Christian

LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University softball program is headed to nationals.

The Mountaineers earned an at-large bid to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament during the association’s selection show May 10. Eastern, which is ranked No. 15 in the latest national poll, earned a two seed in the tournament and will face three-seed Texas A&M Texarkana in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 16. Joining the Mountaineers and Eagles in the Oklahoma City bracket are Oklahoma City and William Woods.

Eastern is coming off a semifinal appearance in the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament, where the team was eliminated by the College of Idaho. The Mountaineers have currently tallied a 41-15 record, which tied the program record for wins in a season.

Texas A&M Texarkana is 42-12 on the year, coming off a Red River Tournament championship title. The Eagles were ranked No. 22 in the latest NAIA national poll, but found themselves ranked as high as No. 13 earlier in the season.

Texas A&M Texarkana’s Anna Westberry leads the way for the team’s pitching staff with a 23-4 record. Eastern’s Amanda Smith has led the pitching efforts this season, accumulating a 19-6 record off 19 complete games.

Eastern’s national tournament berth is its first since 2018, the last season the Mountaineers had a winning record. Head coach Nicole Christian, who is in her third year as Eastern’s head coach, is set to make her national tournament debut with the Mountaineers.

The Mountaineers are scheduled to compete in game one of the Oklahoma City bracket on May 16, with the game time still to be determined. The four-team bracket is double elimination, with the final matchup slated for May 18.

Following the opening round, the winners will travel to Columbus, Georgia, for the world series bracket. The matchups are set to begin on May 26 and a champion will be named by June 1.