Coyotes enter softball postseason with new format

The format is new, but the goal is the same as always - to reach the pinnacle of the postseason.

 

Region 5 of the NJCAA has initiated a new postseason format for its postseason softball and baseball tournaments this season. It involves a North bracket and a West bracket.

 

For softball, in the West bracket, in which Weatherford College will be playing, the Coyotes (33-13) will face the No. 1 seed and tourney host Odessa (39-4) on Wednesday, May 7 at noon. The second game will match Western Texas College (25-31) against Grayson (48-6) at 2:30 p.m.

 

The Coyotes, ranked No. 20 in the nation, placed fourth in the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC), while Odessa, No. 7, won the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC). Western Texas is the No. 3 seed from the WJCAC and Grayson, No. 5 nationally, is No. 2 from the NTJCAC.

 

The North bracket pits host McLennan (49-6), the No. 1 team in the nation and champion of the NTJCAC against WJCAC No. 4 seed El Paso Community College (15-21) or Howard College (13-28) as the WJCAC was still wrapping up regular season play at the time of this article. Also, Midland (42-9), No. 2 from the WJCAC, will face NTJCAC No. 3 Temple (39-14), No. 11 in the nation.

 

"I think it is a good format, the best teams from both sides of Region 5," Coyote head coach Haylee Williams said. "It makes the regular season conference play mean a little more because it's hard to win in this conference. 

"I think it will allow the best teams from our region to be represented at the national tournament."

 

Wednesday's winners will meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 8, with the losers of the first round facing off at 12:30 p.m. That will be followed by the loser of the early game facing the winner of the early afternoon contest at 3 p.m.

 

The finals are Friday at noon. If the winner of the survivors' bracket wins, an extra game will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of the noon game.

 

The winners of the North and West brackets will advance to the NJCAA Division I Softball World Series in Yuma, Arizona May 19-24.

 

The Coyotes have faced their share of nationally ranked competition this season, including No. 1 McLennan to end the regular season. They have wins over No. 5 Grayson, No. 11 Temple and No. 13 Paris.

 

"There are three nationally ranked teams in our regional, we will be confident no matter who we face," Williams said. "This is the best region in the country. We undoubtedly face the best competition throughout the season. Seeing quality opponents consistently through the season makes regionals not as daunting, knowing we have seen the best teams in the country all year."

 

The Coyotes have a long history of success and are regulars in the postseason. In 2013, her first season at the helm, Williams coached them to the NJCAA Softball World Series. Williams said that tradition is a big factor as they enter each postseason.

 

"Confidence, knowing we belong, knowing we will be successful, knowing we will make a long run in the postseason," she said. "You can't go into a tournament like this second guessing yourself or your teammates or your preparation. "If you are confident in those things, the next piece is execution and just letting your preparation take over and just go compete."

 

Below are some of the 2025 Coyote Softball highlights:

 

--WC is 33-13 overall, 20-6 at home, 11-7 on the road and 2-0 at neutral sites.

--WC placed fourth in the NTJCAC with a 21-11 record.

--Their longest win streak is 12 games, along with a nine-game streak. Their longest losing streak is four.

--The Coyotes have scored 10 or more runs a dozen times.

--They have posted 10 shutouts and held six other opponents to a single run.

--Their record in one-run games is 7-3 and in two-run games they are 3-0.

--Team batting average is .331.

--Team on-base percentage is .400.

--Team slugging percentage is .469 with 25 home runs.

--Batting average leaders: Sadie Reid, sophomore, .441; Alexa Reyes, sophomore, .389; Lilli Williams, sophomore, .373.

--RBI leaders: Reid, 45; Williams, 43; Jillian Franco, sophomore, 32.

--Extra-base hits leaders: Franco, 15; Reyes, 12; Madison Lux, sophomore, 11.

--Home run leaders: Zaniah Coleman, sophomore, 4; several with 3.

--Hit by pitch leaders: Reyes, 6; Williams 5; Peyton Young, sophomore, 4. Team 24.

--Walks leader: Reid, 24. Team 128.

--Steals leader: Reyes 42-of-46. Team 87-of-100.\

--Reed and Young were each named NTJCAC Players of the Week during the regular season.

--Pitching leader: Sarah Hanf, freshman, 21-5 (sixth in nation), 1 save, 141.1 innings pitched, 1.93 ERA, 197 strikeouts (sixth in nation), 24 walks, 29 hit batters.

--Hanf is a two-time National Pitcher of the Week, a three-time NTJCAC Pitcher of the Week and threw the only perfect game in WC softball history, defeating Hill 11-0.