IRVINE, Calif. – It's back to OC Great Park for the Warriors. Following a sweep of Menlo on the final day of the regular season, Jessup has clinched a berth in the 2023 GSAC Tournament, a tournament Jessup walked away as champions in 2022.
 
Three days in Irvine stand out as one of the greatest stretches in program history. Jessup started their 2022 run with a victory over Hope International, followed by two wins over Vanguard over the next 48 hours. Once again, it will take at least three wins to send Jessup home with another trophy and a return trip to the NAIA Opening Round.
 
The GSAC, housing only seven schools with a softball program, does not hold an automatic bid to nationals reserved for the regular season champion. Rather, to secure a guaranteed continuation of your season, leaving Irvine as a champion is a must. Once all automatic bids are distributed across the NAIA, the remaining schools still have a chance via an at-large bid.
 
Jessup came into Irvine a year ago as champions of the regular season, earning a first-round bye in the five-team field. In 2023, two things change as the Warriors draw the third seed, and only four teams earned a trip to Southern California.
 
Hope International, the 2023 regular season champions, enter as the top-seed and will take on 4-seed Vanguard. The Warriors will duke it out with 2-seed Arizona Christian.
 
This will be meeting five between the Warriors and Firestorm in 2023, and it will also be the fourth location for the two teams to meet. When ACU visited Northern California in March, the series began in Ripon before rain forced the series to move to Sierra College in Rocklin.
 
Jessup and ACU split both doubleheaders, ending the regular season series 2-2.
 
The Firestorm ended the regular season with a sweep of OUAZ, sending them into the postseason 15-9 in GSAC action (33-15 overall). Led by the 2022 GSAC Player of the Year, Claire Buckley, Buckley leads the team in batting average (.391), RBI (46), and home runs (7).
 
ACU features plenty of pop in their lineup, as Buckley is paired by four teammates with over 20 RBI this season. Neeley Bell launched five home runs and is second in the GSAC with 40 RBI, trailing only Buckley. Taylor Schleisman and Miranda Hipolito combined for 36 extra-base hits.
 
In the circle, the Firestorm is led by Savannah Smith, who holds a 2.45 ERA over 186.0 innings of work. They will also mix in Trinity Lawson, another starter, who produced a 2.65 ERA over 119.0 innings. Smith logged 19.1 innings against the Warriors in their four meetings.
 
Jessup and ACU will battle in the second game of the day on Monday, with the winner advancing to take on the winner of the HIU/Vanguard contest. The two losers will meet Tuesday in the first elimination contest of the week.
 
The Royals are led by one of the most dominating arms in the NAIA, Allie Puente. The 2022 GSAC Pitcher of the Year, Puente led the conference in 2023 with a 0.61 ERA, 24 wins, and 326 strikeouts. Her strikeout totals are over 125 more than the next closest arm, ACU's Smith (197).
 
On top of Puente, the Royals also feature five hitters with a batting average over .300. Emma McCraw led the way with a .391 average, with Emily Puente topping the team with eight home runs.
 
Vanguard, the runner-up of the 2022 tournament, feature strong pitching of their own as Brianna Williams ended the regular season with a 1.83 ERA, second only to Puente. She is fourth in the conference with 13 wins and 140 strikeouts.
 
Offensively, Kaylie Williams leads the way with a GSAC-best .492 batting average. Williams added 36 RBI and nine home runs.
 
But the Warriors have plenty of weapons at their disposal as well. Jessup features a four-pitcher rotation led by Terra Goetz, who posted a team-best 1.99 ERA (third in GSAC). Katie Blankenheim, Serena Navarrete, and Bella MacFarlane will all get their fair share of looks as well.
 
Jessup features two of the best RBI contributors in the conference, with Sam Lorge (35) and Sarah Giles (33) sitting fourth and fifth on the GSAC leaderboard. Giles leads the team with her .386 average, with Lorge launching a GSAC-best ten home runs.
 
The first game of the week for the Warriors is scheduled for Monday at 3 p.m. With a victory, Jessup would take the field on Tuesday at noon. A Monday loss means Jessup would play at 3 p.m. again on Tuesday.
 
All games from OC Great Park will be live-streamed on the GSAC Sports Network. Updates from Irvine will also be posted on social media (@Jessup_SFT).
   
Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).