Raiders won seven straight games to take the NAIA crown for the fourth time in six years

By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news

As Raider-clad fans waited outside Lithia Motors Pavilion Wednesday afternoon, sirens grew closer, heralding the arrival of the NAIA champion Southern Oregon University softball team after a parade down Siskiyou Boulevard celebrating their fourth national championship in six years.

Arriving in style in a SOU public safety pickup bed and inside a Ashland Fire & Rescue engine, with each carrying a single red rose, the players were greeted with smiles and cheers from friends, family, and fans. Barry Thalden, a SOU trustee, awarded 10th year head coach Jessica Pistole the NAIA National Champion trophy, standing in for SOU President Rick Bailey.

This season marked the 10th in a row that the Raiders appeared in the Top 25 under Pistole, according to SOU Sports Information, and the team attained a top-five spot in the last eight of those. It was their seventh World Series in eight years.

“Ready for this, Beckett?” Pistole whispered to her young daughter, who had only woken up from a nap 20 minutes earlier, to join the celebration.

“We feel so loved and so supported by this community, by the university,” Pistole told those gathered. “Every part of SOU and Ashland, we feel so much pride and so much support, and we know just how much you guys invest in us, and being across the country, we know and hear of all the people watching the games and just giving us the strength and the grit to win another one, win another one, and win another one, and I just want to say thank you so much, just for your continued love.”

“We just couldn’t be more proud to represent every single one of you,” she added.

Top honors

Pistole praised her team of “10 incredibly amazing seniors” that refused to be any less than they could be this season. 

The team also boasts three players on the All-America list: ​​Ayla Davies, who ended an unprecedented freshman season as the NAIA Softball Pitcher of the Year, according to SOU Sports Information, and two senior outfielders Sarah Kerling, and Kailer Fulton, who made the second team five days after the Raiders’ 6-3 win over Oklahoma City on Thursday, May 29.

Davies, originally from Burns, Oregon, was awarded the MVP award at the World Series, where she pitched eight consecutive complete games, compiled a 1.26 ERA, threw four shutouts and set a tournament record with 71 strikeouts, according to SOU Sports Information.

The team’s collective GPA for the team is 3.57, boasted Athletic Director Matt Sayre.

“In the classroom is where it starts with this program,” Sayre said.

“And they did knock down a 3.7 Grade Point Average last term,” he added.

“We have 14 Cascade Conference NAIA or academic All-District Scholar Athletes, and these are only sophomores and above, you can’t do it if you’re a freshman; probably the only award that Ayla did not get this year,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

‘Intelligence and teamwork wins championships’

SOU Trustee Chair Sheila Clough also acknowledged the team’s academic accolades alongside their athletic achievements.

“Talent wins games, but intelligence and teamwork wins championships,” Clough said, quoting former NBA basketball player Michael Jordan. “The talent throughout the year of these women won all these games, but based on that grade point average, I know there’s a ton of intelligence on this team.

“It was teamwork that got you where you are today,” Clough added. “Really lean into what that looks like, because that will serve you well in your entire life.”

All year long, Pistole noted that the team kept “pounding and fighting” to become better.

“We took our lumps and we had some hard fought challenges,” Pistole said. “I’m inspired by the way that we were able to use that and to learn from that, and I think that was incredibly evident in the run that we just made that you all watched.”

An early 3-2 loss in the NAIA World Series in Columbus, Georgia also had an impact on how they played going forward.

“Losing that 12-inning game opener to Marian … it was heartbreaking,” Pistole said. 

“We played alright, got slapped around a little bit here and there, but from that point on … we got to see what we were made of and what happens when we’re thrown in the fire and when the rubber meets the road.” 

‘One pitch at a time’

The Raiders survived seven consecutive elimination games to capture their fourth NAIA Championship trophy, a milestone in the World Series’ 44-year history, according to SOU Sports Information.

She credits the team’s championship win to their resilience, grit and sheer refusal to give up. 

“And the ability to just take things one pitch at a time,” Pistole said.

“We were never overwhelmed back there,” she added. “We never felt like it was too much.”

Pistole focused on making sure the team was up early enough to get ready for games, but also enjoying the time they had together.

“It just was such an example to me of being present and being with each other, and I just appreciate that so much,” she said. “This is a team of champions off the field.”

Pistole emphasized that the NAIA Championship trophy this season is a result of many people, on and off the field.

“This group, those wins, and this championship was every single person,” she said, including coaches.

