NIC SOFTBALL: Cardinals climb continues at NWAC Championships

After splitting a Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on March 25 at Walla Walla, North Idaho College was staring at a 9-8 record and being 4-4 in East Region play.

So, just what happened.

“They have truly stepped up,” said NIC coach Shay Fuson, whose team has won 25 of its last 26 games, including 18 straight entering the NWAC Championships starting today at Delta Park in Portland. “Our team has just kept climbing the ladder and gotten better every single day.”

NIC (36-9) is the third seed and will open the tournament against 14th seed Wenatchee Valley (20-24) today at 10 a.m.

“This team just works so well together on the field,” Fuson said. “They are very young and all the freshmen have really stepped up and bought into our program.”

NIC hasn’t lost since a setback on April 15 against Bellevue (37-2), which is the top seed in the tournament.

“We have just kept focusing on the process and our outcomes have proved that,” Fuson said. “We’re in a great spot for seeding, but don’t pay too much attention to that because eventually we are going to play everyone anyway.”

Mt. Hood is the defending champion and opens with Lower Columbia.

NIC won the tournament title in 2018 and 2019.

NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

At Delta Park, Portland

Thursday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 2 seed Southwestern Oregon (43-3) vs. No. 15 Centralia (11-26), 10 a.m.

Game 2 — No. 7 Columbia Basin (33-13) vs. No. 10 Everett (24-10), 10 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 6 Walla Walla (37-9) vs. No. 11 Edmonds (20-18), 10 a.m.

Game 4 — No. 3 North Idaho (36-9) vs. No. 14 Wenatchee Valley, 10 a.m.

Game 5 — No. 13 Spokane (18-22) vs. No. 4 Clackamas (31-11), 12:30 p.m.

Game 6 — No. 12 Lower Columbia (24-20) vs. No. 5 Mt. Hood (35-7), 12:30 p.m.

Game 7 — No. 9 Treasure Valley (23-23) vs. No. 8 Douglas (13-10), 12:30 p.m.

Game 8 — No. 16 Chemeketa (10-25) vs. No. 1 Bellevue (37-2), 12:30 p.m.

Game 9 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 3:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 10 — Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 3:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 11 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3:30 p.m.

Game 12 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 3:30 p.m.

Game 13 — Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 5:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 14 — Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, 5:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 15 — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 5:30 p.m.

Game 16 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 5:30 p.m.

Friday’s Games

Game 17 — Loser Game 16 vs. Winner Game 9, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 18 — Loser Game 15 vs. Winner Game 10, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 19 — Loser Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 20 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 14, 10 a.m. (loser out)

Game 21 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 12:30 p.m.

Game 22 — Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16, 12:30 p.m.

Game 23 — Winner Game 17 vs. Winner Game 18, 12:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 24 — Winner Game 19 vs. Winner Game 20, 12:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 25 — Winner Game 23 vs. Loser Game 21, 3:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 26 — Winner Game 24 vs. Loser Game 22, 3:30 p.m. (loser out)

Saturday’s Games

Game 27 — Winner Game 21 vs. Winner Game 22, 10 a.m. (semifinal)

Game 28 —Winner Game 25 vs. Winner Game 26, 10 a.m.

Game 29 — Loser Game 27 vs. Winner Game 28, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Game 30 — Winner Game 27 vs. Winner Game 29, 11 a.m. (championship game)

Game 31 — Loser Game 30 vs. Winner Game 30, 1:15 p.m. (if-necessary game)