Western Washington University softball is hosting the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships May 2–4 on Western’s campus for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 2013.
The Vikings’ inaugural host year couldn’t have come at a better time, as Western (36-6, 16-4 GNAC) is ranked No. 11 nationally and in second place in the league standings. Western last won a GNAC title in 2021, and it has already clinched a spot in the tournament.
The four-team, double-elimination tournament was won by Northwest Nazarene last season — currently, its biggest threat once again, as the Nighthawks are ranked 17th nationally with a 37-8 overall record and 20-4 resume in league games. NNU has already dealt Western two of its four losses on the season.
Saint Martin’s (21-18, 12-8 GNAC) will also likely be in the tournament, while the fourth spot will be clinched over the coming weeks by either Central Washington (15-26, 10-10 GNAC) or Western Oregon (20-23, 8-12 GNAC).
Games will be played at Viking Field. The GNAC Championships schedule is below.
Thursday, May 2
Game 1: No. 2 seed vs. No. 3 seed, noon.
Game 2: No. 1 seed vs. No. 4 seed, 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 3
Game 3: Winner game 1 vs. winner game 2, 10 a.m.
Game 4: Loser game 1 vs. loser game 2 (elimination game), 12:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner game 4 vs. loser game 3 (elimination game), 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
Game 6: Winner game 3 vs. winner game 5, noon
Game 7: Winner game 6 vs. loser game 5, 30 minutes after game 6 (if necessary)*
* Game 7 is only required if the team that lost Game 3 wins Game 6. The loser of Game 3 must win two games, while the winner must only win one.
Connor J. Benintendi is CDN’s sports editor; reach him at connorbenintendi@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
