The spring sports season can't come soon enough for the Chico State softball team. After countless hours of conditioning, practicing, and preparing during the fall and winter months, the Wildcats are more than ready to get the 2023 campaign underway. That officially happens this weekend, when the 'Cats take part in the three-day Concordia Kickoff Classic, taking place at Orange Country Great Park in Irvine.
Chico State will play two games on Friday, with the Wildcats taking on Montana State Billings at 11 a.m., followed by a 6 p.m. matchup against Northwest Nazarene. Saturday, the 'Cats face Biola at 11 a.m. and Western Washington at 4 p.m. Chico State concludes the Concordia Kickoff Classic with a single game Sunday at 9 a.m. versus Colorado Christian.
Fans planning to attend the Concordia Kickoff Classic are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time.
The pre-purchase ticket link is HERE.
Fans unable to attend can follow the action with Live Stats, with links accessible on the Wildcat Athletics homepage and the softball schedule page. There is no online streaming offered for any of the Wildcats' five Concordia Kickoff Classic contests.
The 'Cats should experience ideal weather conditions as they open up the new season. The weekend forecast for the Irvine area expects sunshine for all three days of competition, with highs ranging from the low to upper 60s.
This marks Chico State's third year competing in the Concordia Kickoff Classic. The Wildcats have enjoyed quite a bit of success in previous seasons, winning nine of 10 games in Irvine. The 'Cats were a perfect 5-0 in 2020, and 4-1 in 2022.
Chico State enters the new season returning 11 players from the Wildcats team that finished 37-17 in 2022 and reached the NCAA West Regional for the sixth consecutive full season. The latest edition of the 'Cats is a young team, with five freshmen and nine sophomores on the 20-player roster. Among the new additions are four junior college transfers: pitchers Kealani Cardona (College of San Mateo) and Ashlee Toy (Cosumnes River College), and catcher Laney Berkowitz (Butte College), with Cheyenne Washington (San Joaquin Delta College) patrolling first base.
The Wildcats have been picked to finish fourth among the 10 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) team in the conference's annual preseason coaches' poll.
Here are brief overviews of Chico State's five Concordia Kickoff Classic opponents:
Montana State Billings (Friday, 11 a.m.)
The Yellowjackets finished the 2022 season 13-34 overall and placed seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) with a 6-18 record. Chico State won the last meeting between the two teams (5-4 in eight innings) at last year's Desert Stinger Tournament in Tucson, Arizona, and the Wildcats hold a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series.
Northwest Nazarene (Friday, 6:30 p.m.)
The Nighthawks won the GNAC regular season and tournament titles in 2022, advancing to the NCAA West Regional with an overall record of 35-21. Chico State beat Northwest Nazarene 5-4 at last year's Concordia Kickoff Classic, and have won all three meetings with the Nighthawks dating back to 2009.
Biola (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
The Eagles posted a 25-18 record in 2022 and finished third in the PacWest Conference with an 18-12 conference mark. Chico State and Biola have only met twice on the softball field, with the Wildcats winning both, including an 8-0 victory at last season's Concordia Kickoff Classic.
Western Washington (Saturday, 4 p.m.)
The Vikings finished the 2022 season with a 29-24 record and placed third in the GNAC with a 15-9 conference mark. Saturday's game with the Wildcats marks the first time since the 2020 Concordia Kickoff Classic that Chico State and Western Washington have squared off on the softball field; the 'Cats lead the all-time series 18-11.
Colorado Christian (Sunday, 9 a.m.)
The Cougars were 49-10 last season, finishing second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference during the regular season but winning the RMAC conference tournament to advance to the NCAA South Central Regional. Sunday's Concordia Kickoff Classic game will mark the first time Chico State and Colorado Christian have met on the softball field.
