CARSON -- After winning its first NCAA West Region title last week, the Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team will now seek the national title. The Toros will head to Denver, Colorado to join seven other regional champions at The Regency Athletic Complex on the campus of Metro State to partake the NCAA Championships. The first matchup of the World Series begins with two first-timers in No. 8 Dominguez Hills taking on No. 1 UT Tyler Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT.

Here are some notes on the Toros this season.

New Sport in the NCAA Championship, Same Tradition at Dominguez Hills
The Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team had made program history on May 20 by beating its CCAA foes and No. 1 seed Cal State San Marcos in three games to win its first NCAA West Region title. Softball's regional crown marks the 10^th in the history of the university, which joined the NCAA Division II ranks in 1980 after starting out in 1969 as an independent and then the NAIA throughout the 1970s. The Toro men's soccer team has won five regional titles, women's soccer has won three and the baseball team became the university's first with their only trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series in 1987.
 
How the West was Won (Part I)
The 2022 version of Jim Maier's 17 years at the helm got into the NCAA Regional as an at-large, claiming the No. 6 seed and being sent to Irvine on the campus of Concordia. Going up against the No. 3-seed Chico State for the sixth time this season, the Toros held on to win 1-0 in a pitcher's duel between strikeout hurlers Alyssa Olague and CCAA Pitcher of the Year Brooke Larsen. The Toros then played the host and No. 2 Eagles and beat them 3-2 to advance to the final round of the sub-regional bracket. Concordia knocked out Chico State in the elimination bracket to setup a rematch with the Toros. The Eagles escaped an 8-6 win in nine innings over the Toros to force a winner-take-all game immediately after. Dominguez Hills would strike early and then soar to an 8-0 mercy-rule win over Concordia to complete the upset in the bracket and setup the series with San Marcos.
 
Third Time is a Charm! (Part II)
Since the NCAA Super Regional era began in 2009, Cal State Dominguez Hills had made it to the Super Regional only twice (2012 and 2013) prior to 2022 and bowed out in both of them, losing to UC San Diego in three games in 2012 and to Humboldt State (now Cal Poly Humboldt) in 2013 in two games. Pitching coach Stephanie Guerra (formerly Jimenez) was in the Toro uniform for both years and came up short. Head coach Jim Maier was at the helm for both seasons and has appeared in five regional championships (including prior to Super Regional era) his 30-plus year coaching career. But you can say the head coach and his All-American pitcher have gotten over the hump in 2022.
 
From West Region Champion to Graduation
After clinching the NCAA West Region trophy on May 20, Raquel Jaime, Kianna Abellera and Ashley Wies would go on to receive their diploma the very next day at Commencement. Jaime graduated with a degree in Human Services, Abellera graduated with a degree in Health Science: Community Health and Wies graduated with a degree in Management Track.
 
Lurking in the Shadows
Cal State Dominguez Hills was perhaps the team many did not expect to win the West. The Toros never cracked the NFCA Top 25 at any point in the season. Only Cal State San Marcos, Concordia and Chico State had made appearances in the national poll from the West. Before NCAA Regionals began, Wayne Cavadi of NCAA.com did a preview of each region, and though he picked San Marcos as the team to beat, he noted the Toros as the team to watch. He was half right. In addition, the NFCA only put Claudia Valencia and Raquel Jaime as second-team all-region.
 
A Hull Lot of Work
First baseman Kaylee Hull has had quite a busy 2021-22 school year, from serving as co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to being a member of the CSUDH Athletic department's diversity, equity and inclusion committee to participating in numerous community engagement events to helping her softball teammates win the NCAA West Region. For her accomplishments prior to winning the West, Hull was voted CSUDH's Presidential Award winner, the most prestigious award in the Athletics department, which exemplifies the balance of academics, athletics and community engagement.
 
Valencia Leads the Way to CSUDH's Athlete Award
Senior outfielder Claudia Valencia excelled on the field the entire season that landed her CSUDH's Female Athlete of the Year. The Female Athlete of the Year award is voted by the head coaches along with the strength & conditioning coach and the sports medicine staff. Valencia, who followed head coach Jim Maier from Cal State San Bernardino, became an immediate impact for the Toros in the top of the order as well as serving as a team captain. Although she ended up being named first-team All-CCAA a few days later, it was expected by the CSUDH head coaches prior to the Athletics banquet on May 2.
 
It was Worth the Wait
In 2020, Cal State Dominguez Hills was 16-8 overall and 9-5 in the CCAA. It was sitting in third place in the conference standings when the COVID-19 cancelled the season and the entire 2021 campaign, leaving in question just how good Dominguez Hills was going to be after since Jim Maier's return in 2019 after five losing seasons. The answered showed in the returning season in 2022 by winning the West Region. Eight student-athletes from 2020 chose to wait very patiently for the return and they were rewarded for a trip to Denver:
 
Returning from 2020 (athletic eligibility AT THAT TIME)
Chenoa Au (Senior)
Kaylee Hull (Freshman)
Raquel Jaime (Junior)
Dafne Bravo (Freshman)
Alex Davis (Freshman)
Ashley Wies (Sophomore)
Alyssa Olague (Junior)
ClaRisa Ramirez (Freshman)
Note: Kianna Abellera and Claudia Valencia were part of the 2020 roster as redshirts following their transfer from Cal State San Bernardino – see notes later about them). Maiya Lopez also redshirted her freshman year in 2020.
 
