After considering a brief rant on the weather — it always seems to get stormy about the time I have to go outside and cover games — instead I'll just jump right into all the fun on the diamonds.

Let's start in Caldwell, with the team on pace for a World Series berth: The C of I softball team.

Two weeks back the Yotes turned up their intensity with a sweep of Southern Oregon in a first-place battle, and ever since the C of I has been cruising.

Friday that trend continued as the College of Idaho ladies dominated Corban — on what turned out to be Warrior Day in Caldwell as both Corban teams played the C of I. Coach Matlock, couldn't you get a golf dual with the Warriors to get another Corban squad to the Treasure Valley?

Ha, I kid! Back to the lady Yotes, who started the day a game up in the standings and, thanks to doing their part, now have a two-game lead.

Yep, the Raiders got beat 1-0 by Northwest Christian as Kalyssa Koontz two-hit SOU.

Also stalking the Coyotes is Concordia, which swept Eastern Oregon on Friday, but still sits three games back of the C of I.

The Yotes gave the chance today to put the Cavaliers away, hosting Concordia in a pair of games for "Senior Day" at 11 a.m.

First, the C of I needs to make sure the "Senior Day" festivities don't overwhelm them and they remained focused. A sweep would be huge, leaving the C of I just one foe away from a return trip to the NAIA Softball World Series.

Better yet, the ceremony will be between games, giving the Yotes a chance to get things started on the right foot.

Of course, Friday's action proves even bigger for today's game as a sweep of the Cavaliers leaves just the Raiders as potential spoilers between the C of I and a league crown, and nationals.

And it would leave the C of I needing just one win next weekend on the road at SOU — the C of I starts its final road trip of the year at Southern Oregon on Friday before closing the regular season at Oregon Tech — to clinch the league crown.

Crusaders come close

It turned out to be a bit of a disappointing day Friday in Nampa for the Crusader softball team, who had the Yellowjackets on the ropes only to come up short.

It would have been a huge win for Northwest Nazarene, which led 6-2 with an first-inning explosion, as Montana State-Billings is the GNAC front-runner, and sit at No. 33 in the NCAA Division II softball poll.

Of course, the Crusaders get another chance today against MSU-Billings, then comes the biggest three days of the season.

NNU hosts the College of Idaho on Tuesday for a nonconference twinbill, then play St. Martin's on Friday and Saturday to get out of the GNAC cellar.

Friday and Saturday definitely loom as big games as the Saints are three games in front of the Crusaders in the win column, which means NNU would need a sweep to leave St. Martin's in the league basement.

Back to winning ways

Yes, the College of Idaho baseball team got some momentum with a pair of wins over Corban on Friday, but the Yotes still are doing the things that cost them a few ballgames earlier this year.

The C of I collected plenty of clutch hits with two outs to plate runs and grab the wins, but a missed squeeze bunt in the first game proved costly. Missing the chance to push home a run, the Yotes opted for a hit-and-run with runners and first and third, only to see a groundball turn into an inning-ending double play.

One chance to execute the offense that ended up scoreless.

The Yotes then had a bases loaded, one-out rally in the second game and ended up with a first-pitch double play ball, again killing a threat.

Then, with everyone in the ballpark knowing the Warriors were going to squeeze home a run in the sixth with runners at first and third — they had already run one squeeze play perfectly — the Yotes failed to execute on defense, giving up the squeeze bunt on a 1-2 pitch, and failing to get an out.

Fortunately, the plays didn't hurt as the C of I managed to shut down the Warriors who ran the bases terribly — three runners picked off and another doubled up on a potential sacrifice fly that cost them a run — and came up with two-out base hits for some offense of their own.

But the C of I needs to start eliminating those miscues in execution if it hopes to make a postseason run. NAIA West tournament foes British Columbia and Cal State San Marcos will make them pay, more than teams like Corban can.

And with the C of I slipping out of the NAIA Top 25 completely — not receiving any points in the other's receiving votes — the lone chance at nationals likely will be winning the NAIA West tournament May 4-6 in Vancouver, B.C.

The Yotes do have two things going for them, though.

One: Maybe people are overlooking this team a bit after it's recent slide against UBC and Lewis-Clark State as the C of I lost 7-of-8.

"I hope they haven't written us off because we're going to go up to Vancouver and play well I think," C of I senior outfielder Jake Miller said.

Miller is the second thing going right for the C of I as he's caught fire at the plate of late, including a 5-of-9 day Friday in the twinbill with three doubles and a triple.

He even crushed the ball against No. 6-ranked Lewis-Clark State, with an in-the-park home run and an out-of the yard shot in the same game against the Warriors, and finished the four-game set 8-of-17 with 5 RBI.

"That's what he did for us last year, we got off to a terrible start then just caught fire for us down the stretch and it didn't matter who we were facing, good pitching, average pitching, he hit it all," C of I coach Shawn Humberger said of Miller. "And he's kinda done that same thing again this year.

"He's a key right there in the middle of the order."

Catch up on the postseason

The road to the NAIA World Series will go through one of nine sites, and those sites were announced this week by the NAIA. For Coyotes fans, well, it'll be a long trip if the C of I advances beyond the NAIA West tournament. The winner of which receives an automatic berth to one of these nine sites.

Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas; Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Okla.; Berry College in Mount Berry, Ga., and hosted by the Southern States Athletic Conference; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.; Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.; Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif.; William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Miss.; Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.; and Sioux City, Iowa, which will be hosted by the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Yes, there's a chance the C of I could end up in California at Azusa Pacific. But if they keep teams close to home, the C of I would be one of six teams vying for a spot in California, and the other five are ranked ahead of the Yotes.

If they select teams by ranking — and each sites hosts five teams — the C of I would be heading a long way down the road potentially as No. 3 Point Loma Nazarene, No. 8 British Columbia, No. 12 Azusa Pacific, No. 14 Fresno Pacific and unranked, but sitting at No. 27 The Master's all could be playing in California instead of the Coyotes.

Of course, it remains to be seen just how the NAIA will divide up the teams for the double-elimination events.

The nine site winners then head to Lewiston for the NAIA World Series, along with World Series host Lewis-Clark State, which won't be playing at any site.