Shortstop Sammie Pemberton, called upon by Athletic Director Matt Sayre to speak on behalf of the team, praised her teammates, coaches, and community for the victory.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without us playing like a family,” Pemberton said. “To end your career the way we did was pretty special and something that a lot of us are going to remember forever.”

The future of SOU Softball

Two Ashland Fastpitch teammates who posed for photos while holding the trophy with SOU outfielder Faith Moultrie likely won’t forget their experience, either.

Everly Carter and Emma Hill, both 10 and Bellview Elementary students, attend local SOU games. Hill has also attended softball camp at SOU, and both are fans of the team.

“I just feel like it’s really inspiring, seeing what we can do in the future,” Hill said.

When asked if either of them see themselves playing for SOU one day, both said emphatically, “Oh yeah.”

And the future of SOU softball continues to look bright for up and coming players like Carter and Hill.

Along with a fourth NAIA Championship trophy, the Raider Softball program is moving ahead with construction of a new $3 million softball complex, with $2 million already funded through private donations, according to Sayre. 

An anonymous major donor contributed $1 million towards the fundraising in 2024, with another $1 million in donations collected so far.

Sayre confirmed the project will break ground in mid-June.

“There’s still a bit of fundraising to do, so if anybody’s got a soft spot or a big checkbook, please come see me,” Sayre told those gathered on Wednesday.

Ashland.news reported in 2024 that the SOU Softball program has been playing on its field since it was redone in 2001, when the program was added to the university’s athletics.

“It’s time to give them the facility they deserve and that they’ve earned with their national performances,” he said in a previous Ashland.news story.

Reach Ashland.news staff reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — Organizers of the fourth annual Orange County Bomberos cornhole tournament fundraiser say the upcoming event is critical in providing scholarships to low-income youth pursuing careers in the fire service.

Founders of the organization met while working with the Orange County Fire Authority. The OC Bomberos officially became a nonprofit in 2020. The president and co-founder, Gabriel Flores, said they’ve awarded 40 scholarships so far.

The foundation for the nonprofit comes from teens who once had no direction, single mothers who struggled to make ends meet, sacrificing for their families and a passion for sports fueling a strong work ethic.

“I had no clue where I was going. I’m the first person in my family to go to college,” Flores said.

The vice president and co-founder of the nonprofit, Andrew Robles, shared how his mother reacted to the cost of his first cadet uniform. Her look said it all, but she never complained and somehow, made it work.

“I remember seeing the look on her face of like, ‘How am I going to pay for this?'” Robles said.

Lee Nishanian joined the nonprofit as secretary in 2022. He said he wanted to give youth pursuing a career in the fire service the guidance sports gave him.

“My motivation to play was, making sure, you know, my grades were right and you know, I was behaving at home, otherwise my parents wouldn’t let me play sports,” Nishanian said.

Much of the funding comes from donations and their annual cornhole tournament at Hangar 24.

A $1,000 scholarship in May came as a relief to Nathaniel Guerrero and his parents. Guerrero is a cadet with the Orange County Fire Authority.

“They had already told me that they wanted to pay for it and so this helped a lot. Just knowing that they weren’t gonna have to do that and I was able to pay out-of-pocket, the remainder,” Guerrero said.

Classes aren’t cheap.

According to Rio Hondo Community College, certifications in the region for a basic fire academy run about $5,000. The cost of an education to become an emergency medical technician was $2,000. Staff with the Orange County EMT said the cost of their paramedic school was $14,000.

One crew said they often saw the need for financial aid in the communities they served and courses they taught.

It wasn’t uncommon for them to see students nodding off because they spent the previous night working to made ends meet.

“We find out that they’re trying to provide for their family, for their parents because they have to work a graveyard shift, or they’re working two jobs and they’re still trying to pursue their own career,” Flores said.

Scholarship applicants must be OC residents, have a minimum 2.5 grade point average and have completed prerequisites for their programs.

Next comes the guidance — mentors giving back the help they once received.

“We see a lot of ourselves in them. How we grew up and if it wasn’t for somebody basically pulling us by our collar and mentoring us and showing us there’s a different path in life, like, our lives could’ve been a lot different,” Robles said.

Check-in for the cornhole tournament is scheduled for noon Saturday. Anyone wanting apply for a scholarship, register for the event or make a donation to the nonprofit can click here.

The Florida Minority Baseball Alliance is hosting a free baseball clinic for youth ages 5 to 12 years old at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Saturday, June 7 at 8 a.m.

The clinic is part of the Florida Minority Baseball Alliance’s Florida Sunshine Classic which is a three-day event that promotes minority baseball players and baseball in minority communities.

