is tied for the 12^th-longest streak in DIII this year. 
 
A large part of the team's success has been their depth and ability to play well in all facets of the game. The Pioneers sit second in the NWC in almost every major offensive category and are also second in ERA, opponent's batting average, strikeouts and fielding percentage. Offensively, six starters are hitting .300 or above and the middle-of-the-order trio of Mari Alvarez, Sam Gildersleeve and Harper Campanella have combined for 22 doubles, 22 home runs and 105 runs batted in. Sophomore Gina Ozuna has racked up 18 extra-base hits out of the leadoff spot and is tied with Gildersleeve for the single-season record for runs scored with 36. 
 
The Pioneers wouldn't be in the NWC Tournament without sophomore aces Maggie O'Leary and Charlize Pope. The duo each made huge strides from their freshman to sophomore campaigns and they have combined to pitch 83.4 percent of the team's innings this season. O'Leary ranks second in the conference in strikeouts (105), tied for third in wins (12), fourth in opponent's batting average (.224) and fifth in earned run average (2.45). Pope has been equally impressive, sitting tied for second in opponent's batting average (.209), third in ERA (2.08), tied for third in wins (12), fourth in innings pitched (111.0) and sixth in strikeouts (84). 
 
SCOUTING THE LUTES
 
Pacific Lutheran has one of the most storied histories of any softball program in the NWC. The Lutes have won three National Titles (1988 and 1992 at the NAIA level) including the 2012 NCAA DIII National Championship. They have won 17 NWC Titles all-time but have not hoisted the NWC Trophy since 2012. This will be just their fifth appearance in the NWC Tournament in the past 11 seasons, but it does mark their third year in a row in making the field. The past two seasons, PLU has lost their first game to the two seed (George Fox in both cases), before defeating the four seed (Whitworth in both cases). In 2022, they made it all the way to the NWC Championship Series after upsetting #2 George Fox in their third contest. 
 
Pacific Lutheran got off to a slow start to the season. The Lutes opened the year 5-12 after playing a tough non-conference schedule that included games against regionally-ranked University of Redlands, Chapman University and SUNY New-Paltz and a four-game NWC series with #1 Linfield University. Pacific Lutheran settled in and split with George Fox and took three out of four against Willamette, before losing the first three games to Lewis & Clark to fall to 10-17 (6-10 in NWC play). The Lutes have been red-hot ever since earning a game-four win over Lewis & Clark (8-6). They have won 13 in a row, including sweeping Pacific, Whitworth and Puget Sound to end the season. Their 13-game winning streak is tied for the fifth-longest streak in Division III. 
 
The Lutes are led by a trio of pitchers in graduate student Rachael Rhinehart, freshman Paige Wilson and sophomore Rachel Treves. Rhinehart is an NCAA Division I transfer from Robert Morris University who ranks in the top-10 in the NWC in innings pitched (98.0), ERA (3.29) and strikeouts (89). Wilson sits fourth in the NWC in ERA (2.40) and Treves has pitched 66.0 innings while making 16 appearances (second on the team). Offensively, Casey Wright leads the team with a .364 batting average, eight home runs and 16 stolen bases (16-18). Paolo Garcia has tacked on seven homers and a team-leading 35 RBI and all seven of the team's regular starters have hit .271 or better. 
 
#4 Willamette vs. #1 Linfield 
 
Linfield moved up to #1 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) earlier this week for the first time since the 2021 season. The Wildcats went undefeated in NWC play for the first time in school history (28-0) and are at the top of the NCAA DIII West Regional Rankings after finishing the regular season 40-0. The Wildcats have won five-straight NWC Championship Titles and 24-straight games on their home field. 
 
Willamette is back in the NWC Tournament for the first time since 2014. The Bearcats qualified for the postseason after Lewis & Clark's sweep of George Fox on Tuesday ended the Bruins playoff hopes. Willamette (17-21, 13-15 NWC) finished the season strong winning 10 of their 13 conference games across series against George Fox (2-2), Puget Sound (4-0) and Pacific (4-0). They dropped four-straight to Linfield to close the season (41-4) but did manage to play the Wildcats close in the final game (5-4). 
 
What's Next
 
If the Pioneers win Friday's game, they will play the winner of game one at Noon on Saturday.