THE AGENDA
The second season of OUAZ softball will get underway on Saturday with a doubleheader against College of Idaho from the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The games will start at 1 p.m. from the softball field at Willow Canyon High School.
 
Both games of the home opener will be streamed live on the NAIA Network and the OUAZ Game Central portal. There will also be live stats during each of the day's games. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. Links for all live coverage is available at OUAZSpirit.com/live.
 
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ will start the second season in program history under the direction of first-year head coach Justine Wichman. After serving as an assistant during the program's inaugural season, Wichman was named head coach of the program in the fall.
 
The Spirit finished 2018 with a 10-38 overall record and they compiled a 4-19 record in home games. This year's team returns 10 players from the inaugural season while adding 16 newcomers to the roster for 2019.
 
OUAZ ended 2018 hitting .265 as a team with a .319 on-base percentage and .333 slugging percentage. In scoring 3.33 runs per game, the Spirit average 6.85 hits with a total of 46 doubles, seven triples, and eight home runs.
 
In the circle, the Spirit completed the year with a 6.58 earned run average and with an opposing batting average of .384. OUAZ pitchers recorded 136 strikeouts against 93 walks and they allowed 173 extra base hits, including 32 home runs.
 
Defensively, OUAZ committed 88 errors and had a .938 field percentage. The team turned 18 double plays and caught 16.7 percent of base stealers.
 
OUAZ TIDBITS
This marks the second straight year the Spirit will open the season at home. Last season, OUAZ went 1-3 at the Spirit Classic on the season's opening weekend after securing a 12-8 win over Embry-Riddle (Ariz.).
 
Those four games are also the only four games the team has ever played in the month of January.
 
In 15 doubleheaders last season, OUAZ recorded one sweep and three splits. They were 2-13 in the first game and 3-12 in game two.
 
OUAZ compiled a 2-14 record on Saturday's last season and have dropped two straight when playing on Saturday.
 
INFIELD NOTEBOOK
Amanda Almond returns after starting all 48 games last season at shortstop. She ended the season hitting .286 with a team-best 10 doubles. Almond knocked in 18 runs with a .395 slugging percentage. She finished second on the team with 11 multi-hit games that included a pair of three-hit outings.
 
Ashton Aggers made 37 starts last season and finished the year hitting .228 with a pair of doubles. She had four multi-hit games during the year and went 8 for 15 during a five-game hitting streak last February. She led the Spirit with 267 putouts after making 36 starts at first base.
 
Gabrielle Rodriguez made 32 starts last season with 12 at first base and 11 at third base. She finished the year hitting .081 with a .281 on-base percentage and one RBI. Rodriguez also led the team with 12 walks.
 
OUTFIELD NOTEBOOK
Miranda Davis returns for her senior season after starting all 48 games in centerfield for the Spirit last season. Her .344 average was second on the team while she led the Spirit with 56 hits. Davis would add a pair of doubles and three triples with 10 RBI and 30 runs scored. OUAZ's leadoff hitter in every game last season, Davis stole a team-best five bases on six attempts while leading the team with 15 multi-hit games.
 
Sydney Saxton Siaki completed the season as the Spirit leader with a .379 batting average in 36 games played. She also led the team with her .437 slugging percentage behind three double and one home run. Saxton totaled nine multi-hit games and four games with multiple RBI to help her finish the season with 17 runs knocked in.
 
BEHIND THE PLATE
Vanessa Rodarte is the only returning player that saw time at catcher for the Spirit last season. Of her 45 games started last season, six came at catcher with a total of eight games played behind the plate. Rodarte hit .200 for the season with five doubles and a team-best three home runs.
 
Emily Stebbins could also see time at catcher this season after starting all 48 games at a variety of positions last season. Stebbins hit .311 with eight doubles and a team-best 30 RBI last season. That included a team-best two four-hit games while totaling 11 multi-hit games.
 
IN THE CIRCLE
Sabrina Jimenez leads three returners that appeared in the circle for the Spirit last season. Jimenez made 24 starts with 42 appearances and recorded an 8-22 record and 5.40 ERA in 168.2 inning of work. She led the team with 96 strikeouts against 46 walks while posting a .341 opposing batting average. Jimenez had eight appearance with at least five strikeouts while throwing nine complete games.
 
Serenida Marquez made 34 appearances with 24 starts last season and she finished 0-16 with an 8.25 ERA. Marquez had 29 strikeouts and 24 walks with opponents hitting .417.
 
Bailey Honne went 1-1 with a 7.14 ERA in her 31 appearances for the Spirit last season. She tallied seven strikeouts and 18 walks while opponents hit .451.
 
ABOUT COLLEGE OF IDAHO
The College of Idaho will also open the 2019 season this week with the OUAZ series the second of three during their trip to Arizona. The Yotes will play a doubleheader at Arizona Christian on Friday before facing the Spirit on Saturday. C of I went 22-23 last season and finished seventh in the CCC with an 11-16 conference record. Jordan Maddox (.385 5 HR 20 RBI) and Marissa Maddox (.372 6 HR 23 RBI) return after leading the Yotes offense last season. Colette Robert (13-9 2.15 ERA) anchors the pitching staff.
 
College of Idaho swept a pair of games from the Spirit last season in Surprise. The Yotes claimed a 7-4 win on January 26 and then an 8-3 decision on January 27.
 
FIRST YEAR IN THE NAIA & GSAC
OUAZ is competing in its first season as members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). As first-year members, the Spirit are not eligible for postseason play or national postseason awards. OUAZ is also not eligible for NAIA national statistical rankings this season.
 
GSAC PRESEASON POLL
The GSAC released the 2019 preseason coaches' poll on Wednesday and the Spirit received 10 points in the poll to place seventh in the final rankings. Hope International was selected as the favorite to win the conference after the Royals tied for the regular season crown and won the conference tournament last season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Spirit continue their season next Saturday with another home doubleheader. That day will see crosstown foe Benedictine Mesa come to Surprise for two games beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Willow Canyon High School.