Softball Set for NISC

(Friday schedule update: The opening day of the NISC has been postponed due to inclement weather, pushing the action back by a day. Stay tuned to GWsports.com or @GW_Softball on Twitter for any further schedule updates.)

Back in the postseason, GW softball kicks off its run at the National Invitational Softball Championship on Saturday, facing Kansas in a 1 p.m. (ET) start at TC Colorado Field in Fort Collins, Colo.

The winner between the fifth-seeded Buff and Blue and 12th-seeded Jayhawks advances to face No. 4 Central Arkansas on Sunday, while the loser will take on either Stephen F. Austin, Bowling Green or Virginia next. The rest of the schedule for the double-elimination Super Regional Round will be announced later in the weekend as circumstances permit.

The 12-team field will be reduced to four for the Championship Round, which runs May 25-26 at the same field.

This is the third consecutive fully completed season that the program has earned a postseason berth after playing in the NCAA Tournament last spring and the NISC in 2019.

All games at the NISC will be streamed via FloSoftball.

"We're prepared, we're poised, we're determined, and we look forward to a great run in Colorado."

Hear from @CSchoony11, @Alexa_W22 and @_alessandra_011 before taking off on our trip to @WomensNISC.#RaiseHigh | #Together pic.twitter.com/BINCYkxkfb
— GW Softball (@GW_Softball) May 18, 2022

LAST TIME OUT: The Buff and Blue battled over three days at the Atlantic 10 Championship to get within one victory of a repeat NCAA Tournament berth before falling to Fordham in the winner-take-all title game on Saturday.

Sierra Lange started all five games on the week as part of a tremendous effort in the circle, highlighted by a Friday shutout vs. Dayton. The two-time A-10 Pitcher of the Year worked to a 2.08 ERA over 30 1/3 innings and also led the team with five runs scored.

Alexa Williams was also named to the All-Championship Team after slashing .533/.588/.933 for the week with three extra-base hits and six RBIs, and Hannah Eslick earned a place there as well by hitting .400 (6-for-15) with four RBIs, including a walk-off, three-run double in the run-rule win that clinched her squad's spot in the final.

EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE: Among just 76 clubs still competing across the nation, GW is in familiar territory participating in the postseason.

After winning its first outright A-10 Championship title last spring, GW advanced to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. Behind Lange's pitching, the Buff and Blue battled Louisiana in an epic NCAA debut before falling 1-0 in 11 innings. They were beaten by McNeese State the next day to close out a historic campaign.

In 2019, GW was named A-10 co-champion before concluding its season at the NISC Liberty Regional. The Buff and Blue went 2-2 at the event with wins over Marshall and Appalachian State.

Five current Colonials - Lange, Eslick, Alessandra Ponce, Megan Osterhaus and Mia Parker - were a part of both of those teams.

RARE AIR: Last week, Williams claimed the program's third straight A-10 Player of the Year award following back-to-back wins from decorated slugger Jenna Cone (2019, 2021).

Boosted by a four-RBI performance vs. Fordham at the A-10 Championship, Williams has now driven in a team-high 52 runs in 48 games, good for 1.08 RBIs per contest to rank 18th in the nation.

The sophomore from El Cajon, Calif., is also nationally ranked in batting average (.379), hits (58), home runs (11), runs (41), slugging percentage (.680) and total bases (104), and she ranks No. 6 among all D-I student-athletes in toughest to strikeout with just four Ks in 153 at-bats.

Owner of 15 multi-RBI performances, Williams has authored some of the most memorable swings of the season. She cracked grand slams vs. Saint Joseph's (3/16) and Rhode Island (4/23) and secured the A-10 regular season title with a walk-off, three-run homer vs. Saint Louis on April 30.

At the A-10 Championship, Williams set the tone in the win over Dayton with a two-run homer in the first inning and the next day stroked a two-run triple in the win over Fordham.

After driving in 41 runs during her All-Conference rookie season, Williams has 93 RBIs in 96 career contests. She has 42 extra-base hits in that span with 23 doubles, three triples and 16 homers.

MAKING HISTORY: Lange will look to close out a decorated career in style at the NISC.

The graduate student from Plano, Texas, owns every major program pitching record and ranks among the top 25 among all active student-athletes in wins (94, sixth), strikeouts (772, 18th), shutouts (18, 24th), complete games (89, third), innings pitched (816 1/3, fourth) and starts (131, second). She's also among the active offensive leaders in runs (168, 25th), hits (239, 27th), triples (14, 14th) and total bases (366, 46th).

With three victories at the A-10 Championship, Lange is up to 27 wins on the year, good for fourth in the nation. She's within striking distance of her program record of 31 set during the 2019 season.

Lange also ranks among the national leaders in innings pitched (217 2/3, seventh) and strikeouts (210, 34th). Her career highs there are 272 and 246, respectively, both also recorded in 2019.

Offensively, Lange has set a career high with 19 steals and leads the A-10 with 48 runs scored, two away from her career high.

POWERING UP: Through 51 games, GW has totaled 126 extra-base hits with 87 doubles, six triples and 33 home runs.

The Buff and Blue rank 11th nationally in doubles per game (1.71), paced by the All-Conference First Team shortstop Eslick, whose 17 two-baggers are good for 14th in the country and tied for fifth in program history for a single season.

Ponce (16), Parker (13), Lange (12) and Williams (11) also have double-digit doubles this season. Ponce became the program's all-time leader in doubles on April 30 and now has 58 for her career, good for 12th among active D-I student-athletes.

Williams leads the club with 11 homers to rank second in the conference and 146th nationally. In total, eight different members of the Buff and Blue have hit long balls this season.

Lange and Greco have a team-high two triples apiece. Lange is just one behind trailblazing Olympian Elana Meyers Taylor's career program record of 15.

GOOD GLOVES: GW continues to get it done defensively with 28 errors across 51 games and a fielding percentage of .979 that ranks eighth in the country.

After committing two errors in the A-10 Championship opener vs. Saint Louis to tie a season high, the Buff and Blue committed just one more across the final four games of the tournament while producing a number of sparkling defensive gems.

That excellent defense has been a boon for GW's pitchers. Lange has yielded just six unearned runs all season across her 217 2/3 innings.

VS. THE FIELD: GW faced both Virginia and Rutgers during its non-conference slate.

The Cavaliers claimed a 6-1 win on the second day of the season at South Carolina back in February, while the Scarlet Knights rallied for a 9-8 victory on March 6 at Liberty after the Buff and Blue had built a late lead behind home runs from Williams and Parker.

GW last battled Bowling Green back on Feb. 15, 2013, falling 1-0 as part of the Spartan Invitational in South Carolina. The Buff and Blue have never faced Baylor, UNLV, Central Arkansas, North Alabama, Stephen F. Austin, UC San Diego, Tarleton State or Kansas.

GW's first opponent, Kansas comes in at 16-34 on the season but with an RPI ranking of No. 92 thanks to its difficult Big 12 schedule. The Jayhawks are led by Olivia Bruno, who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and All-Freshman Team for her work at first base and pitcher this spring.

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Jenna Cone

Hannah Eslick

Sierra Lange

Megan Osterhaus

Mia Parker

Alessandra Ponce

Alexa Williams

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