Perhaps it was Fate for the CCAA to Dominate the West
The entire CCAA and its 12 members elected not to compete in any athletic competition during the 2020-21 school year. After 700 days, nine of the 10 CCAA softball teams got the season underway at the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine, Calif., on February 4. The tournament featured teams from the NCAA West Region in the Great Northwest Athletic and PacWest conferences. At the end of the tournament, the nine CCAA schools went 31-15 with Dominguez Hills going 5-1 for runner-up behind host Concordia. The tournament can be looked at as a way of saying the CCAA would be the powerhouse in the West Region and it showed. The NCAA championships committee selected five CCAA schools (Cal State Dominguez Hills, Cal State San Marcos, Cal State Monterey Bay, Sonoma State, Chico State) into the eight-tournament bracket and the final two teams battling out in the NCAA Super Regional were Dominguez Hills and the CCAA regular-season champions San Marcos.
 
Except the 2021 season, which the CCAA did not compete, the conference has seen five of its members – including Dominguez Hills – represent the West in the NCAA Championships.

Who Needs a Conference Title to Go to the NCAA Championship?
Cal State Dominguez Hills joined an elite group in the CCAA this year. The Toros became just the seventh team in the conference's history to win the NCAA West Region without having clinched neither a conference regular season and/or tournament title. The last team to achieve this honor was Stanislaus State in 2007, which was the runner-up in the CCAA tournament and lost to regular-season champions Cal Poly Humboldt. The CCAA began sponsoring softball in 1982 and added a conference tournament in 2007. Now, the Toros do become the first CCAA team in the Super Regional era began in 2009 to win the West without the need of a CCAA title.
 
They Can Handle the Stress
The Toros have seen games end in one-run scores 25 times in 62 contests played, going 16-9. In those 25 games, the Toros have held an 82-75 edge in runs scored. It never seems to bother the pitchers either as they own a 2.26 ERA in this stressful moment, allowing only 63 earned runs. Here's how the pitchers are in those stressful games:

• Alyssa Olague: 20 APP (15 GS), 8-4, 1 SV, 110.1 IP, 2.16 ERA, 34 ER, 42 R, 88 SO, 24 BB
• Ashley Wies: 18 APP (10 GS), 7-5, 79.1 IP, 2.47 ERA, 28 ER, 32 R, 49 SO, 18 BB
• ClaRisa Ramirez: 2 APP, 1-0, 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 R, 4 SO, 1 BB

In addition, the Toros are 3-5 in 2-run games and 13-4 when leading by more than five.
 
No Need for the Long Ball, But it's There if We Need it
Dominguez Hills may had hit 27 home runs this season to rank fourth in the CCAA, it never really needed the long ball to win games. The Toros are 23-16 when they don't hit home runs, 14-3 when they hit at least one and 4-2 when they hit more than two.
 
It Takes an All-American to Transform Olague into an Elite Pitcher
When Alyssa Olague finished her freshman year in 2018, she threw 83.2 innings and was 5-12 with a 5.52 ERA. She had only 23 strikeouts and issued 16 walks. When the greatest pitcher in CSUDH history, All-American Stephanie Guerra (formerly Jimenez) came in as the pitching coach in 2019, she turned Olague into the pitcher we see today. Here is how Guerra's guidance transformed Olague:

• 2019: 32 APP, 135.2 IP, 3.56 ERA, 12-7, 91 SO, 69 BB
• 2020 (cancelled after 24 games): 18 APP, 73.1 IP, 2.77 ERA, 9-3, 4 SV, 62 SO, 11 BB
• 2022: 50 APP (has led the nation), 245.1 IP, 2.48 ERA, 21-12, 223 SO, 57 BB (116 SO/BB ratio)

Pitching Like an Ace Should
Alyssa Olague has been asked to pitch a lot of innings in the NCAA regionals. The second-team All-CCAA selection, nicknamed 'LaLa' by her friends, has thrown 39 innings in all seven games she appeared in between the sub-regional and Super Regional. She is 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA (11 earned runs allowed) and has struck out 29 batters and issued nine walks and 35 hits.
 
Olague Striking Out Her Way into History
Alyssa Olague is pursuing history in the Cal State Dominguez Hills' softball record book. The junior has 223 strikeouts this season and is chasing her pitching coach Stephanie Guerra's (formerly Jimenez) single-season record of 232 set in 2013.
 
