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90 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, May 25, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 11, 2005 Regional host SOU hopes third time is charm By JOE ZAVALA for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — The faces may be slightly different, but not much else has changed when it comes to NAIA Region I softball. The Southern Oregon University Raiders again enter the regional tournament as the Cascade Conference champions and the No. 2 seed — the third year in a row that has happened. And standing in their way once again is top-seeded and fifth-ranked Simon Fraser, the gatekeeper of the region which has finished off SOU two years in a row. There is one key difference, however: location. The 25th-ranked Raiders will host regionals for the first time, a right they claimed by taking another conference title. SOU hopes the change in venue equals a change in result. "I think it's a real advantage that we get to play at home this year," says SOU head coach Larry Binney, who has already announced his plans to step down after the season. "But the worst thing we can do is just worry about Simon Fraser. We have to play one game at a time, one inning at a time. I think all four teams are capable of winning this tournament." The double-elimination tourney begins Thursday morning, when Simon Fraser (27-7) takes on fourth-seeded Eastern Oregon (30-13) at 10 a.m., followed by Southern Oregon (36-17) against third-seeded Oregon Tech (32-15) at 12:30 p.m. Advertisement A loser-out game will be played at 3 p.m., and the winners will meet at 5:30 p.m. The championship round will be played Friday afternoon. SOU's situation is the same as it was the previous two years: The Raiders must win the tournament in order to advance to the NAIA national tournament, to be held May 20-25 at Decatur, Ala. The Raiders got off to a slow start in the Cascade Conference but have since been almost unbeatable. A 15-game winning streak, including 10 in a row in conference play, catapulted SOU from the middle of the pack to the top of the standings. The Raiders sparked that turnaround at the plate, where their team batting average has steadily improved all season. SOU enters regionals with six players batting .300 or better, led by Kara Ray (.368), Amy Williams (.364) and Tanisha Burch (.345). Burch hits for power as well — the lefty has eight home runs and a .621 slugging percentage, both team highs. SOU has had success against two of its three regional tournament foes. The one exception, once again, is Simon Fraser, which is 2-0 against the Raiders this year. Those games were close, though — the Clan won 3-0 and 3-1 back in early March — and left SOU with a sense of optimism. "On any given day, it just depends on who wants it bad enough, and I think our team definitely has good chances of going on to nationals and doing good there, too," Burch says. "(Simon Fraser) has good pitching, they have good hitters and it just seems like they just get that one (key) hit. I just think that if we bring our 'A' game, we're not going to have any trouble." Williams agreed. "I think they're beatable," the first baseman says of the Clan. "Western Baptist beat them this year. I think that we have a legitimate shot." SOU's chances of advancing will depend heavily on its pitching staff, particularly all-star workhorse Miranda Gillaspie (20-7). The senior from Redmond isn't dominant but excels at changing speeds and rarely gives up the big hit. When Gillaspie, who has a 1.65 ERA, struggles, Binney usually looks to junior Julianne Cree to save the day. Cree has the best ERA on the team (1.21) to go with a 9-6 record and five saves. How well the Raiders handle the pressure, says Binney, will go a long way toward determining how far they go. "The key for us right now," he says, "is in that tight ballgame, just relax, enjoy the game, don't put too much pressure on ourselves and take care of business." Joe Zavala is sports editor of the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 482-3456. 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