WNC softball team ready to finally make home debut

For once this season the biggest problem the Western Nevada College softball team has is choosing what songs it wants to play between innings and should players wear visors to keep the setting sun out of their eyes.

Those issues pale in comparison to the ones the team has faced in its previous 22 games - all of which were on the road - where players were often forced to change in airport restrooms as they rushed to the field.

Well, today is the first day that the only game-day travel the Wildcats will have to do is from their own homes, in their own cars to their own field.

"We're real excited," WNC infielder Paige Savage said. "I think we're going to be more comfortable playing here so we're pretty excited to actually get to play a home game, finally."

The Wildcats (3-13 in the Scenic West Athletic Conference, 4-18 overall) will play their first home series of the season today when they face No. 20-ranked Southern Idaho (11-5, 15-7) in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Edmonds Sports Complex. The two will play a second doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon.

They were scheduled to play their home opener on Feb. 26 against Snow College, but were forced to postpone that series because of forecasted rain and snow.

By now, though, the Wildcats say they have a pretty good feel for new field, including how to play ground balls in the outfield and how to combat the sun which affects the entire right side of the field in the late afternoon.

The Wildcats played at Centennial Park last season, but will play all their home games at Edmonds this season.

WNC has lost eight straight games and is fifth in the eight-team conference. But despite the subpar standings and a ranked opponent, the Wildcats are feeling confident.

"I've heard that they've been good, but I know that they've struggled against teams that we've beat," said Savage, who leads the team in batting average with a .310. "We have a fair chance. We're not going to go in there thinking we're just going to lose. We could put up a good game against them."

The Wildcats will be flanked by pitchers Elisa Dawson , who leads the team with a 6.84 ERA in 26.1 innings of work, and Ashley Hall, who has been with the workhorse in her 37 innings. Hall has an 8.27 ERA.

It will also be the home debut for interim head coach Leah Wentworth, who graduated from Carson High School in 1998. Wentworth was an assistant last season and took over the program in August.

"I'm definitely excited," Wentworth said. "It gets exhausting being on the road and get very little sleep. It always seems like we're running from one place to another."