IDAHO — The College of Idaho's softball team is heading to the NAIA World Series in Columbus, Georgia. The Yotes won four consecutive elimination games within 24 hours, including a 4-2 win against Freed-Hardeman the team they lost to in the opening round.
"There's not a lot of teams that can bounce back from getting in bed at 3:30 in the morning, skipping breakfast because you are just exhausted to have to leave the hotel by 11 to get to the field to start over for a one o'clock game," Al Mendiola, Yotes head softball coach said. "We didn't start a game on time after our first one."
Despite all the adversity the team had to face the Yotes pushed through and won the championship game, securing their spot in the World Series.
Yotes Softball NAIA Opening Round Photo Gallery https://t.co/pPZD43hKJb
— College of Idaho Athletics (@CoyoteAthletics) May 21, 2021
"It was just a mindset we had. They wanted to play so badly that they were willing to do anything and everything to get on that field," Mendiola said. "The girls knew we are a talented group, and they wanted to display that because if we got the chance to play we knew we had a great shot at winning the championship."
This is the fourth time in program history the team has gone to the World Series with the last time being in 2014. The Yotes have also set a school record for most wins with 42.
“From the time we stepped on the field in the conference tournament to the present time, we’re not going to change a thing," Mendiola said. "We are not going to make this tournament any bigger than it is we are just going to go play the game of softball the way we know how to play and that’s coyote softball.”
Here is the bracket for the NAIA World Series. @YoteSoftball begins play next Thursday at 4 p.m. ET. against Ottawa (Kan.). pic.twitter.com/mG9v9RVONo
— College of Idaho Athletics (@CoyoteAthletics) May 20, 2021
The Yotes play next on May 27 at 2 p.m. MST against Ottawa University. To watch the game live, click here.