The event will be held at Jackie Robinson Ballpark from Thursday, June 5 to Saturday, June 7.

The clinic is on the third and final day of the three-day event.

The Sunshine Classic Game is at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Saturday, June 7 at 10 a.m. Kids that attend the clinic can go to the game for free.

Also, during the three-day event there will be a parent’s conference, meet and greet, luncheon, players showcase and a college fair.

For more information, the complete schedule, registration and more, visit https://www.thefmba.org,

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – Siouxland Sports Academy has partnered with a developer who wants to build a $5 million, 65,000 sq ft multi-sport complex next to Lewis and Clark Park, in Sioux City.

Details of the project are contained in documents the city council will use to decide whether to accept the proposal of Siouxland Developers, L.L.C., to buy land at 3400 Line Drive.

As of now, documents show the 2.3 acres of land targeted for development serves as a parking lot at Lewis and Clark Park.

Documents say the proposed facility will include five basketball courts, which can also be used as nine volleyball courts, a batting cage, state-of-the-art weight room, dance academy, upscale concessions area, locker rooms, offices and outdoor patio seating.

Developers claim the facility will provide “year-round athletic opportunities for the region, including youth sports training programs, multi-sport leagues and tournaments, athletic showcase events, multi-court facility rentals, coaching clinics,” and more.

As part of the proposed agreement, Siouxland Developers, LLC will:

• Purchase the Development Property from the City for $50,000.
• Commit to investing $5 million to construct a new 65,000 SF sports complex.
• Complete development of the property no later than December 31, 2026.
• Enter into a minimum assessment agreement of $4 million for a period of 15 years beginning January 1, 2027. Enter into a Shared Parking Agreement with the City and the Explorers to allow use of the adjacent city-owned parking lot for its patrons. Developer agrees to pay the city $5,000 per year for use of the parking lot.

As part of the proposed agreement, the city will:

• Sell the Development Property to the Developer for $50,000.
• Provide property tax rebates on the new incremental taxes created by the value added to the property for a period of 15 years as follows: 100% for 5 years, 85% for 5 years, 70% for 5 years.
• Enter into a Shared Parking Agreement with the Developer and the Explorers to allow use of the adjacent city-owned parking lot for the Developer’s patrons.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

Copyright 2025 KTIV. All rights reserved.

A fight over whether transgender girls should be allowed to participate on girls sports teams boiled over in the Oregon House Thursday, despite the fact that a bill to limit transgender students’ participation in Oregon sports was dead on arrival at the Legislature.

Republicans attempted to force a vote on a bill that would have required Oregon schools to segregate sports, bathrooms and locker rooms according to students’ sex assigned at birth.

House Bill 2037, sponsored by 15 House and Senate Republicans, was assigned to the House Education Committee. But the committee’s Democratic chair never put it on an agenda, killing it. Similar bills proposed in past Legislative sessions have also met a dead end.

In Oregon, the conversation about allowing transgender girls to compete in girls sports, a political lightning rod nationwide, has primarily focused on high school track and field. Last year, a transgender teen captured national attention when she won the state championship in the 200 meter race. As The Oregonian/OregonLive reported, that teen has since decided to move to Canada, where her family believes she will be safer.

Several Republicans brought female athletes to the House chamber Thursday. During the daily opportunity for House members to introduce guests, they heralded the girls’ accomplishments while making a point that they shouldn’t have to compete against athletes assigned male at birth. A few House Republicans applauded young women who boycotted events or medal ceremonies that included transgender athletes.

But House Republicans’ attempt to enact legislation on the matter fell flat on a resounding party-line vote: 32 Democrats voted against the effort to even consider the bill while 22 Republicans voted yes.

Republicans immediately sent out press releases criticizing Democrats for that move.

But the conversation didn’t end there. For the final 35 minutes of Thursday’s nearly three hour floor session, lawmakers from both parties vented their frustration about the morning’s antics.

Rep. Rob Nosse, a Portland Democrat, said he felt Republicans had abused a part of the daily schedule reserved for introducing guests and highlighting notable developments to instead argue a policy position. He and other Democrats argued that transgender athletes should of course be allowed to compete in youth sports and warned about the dangers of alienating young trans girls who under the bill would be denied the opportunity to use bathrooms that align with their gender identities.

“There are probably more thoughtful ways and meaningful ways that we could talk about this challenge and this topic. But what I heard this morning was not the way that I think that should be done,” Nosse said. “Mostly what I heard … I thought it was just mean.”

