(BRACKET | TOURNAMENT INFORMATION) Kansas Wesleyan Softball is the No. 8 seed and will face top seeded Friends University in the first round of the 2025 KCAC Softball Championships on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Branson RecPlex in Branson, Missouri.
The Coyotes reached the tournament by winning three of their last four games ending up in a tie for seventh with Tabor and Saint Mary, and earned the eighth seed after conference tiebreak procedures were followed.
KWU enters the tournament with a 23-21 overall record and finished with a 14-12 record in the KCAC. The Coyotes swept Bethany in the regular season finale doubleheader that was delayed three days by weather before coming away with a 3-0 win in the second game to close out the sweep.
Keira Hammen leads the Coyote hitters with a .389 average, eight homeruns and 27 RBI. She ranks sixth in the KCAC in homers and 30th in the KCAC in RBI and in the Top 20 in batting average.
As a team the Coyotes rank ninth in the KCAC in batting average, hitting .284 as a team. They rank third in the conference with 22 homers and sixth in doubles with 63.
The Coyote pitching staff is solid, ranking second in the KCAC in ERA at 3.01. Alli Mickelsen paces KWU's staff with a 10-2 record, ranking third in the KCAC with a 2.09 ERA and nine in strikeouts with 67. Caitlyn Collier ranks 10th in the conference in strikeouts with 65 and ninth in ERA at 2.87. Bella Allen also is solid with a 3.48 ERA ranking 14th in the KCAC.
Friends is the No. 1 seed and enters the tournament with a 33-11 record overall and finished with a 21-5 in the KCAC.
The Falcons lead the KCAC in homers with 46 and rank second in batting average, hitting .358 as a team. Elena Montoya ranks fifth in the KCAC with a .441 batting average. Becca Dunn ranks second in the KCAC with 57 RBI. Priscilla Mora's 15 homers leads the KCAC.
Friends' pitching staff revolves around Riley Wertz, who ranks second in the KCAC in ERA and second in the NAIA in strikeouts.
Friends swept the regular season meetings between teams, winning 8-0 and 15-5.