Western Washington University’s softball team had a historic 2024 season, finishing with a program-best 52-12 record and losing in the NCAA Division II World Series Championship to UT Tyler.
“It was a fever dream,” Western softball head coach Sheryl Gilmore said. “I was proud of how they fought. I do believe UT Tyler deserved to win and it taught us what we can go back and work on for this year.”
Before the 2024 season began, the Vikings were projected to finish third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. However, the Vikings turned heads by starting the season with a 13-game winning streak. After that streak, the expectations grew rapidly.
“The way we competed together, it seemed automatic,” Gilmore said. “If we were able to keep the mental side and stay together, I knew we had something special.
Western softball had a few factors that led the team to the national championship series, including drawing former Division I players to the roster. Ashley Jacobsen transferred from Stony Brook University and Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez transferred from BYU in 2024, while McKenna Crum transferred from Seattle University in 2023.
“I didn’t even know Western was a school until McKenna came here,” Andrewjeski-Ramirez said. “I didn’t know any of the teams except Northwest Nazarene.”
Andrewjeski-Ramirez decided to join Western so she could get playing time and spend her final season with Crum. The starting catcher had a .290 batting average and led the team in home runs (18) and RBIs (56). Even though Andrewjeski-Ramirez played a big role in the Vikings’ offense and defense, she believed she impacted the program through discipline, IQ in situations during the game and energy.
“Ashley, Emma and McKenna all had experience at a high level and brought a wealth of experience with them,” Gilmore said. “No matter who was pitching or hitting, the moment never got too big for them.”
Freshmen shined
Although the transfers played a large role in last year’s success, the freshmen shined in the toughest moments of the season.
“We were really fortunate with them coming here and the maturity they had,” Gilmore said. “There were multiple freshmen who could have crumbled in those moments and they never did.”
The Vikings had seven true freshmen on the roster last season. Maleah Andrews played one of the largest roles on the team last season, leading the team in batting average (.354), on-base percentage (.456), OPS (1.049), hits (74), runs (57) and total bases (124).
Freshmen Alli Kimball and Kaiana Kong were two of the three starting pitchers for the Vikings last season, combining for a 40-5 record.
“It still doesn’t feel real how impactful our freshman class was last year,” Kimball said. “We were able to add onto the lineup and the defense. It was unexpected but awesome it played out like that.”
Since Kimball and Kong started most games, the pair were put into some nerve-racking moments.
“I gave up a grand slam and it was a mentally hard game,” Kimball said about the elimination-game victory against Cal State Dominguez Hills. “It was terrifying because it was definitely something I never experienced before. I felt a lot of pressure on me but everyone kept me in the moment.”
One of the players who supported Kimball through the season was junior infielder Hailey Rath. Rath is one of several players who has been in the program for multiple seasons. Although Rath may have not received as much attention, her role was impactful behind the scenes.
“I played every single game my freshman year and I pushed the freshmen because I saw their potential to help us out,” Rath said. “I brought my hard work and confidence to these guys and taught them what to do.”
Team has different path in 2025
The Vikings open the 2025 season ranked as the No. 2 team in the national poll, behind UT Tyler. With the 2025 season starting on Friday, Jan. 31 in Irvine, California, the Vikings are preparing to repeat their success. However, the game plan for the road to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for the World Series may set them on a different path from last year.
Although Western hopes to keep its scrappy mindset, the Vikings have gone from the gritty underdogs to having a target on their back.
“We cannot let the pressure get to us,” Rath said. “Having a target on our back will make us better because a lot of us are very competitive and this will light our fire under us. We need to bring out more leadership and bond together more.”
Expectations are high with 17 players returning from last year, along with 2024 graduates Hanako Hirai and Jacobsen joining as assistant coaches.
“It is awesome,” Andrewjeski-Ramirez said. “My first year at BYU we lost a lot of people and my second year I left, so it was a brand new team. This feels like the first time I am on a full team. When we came back in the fall, it didn’t even feel like we took a break.”
The Vikings have also added some determined freshmen and transfers to complete the 2025 roster. New players include pitcher Gracie Huston, utility players Chayse Fick-Williams and Haylee Kim, and infielders Nyree Johnson and Olivia Matlock.
“They come here before practice and they are on the grind,” Andrewjeski-Ramirez said. “I see a lot of value in Gracie. She is a strong pitcher who has a lot of confidence.”
Since the Vikings return most of their roster, Gilmore said they are trying to focus on how great this team can be and not worry about what happened last season.
“We will have grit and resilience,” Gilmore said. “This is a team that knows what it takes to get there and what it takes when things get difficult and challenging.”
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.