Player intros, starring Avery Coffin and Gabby Heiken
If you’d told me a week ago, or a month ago, that three CCC teams will make the final ten teams, I would have put money on those teams being SOU, EOU, and OIT. Nope. It’s SOU, UBC, and CoI. This is the first time that three teams from the same conference have made it to the final ten. The CCC was very close to sending five teams, which would have really been bonkers.
The NAIA, stacked the deck against the Cascade Collegiate Conference, by placing all three CCC teams on the same side of the bracket. That means that there won’t be two CCC teams in the winners bracket come Monday the 25th.
The Raiders first opponent will be Cumberlands, who Massey Ratings has as #8 of the ten teams left. (Massey has SOU as #2–not #3.) Massey gives SOU a 66% chance of winning on Thursday.
The #1 team, Madonna, has had an incredibly weak schedule. That includes the Opening Round. According to Massey, Madonna has played zero teams in the top 14. They’ve only played one team in the top 20 since early February, Cumberlands. And they went 1-1 against Cumberlands.
The Raiders, on the other hand, have had 19 games against teams in the top 14.
Posted on May 15th, 2026 under only in ashland, people. Tags: Avery Coffin, gabby heiken, Raider Athletics, softball. Comments Off on SOU goes into NAIA Softball World Series as #3 seed
