By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

SPOKANE — It’s possible North Idaho College is hitting its stride at the right time on the softball field after winning 15 of its final 18 games after being 14-12 near the end of April.

“They’re in a really good place right now,” NIC softball coach Shay Fuson said. “We’ve kind of been through everything this year. We’ve had injuries, adversity, beaten teams and gotten beaten. Nothing can really surprise us at the moment.”

NIC (29-15), the eighth seed in the Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament, opens play today against ninth-seeded Douglas College (22-12) at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex in Spokane at 12:30 p.m.

“We ended the season on a high note,” said Fuson, whose team finished second in the East Region. “I’m excited, and the girls are hungry for sure.”

The conference used RPI rankings, factoring in strength of schedule into seeding for the tournament.

Southwestern Oregon (38-6) of Coos Bay, Ore., is the top ranked team, followed by East Region champion Walla Walla (42-2).

A win by NIC and Southwest will match the schools in the second round.

“It’s a good part of the bracket to be in,” Fuson said. “I’m excited for the girls.”

The tournament has been postponed the previous two years due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and due to the conference opting to play a region-only schedule in 2021.

NIC won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 under then-coach Don Don Williams, the last time the tournaments were held. Williams, who started the program at NIC in 1998, was hired as coach at Southern Utah in 2019.

“In a championship tournament, it’s really anyone’s game,” Fuson said. “Each year, there’s upsets. There’s good teams from each region and it really is going to come down to whichever team gets hot at the right time.”

The tournament has been held in Spokane since 2017 and co-hosted by the Community Colleges of Spokane and North Idaho College.

“We get to sleep in our own beds and hit in our own facility before games,” Fuson said. “It’s nice to be the host team. The girls are ready. The NWAC is tough and the toughest I’ve seen in all the years we’ve been in it. The games are more competitive and faster, and it’s nice to see and compete in.”

NORTHWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, Spokane

Thursday’s Games

Game 1 — No. 2 seed Walla Walla (42-2) vs. No. 15 Centralia (13-21), Field 2, 10 a.m.

Game 2 — No. 7 Clackamas (20-15) vs. No. 10 Chemeketa (13-24), Field 1, 10 a.m.

Game 3 — No. 6 Lower Columbia (22-18) vs. No. 11 Columbia Basin (30-17), Field 5, 10 a.m.

Game 4 — No. 3 Bellevue (30-5) vs. No. 14 Big Bend (14-21), Field 4, 10 a.m.

Game 5 — No. 13 Edmonds (18-22) vs. No. 4 Everett (31-7), Field 2, 12:30 p.m.

Game 6 — No. 12 Skagit Valley (20-18) vs. No. 5 Mt. Hood (34-12), Field 1, 12:30 p.m.

Game 7 — No. 9 Douglas (22-12) vs. No. 8 North Idaho (29-15), Field 5, 12:30 p.m.

Game 8 — No. 16 Treasure Valley (19-27) vs. No. 1 Southwestern Oregon (38-6), Field 4, 12:30 p.m.

Game 9 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, Field 4, 3 p.m. (loser out)

Game 10 — Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, Field 2, 3 p.m. (loser out)

Game 11 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, Field 5, 3:30 p.m. (winner’s bracket)

Game 12 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, Field 1, 3:30 p.m. (winner’s bracket)

Game 13 — Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, Field 4, 5:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 14 — Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8, Field 4, 5:30 p.m. (loser out)

Game 15 — Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, Field 5, 5:30 p.m. (winner’s bracket)

Game 16 — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, Field 1, 5:30 p.m. (winner’s bracket)

Friday’s Games

Game 17 — Loser Game 16 vs. Winner Game 9, Field 1, 10 a.m.

Game 18 — Loser Game 15 vs. Winner Game 10, Field 2, 10 a.m.

Game 19 — Loser Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13, Field 5, 10 a.m.

Game 20 — Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 14, Field 4, 10 a.m.

Game 21 — Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, Field 1, 12:30 p.m.

Game 22 — Winner Game 15 vs. Winner Game 16, Field 5, 12:30 p.m.

Game 23 — Winner Game 17 vs. Winner Game 18, Field 2, 12:30 p.m.

Game 24 — Winner Game 19 vs. Winner Game 20, Field 4, 12:30 p.m.

Game 25 — Winner Game 23 vs. Loser Game 21, Field 1, 3:30 p.m.

Game 26 — Winner Game 24 vs. Loser Game 22, Field 5, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

Game 27 — Winner Game 21 vs. Winner Game 22, Field 1, 10 a.m. (semifinal)

Game 28 — Winner Game 25 vs. Winner Game 26, Field 5, 10 a.m.

Game 29 — Loser Game 27 vs. Winner Game 28, Field 1, 12:30 p.m.

Sunday’s Games

Game 30 — Winner Game 27 vs. Winner Game 29, Field 1, 11 a.m. (championship game)

Game 31 — Loser Game 30 vs. Winner Game 30, Field 1, 1:15 p.m. (if-necessary game)