Dixie State has not lost since March 17, faces Southeastern Oklahoma on Thursday.
SALEM, Va. -- Remembering the date that Dixie State last lost a softball game is not that hard.
Not because of the significance of that loss, but what else happens that day -- March 17.
So on a day when everyone should be wearing green, the best the Red Storm could muster that day was a split in a double header at Sonoma State.Since then all that Dixie State has done is win -- 26 times in a row to be exact.
Courtney Sherwin quiets her voice to talk about it.
"We're rolling right now. It's honestly kind of unreal,” Sherwin said. “But the thing about our team right now is that really don't talk about it. In baseball and softball, the superstition is you don't talk about it.”
If the streak continues during this week’s Division II women’s softball tournament at the Moyer Sports Complex, everyone else will do the talking.
Sherwin has been a big part of the run for the Red Storm, which opens play at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday against Southeastern Oklahoma. Sherwin is currently on a 17-game hitting streak, has a .450 batting average with nine home runs, and has reached base safely in each of the last 33 games.
Put her together with pitcher Michelle Duncan, and that’s a good nucleus to start with when you’re putting together a team.
“To be here were so blessed -- none of us have ever been in this situation before,” Sherwin said of her 48-8 team. “And what you have to do is just keep doing what got you here. Everyone we see now is going to be good. Every game could go down to the wire.”
Here’s the rest of the final eight:
Southeastern Oklahoma (43-18)
In a battle of storms, the Savage Storm will take on the Red Storm. Southeastern’s three-game winning streak is actually the second-longest in the tournament behind Dixie State.
The Savage Storm is the lowest-seeded team left in the tournament, and got in after sweeping its super regional at Augustana with a pair of one-run wins.
West Chester (37-19)
The Golden Rams split with West Virginia Wesleyan on the first day of their super regional, but came back the next day to advance to their first NCAA final eight.
Armstrong Atlantic (35-13)
West Chester’s first-round opponent is back for the third year in a row, which is a difficult task for any team in the Southeastern part of the country. Last year’s team had a good run, but was beaten twice by eventual national champion Central Oklahoma.
LIU Post (50-9)
The Pioneers last got this far into the post season in 2011, but were shut out twice and were eliminated. Post has three quality starting pitchers, which might come in handy to help keep opponents guessing.
West Texas A&M (56-6)
The Buffaloes are ranked No. 1 in the nation, but did suffer a loss in both the regional and super regionals.
Renee Erwin is hitting .471 with 17 home runs and 71 RBI.
Valdosta State (45-14)
The Blazers won it all in 2012, but then lost two straight close games in 2013. Sometimes it’s just one play that can make a difference. Valdosta State advanced out of its regional with a 1-0 win over Tampa when it scored in the seventh inning on a wild pitch.
Wayne State (45-10)
The Warriors won 19 games in a row before splitting the first games of their super regional with Missouri-St. Louis. They came back the next day and swept a double header to move on.
