Thursday, April 26, 2018

Baseball, Softball Remain No. 1 and No. 2 in NWAC Coaches Polls

LYNNWOOD -- The third round of spring NWAC coaches polls were released on April 25 and Triton baseball and softball held on to their respective spots. Edmonds CC baseball remains the top-ranked team for the third consecutive poll dating back to March 28. Triton softball is still the No. 2 ranked team in NWAC softball, as they were the previous poll on April 11.

Infielders Yugo Hamakawa and Nic Sokol
Baseball, who has opened up a five game cushion in the North Region standings, has now passed the 30-win plateau with a 6-4 victory at Olympic College on Wednesday. They have three series (12 games) left to complete the regular season schedule. Region champions are awarded an automatic bid to the 8-team NWAC championship tournament in Longview, May 24-28. Second place finishers from each region host Super Regionals with third and fourth place teams from each region. Edmonds last claimed the North title in 2015.

Yakima Valley College (33-6) is the No. 2-ranked baseball team, followed by the other region leaders, Linn-Benton CC (28-2) and Lower Columbia College (20-6). Everett CC (22-11, 6-6 North) is the only other North team to crack the top 8. The Tritons host the Trojans in the annual T-cup series on May 4 and 5. 

Chasity Stalcup
Edmonds softball continues to move towards shattering the school record for wins, which they tied last season. The Tritons are 31-4, and with five league series remaining (10 games total) it seems inevitable that they will surpass the record 35 wins before the postseason hits. Edmonds (21-1 North) is currently atop the North standings with a two game lead over Douglas College (19-3 North). Softball has another matchup with third-ranked Douglas in Canada on May 8. That twinbill will likely determine the North Region title. The Tritons and Royals split games in Lynnwood on April 6.

North Idaho (33-3) is the top ranked team in the NWAC and received all nine first place votes. Bellevue landed at No. 6 in the poll. Triton softball swept the season series 4-0 against the Bulldogs. The NWAC softball championship tournament is seeded by the ranking percentage index (RPI). Douglas leads the RPI at No. 1; Edmonds is No. 3 and Bellevue is No. 5.

Baseball hosts Douglas College of Canada for a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Friday; softball welcomes Highline College to Triton Field for a noon doubleheader on Saturday.

The next NWAC polls are released on May 9.

April 25 NWAC Polls: Baseball | Softball

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