Yotes softball hosts Southern Oregon with conference title in the balance

The College of Idaho softball squad finds itself in the thick of a Cascade Conference title chase in the final weeks of the regular season.

Four teams remain alive for the regular season title in the conference with two weeks to play. Oregon Tech and Eastern Oregon are both 18-3 in league play while the Yotes are 17-3. Southern Oregon is 17-4.

All three of the Yotes’ conference losses came against Eastern Oregon. They were swept 3-0 by the Mountaineers in their series April 6-7. The fourth game of the series was canceled due to poor weather.

That weekend was the only blemish on the conference schedule for the Yotes, who are 28-10 on the season and ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA poll.

This weekend, the College of Idaho hosts Southern Oregon, ranked No. 10, for back-to-back doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

The Raiders (31-10) lead the conference in runs scored (296) with a team batting average of .345. They also lead the league in stolen bases by a wide margin with 111 stolen bags, 34 ahead of Eastern Oregon in second. The College of Idaho leads the conference in home runs with 35.

Sophomore Lolo Walker has led the Yotes at the plate, batting .461 with 13 home runs — which leads the conference — and 40 RBI. No one else on the team has more than five home runs or 22 RBI. In the pitching circle, senior Annie Polster leads the team with a 1.64 ERA in 102 ⅔ innings and 11 complete games.

The games Friday are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Caldwell. Saturday’s games begin at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.