OUAZ SPIRIT (13-14, GSAC CHAMPIONS) AT NAIA OPENING ROUND
Bracket Info	May 17-19 • Cox Softball Complex • Fayette, Mo. Double Elimination Tournament
Teams	(4)Central Methodist • (15)College of Idaho • Freed-Hardeman • OUAZ
Game One	OUAZ vs. (4)Central Methodist • Monday • Delayed - TBA
Video Stream	https://www.heartconferencenetwork.com/cmu/
OTT App	None
Opening Rnd. Central	https://ouazspirit.com/gameday/softball-vs-central-methodist/softball/25/
All times local to Arizona

The OUAZ softball team will make its NAIA National Tournament debut when they start the 2021 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round against (4)Central Methodist on Monday morning. First pitch from the Cox Softball Complex in Fayette, Mo. has been delayed due to rain. An update will be provided Monday morning when available. Follow @OUAZSB on Twitter for the latest information.

The Spirit enter the Fayette Bracket as the fourth seed, earning the Golden State Athletic Conference's automatic bid after winning the conference championship on May 5. OUAZ took the three-game conference championship series from (11) Hope International 2-1, winning the final game in dramatic fashion.

Sophomore Mashayla Beltran robbed a game-tying home run in Game 3 to secure the championship for her team, reaching over the left field wall to end the series. Beltran was important defensively in the GSAC Championship series, staying perfect on six chances, all putouts in left field.

Beltran's spectacular catch also gave Phoebe Popplewell her first career save, as she got the final four outs to secure the trip to the national tournament. Popplewell did not give up a hit to close out the game, and has allowed more than two earned runs just once since February 6 (11 appearances).

While Popplewell got the save, she was also able to secure Alexandra McCutcheon's second win of the series in the process. McCutcheon has been excellent for the Spirit all season, putting together a streak of 17 consecutive appearances with one earned run or less, finishing with a 2.52 ERA, earning all-conference honors and a GSAC Gold Glove.

Briana Tucker also earned all-conference and a GSAC Gold Glove as OUAZ's everyday catcher, coming through big time with her bat in the conference tournament. She drove in five of the Spirit's 11 runs in Fullerton, and the game-winning runs in both victories. In Game 1, she hit an RBI single in the seventh for the contest's only run, then smacked a three-run home run in Game 3 that eventually became the championship difference.

Andraya Rhinehart was OUAZ's third all-conference player this season, leading the team in multiple offensive categories including batting average (.367), doubles (six) and stolen bases (nine). She had a pair of hits in the deciding game of the GSAC Championship Series, one for a RBI, and scored a run earlier in the series as well.

The Fayette Bracket is double-elimination, as are the other nine Opening Round sites. OUAZ, (4)Central Methodist, Freed-Hardeman, and (15)College of Idaho will battle to see who goes to the 2021 NAIA Softball World Series.

Central Methodist qualified as at-large team, posting a 49-7 overall record, and going 34-4 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Eagles are led by outfielder Kelli Gorman, who has completed two-thirds of the Triple Crown. Gorman has 22 home runs and 82 RBI, leading the NAIA in both categories, and also leads the nation in total bases with 161.

College of Idaho, a program the Spirit are very familiar with, will be the second seed at the Fayette site. The Yotes finished the season with an overall record of 38-16, and 22-5 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. OUAZ played the 'Yotes four times this season, unable to find victory in any of those matchup in Surprise.

Freed-Hardeman, out of Henderson, Tenn. and the Mid-South Conference, will be the three seed in Fayette. The Lions went 39-11 during the season, including a 25-7 conference record and going 22-0 at home. Freed-Hardeman is excellent in the circle and defensively, as they lead the NAIA in opponent batting average (.167), and are second in fielding percentage (.977) and strikeouts (393).

Make sure to download the Experience NAIA Championships app on your favorite devices to stay up to date with the latest information on the 2021 Softball National Championship.