Cougars Slated To Play Desert In Playoffs

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Following a third consecutive Western State Conference, Blue Division title, the College of the Canyons softball team was named the No. 14 seed in the California Community College Athletic Association Softball Southern Regional Playoffs and will travel to No. 3 College of the Desert for the first round of the post season in a best-of-three series on May 3-4.

The playoff berth marks the third consecutive and fifth overall for seventh-year head coach John Wissmath. The Cougars have won their first-round match ups the past two seasons, but has seen their playoffs cut short in the Super Regionals two years in a row.

Canyons ended the regular season with a 22-17 record and a 17-4 conference record. The Cougars led the conference with a .361 batting average and 383 hits, with the help of freshman infielder Kori Cochran and sophomore catcher Adrianna Correa who are hitting .429 and .423, respectively.

Desert enters the game with a 34-6 overall record and a perfect 15-0 in the Foothill Conference games. The Roadrunners are ranked fifth in the state with a .381 batting average and 405 hits. They are led by a foursome of pitchers, who together post a 1.83 ERA, which follow the lead of sophomore Natalie Padilla who has turned in a 1.43 ERA during the regular season.

The Cougars, who are on the road for the first round of the playoffs for the first time, since hosting the first round in 2013 and 2012, has their work cut out for them as they are 2-12 against the 16 teams that earned a spot in the playoffs.

The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to the Southern California Regionals, set for May 9-11 and hosted by the top two remaining seeds. 

To view the complete Southern California bracket, please click here.