Playing Like a 'Rock' Star
Senior Raquel Jaime has been Jim Maier's most versatile player all season long. Although she has started 36 games at shortstop, Jaime has seen time at third base (12 starts) and at second base (14 starts). She's even had a role behind the plate catching.
 
Make it a Double for Kianna
Kianna Abellera has slugged 18 of the Toros' 84 doubles this season, leading the rest of the group by at least eight. Although it is a tall task in the postseason, the junior is trying to catch Kate Groden's record, which was 24 set in 2006. She already etched her name into the program's record book by having seen more at-bats than any other Toros at 214 going into the NCAA Championship, beating Adriana Sanchez's 201 record set in 2013.
 
Valencia Swinging for the Record
Claudia Valencia has made an impact with her bat in the top of the order this season. At 76 hits this season, the senior needs eight more to tie Adriana Sanchez's 2013 mark of 84 in the single-season record book.
 
Swinging into History
The 2022 Toros as a whole hit their way into the Cal State Dominguez Hills record book during the Super Regionals. They have collected 506 hits, including 27 in the Super Regional, to shatter the 2006 team's record of 482.
 
A Return to Glory
Since Jim Maier's return to the helm in 2019, he has returned the program back to its winning ways. In the four seasons, including the cancelled 2020 season, Maier is 85-48. During his absence, which was the span of five seasons, the Toros were 78-184. The 41 wins in this 2022 season is the most since the 2012 season, when that team won 45.
 
Who Are You?
As you would expect going into the NCAA Championships, the final eight teams have likely never seen each other before on a softball diamond. For Cal State Dominguez Hills, it has never seen any of its seven fellow regional winners.
 
Experience Helps the Youth
While this magical run the Toros are having in the NCAA postseason is uncharted territories for the 19 student-athletes on the 2022 roster, they have been receiving words of wisdom from those who have. No, it's not just head coach Jim Maier, but assistant coaches Katie Garcia and Stephanie Guerra (formerly Jimenez). While Garcia has at least played and coached for the Toros in their three regional runs, Guerra has pitched in the Super Regional in both 2012 and 2013.
 
In the 2012 run, the All-American Guerra appeared in all three games against now-Division I UC San Diego and threw 13.1 innings. She went 1-2 and gave up two runs, one unearned. She did strikeout seven. One year later, she went up against then-powerhouse Cal Poly Humboldt and threw 5.2 innings, striking out seven but did concede to 10 runs to end her illustrious career.
 
Other Records Broken So Far
Only one record has been broken this season, which goes back to the Sonoma State series on March 5. In game three of the series, the Toros were trailing 7-1 when Kaylee Hull stepped up and collected eight RBIs in the game to break Kelli Rodriguez's record set in 2005 against UC San Diego. Hull missed a triple to hit for the cycle. Either way, Hull's record-setting day propelled the Toros to a 12-10 win.
 
So Close to Perfection
Going back to when the NCAA era began for Dominguez Hills in 1980, the softball team has never tasted perfection in the pitching circle. That came close early in the season against Academy of Art at the Concordia Kickoff Classic on February 5. In fact, it was almost a perfect combo between Alyssa Olague and Ashley Wies. The bid was lost in the fifth inning when the Urban Knights got a walk to lead off and then eventually a hit two at-bats later. Dominguez Hills blew away Academy of Art 16-0 in five innings. There have been 13 no-hitters in Cal State Dominguez Hills softball history, with the last being lefty Jamie Duran doing it against the very same Academy of Art program in 2016. Pitching coach Stephanie Guerra also has a no-hitter to her name. Against Stanislaus State in a 5-0 win back in 2013, the All-American struck out 10 and issued no walks but an error prevented perfection.
 
Let's Play Three to Start the Season
As they had to wait 700 days to retake the field, Cal State Dominguez Hills was asked by the hosts of the Concordia Kickoff Classic in Irvine to play a rare tripleheader on opening day. The Toros gladly accepted it and played to a 2-1 win over Holy Names in the morning, an 8-2 loss to Western Oregon in the afternoon followed by a 4-3 win over Hawai`i Pacific under the lights. The last time the Toros had to play three games in one day was in 2014.

We are a Unique Conference
When UC San Diego departed for NCAA Division I and the Big West in 2020, it left the CCAA with 12 schools and one notable distinction in perhaps all of college sports: all its members are part of the California State University system. The CSU has 23 campuses all across the state 12 with of them making up the CCAA.
 
Preseason Polls are Preseason Polls
Many coaches will say preseason polls mean nothing. It's just a matter of fun for them to guess. That can be definitely said for the CCAA. As they entered their returning season with a clean slate after cancelling the 2020 season midway through and then the entire 2021 campaign, the 10 CCAA coaches voted Dominguez Hills to finish a respectable third in their annual preseason poll with Chico State predicted the favorite. The only team they got right in the preseason poll was Cal State Monterey Bay, which finished fifth. Cal State San Marcos became the surprise team as it was predicted to finish eighth and ended up edging Chico in the final series of the regular season to win the CCAA title.