The CWU women’s softball team is leaving postseason play behind them and getting ready to defend their GNAC title.

Finishing first in the GNAC and setting more records this year, the team is looking to go even further this year than they have in previous seasons.

“We have talked a lot about the end point, and that’s Salem, Virginia, where the college world series are this year,” said head coach Mike Larabee.

Last year, the team broke records by not only clinching their first GNAC tournament title, but also by getting to the super regional tournament in California before being knocked out by Humboldt State University.

This year, they have already broken a bigger record than last, most wins in a season.

“From the beginning, we have always talked about competing for a national championship and we go after it in parts. There’s the GNAC Regular Season, GNAC Championships, Regionals, Super Regionals and ultimately, the World Series. Taking it game by game and pitch by pitch is what’s going to get us there,” said senior infielder Kailyn Campbell.

Campbell, who is currently sitting on the National Player of the Year watch list, has help lead the team to numerous victories with her strong at bats and breaking a GNAC record along the way.

“It’s a humbling experience to be able to break a conference record and be in the books with some of the greats. I didn’t even know about it until after the games,” Campbell said.

Campbell set a new GNAC record with 193 career RBIs, and the season isn’t over yet.

Campbell isn’t the only one who is standing out; however, the entire team is getting ready for another record breaking post season.

“Post season is the best time of the year. As Coach Bee always says, once postseason  rolls around we are all 0-0, nothing we did before this will affect what we do now. Postseason is a different vibe and it’s so much fun,” said junior outfielder Celine Fowler.

The team may be defending GNAC and West Regional champions, but they still have some fighting to do after a difficult end to regular season play.

“We have beat every team in our conference at least twice,” Larabee said. “I have to keep reminding the team to play the highest level of catch possible to get to where we want to be, Salem, Virginia.”

This will be the Wildcats’ sixth appearance in the GNAC tournament. The stakes are high and both Larrabee and Campbell believe the team has it in them to go all the way to the College World Series.

The Wildcats’ first game is Thursday, May 4, against Western Oregon University in Lacey.