Parade, trophy presentation Tuesday celebrated last week’s NAIA championship game victory in Georgia
By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news
After bringing a third national championship back with them from Georgia last week, Southern Oregon University got the royal treatment Tuesday afternoon with a celebratory parade, trophy presentation and community home run derby at University Field.
The team of victorious Raiders showed up to the field atop an Ashland Fire & Rescue engine, by way of a celebratory parade down Siskiyou Boulevard, where they presented their third national championship trophy to SOU President Rick Bailey.
Jessica Pistole, who was chosen by NAIA coaches as Cascade Collegiate Conference Coach of Character, stood on the infield Tuesday afternoon at University Field, facing the stands and her players on the pitchers mound, in celebration of their third national title in four years.
“To get to do a parade through town and just all the love and support that we felt from all of you, all the way back in Georgia, is just, it really feels hard to put into words,” Pistole told fans and supporters who came out to celebrate with the team.
When the SOU women’s wrestling team took home the national championship title earlier this year, the university’s softball team took special notice.
“Our team was able to watch (the wrestling) team parade through campus and it sparked something,” Pistole said. “It was like, we want to be that team at the end of the year, too.”
Wearing her young daughter across her chest, and facing the crowd in the stands and her players lined up at the pitcher’s mound, she welled with pride.
“These are the women and coaches that make it so easy to show up and just love what I do,” Pistole said,. “I don’t feel like this is a job.”
Bailey, who will keep the trophy in his office for one week, accepted the trophy in a special presentation in the infield.
“There are 250 universities in the NAIA,” Bailey said. “And this team has come back with a national championship in three out of the last four years.
“Think about that,” he added, drawing applause.
“I can’t put into words how proud we are, but I know that on behalf of our students, our faculty, our staff, our community, to everyone here … you are our ‘she-roes,’” he added.
On the infield during the presentation, Matt Sayre, director of athletics at SOU, praised Pistole, who has led the team to three national championships, seven total national tournaments, and five World Series.
Sayre also praised the Raider squad, who have all held GPAs above 3.5 and have contributed 250 hours of community service.
“Everything that they do is top-knotch, everything that they do is the nth degree,” Sayre said. “That is a reflection of Coach Pistole and what she brings to this program but also what she brings to this university.”
The Raiders ended their season 50-12 with an 11-0 title game victory over neighboring rivals Oregon Tech last Wednesday.
Reach Ashland.news reporter Holly Dillemuth at [email protected].