Republicans fired back that they haven’t been allowed to have the policy discussion in the typical channels.

“Those girls, those women, they want fairness and they want justice and that’s what we’re trying to do,” said Rep. Ed Diehl, a Scio Republican.

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan said she was trying to advocate for girls, including an intern who sat with her on the House floor, who she said are afraid to share their locker rooms with transgender peers.

“I do not appreciate the language as if the perspective of the women that came into this building today was a political stunt. They are not being heard in this building. They matter,” Drazan said.

“… How do we make this fit? How do we balance these interests? We must struggle with the both/and of our work inside of this building. And refusing to have a hearing on this relegates this conversation to this.”

Rep. Jules Walters, a West Linn Democrat, urged her colleagues to “legislate with compassion.”

Walters pointed out that many transgender staff members work at the Capitol: “When politicians speak callously on matters relating to identity, they’re speaking to their colleagues, their colleagues’ staff and their colleagues’ families,” Walters said. “This chamber is not a vacuum.”

Several Democrats pointed to the high risk of bullying, mental health concerns and youth suicide reported by transgender students.

“This rhetoric attacking trans youth has devastating real-life consequences. At best it alienates Oregon’s children. And at worst it leads to children taking their own lives,” Walters said.

Sami Edge covers higher education and politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.

Nike is launching Toma El Juego, a youth-led street soccer platform designed to unleash the joy, freedom and creative expression of the game through neighborhood tournament play and local experiences — bringing athletes and fans closer to the sport and their communities while creating a new generation of local legends.

Built by Nike but born from the community, Toma El Juego (Take The Game) adds a new dimension to the game by tapping into the energy of street soccer, fostering a connection with athletes that extends beyond the pitch and working together to define the game for the next generation, reflecting Nike’s longstanding commitment to soccer culture.

The first chapter of the Toma El Juego journey will begin this month in Los Angeles, where Nike will bring together young athletes from eight area neighborhoods for a knockout-style street soccer tournament that embodies the essence of the game and the culture that surrounds it.

Toma LA kicks off June 11 in downtown Los Angeles, ushering in a new era of Nike Soccer and highlighting local soccer culture by merging the worlds of sport, style, food, art and music. Each of the eight participating neighborhoods will bring their best young men’s and women’s athletes for crew showdowns and individual all-star competitions. Toma LA neighborhood crews will include: Culture FC (Orange County), Football For Her (South Los Angeles), House of 626 (San Gabriel Valley), Insainz (San Fernando Valley), La Comunidad (East Los Angeles), Tiki Taka Futbol (Central Los Angeles), Toque (Southeast Los Angeles) and Venice Beach Football Club (Westside). 

Coinciding with the showcase is Nike’s first Toma Night Market. Powered by SNKRS, the experience is designed to foster culture and community with emerging brands, creators and game-changers who are pushing the boundaries of soccer and fandom. The launch event will also bring together soccer and sneaker culture with neighborhood partner experiences, surprise product drops and a .SWOOSH experience.

Experience collaborators include Georgina Treviño, Kids of Immigrants, Hood Baby LA, ISM, UNDEFEATED, Utopia, Jacob Rochester and Miles Canares. Nike Re-Creation partner products will also be available from Defective Garments and Are You Mad.

Following the launch showcase, Nike will host the Toma LA neighborhood tournament June 21 through July 20 at unique venues throughout the city, with eight teams of men’s and women’s athletes from each neighborhood competing in their respective brackets for the chance to represent their community at the Toma LA finals. Each hyperlocal tournament will reflect the community, music, art and style of the neighborhood and the people who live and play there.

Nike will then take over a Los Angeles destination for the Toma LA finals in late July, crowning neighborhood crews and individual MVPs as champions — cementing their status as local legends and celebrating the moment with surprise appearances from Nike sport and culture icons.

Crews competing in the neighborhood showcase and finals will wear distinctive Nike kits created in partnership with streetwear and skate brands, Paisaboys and Badfriend. In partnership with U.S. Soccer, athletes participating in Toma LA will also gain an opportunity to continue chasing their dreams on the global stage.

The first chapter of Toma El Juego draws inspiration from Nike’s 2002 Secret Tournament campaign and follows recent Nike x Travis Scott street soccer experiences, Mad Maximus and Secreto Maximus.

Toma El Juego is designed to scale to additional cities on the road to 2026. Similarly, the Toma Night Market will also expand its reach to serve the soccer and sneaker communities in new markets over the coming months.