ATHENA — For the past two years, Bre Ward and Lily Langford have been the backbone of the Weston-McEwen softball team.

Ward has pitched all but one inning for the TigerScots this season (through May 4). In 100 innings of work, she has a 1.33 ERA, 186 strikeouts and has given up 19 earned runs. She has thrown just six wild pitches, and much of that consistency is thanks to Langford, who has caught every one of Ward’s pitches.

“It’s nice to have Lily catch for me,” Ward said. “I don’t have to worry about anything.”

Langford has 190 putouts this season and zero errors.

Both are also solid hitters and team leaders on a squad that has seven freshmen and just three seniors.

Ward and Langford have played key roles on the team since they were freshmen, helping the TigerScots reach the past three 2A/1A state championship games. They lost all three to Grant Union, but this season Weston-McEwen is ranked No. 1 and swept the Prospectors in Blue Mountain Conference play on April 11.

It’s not hard to see why both players were recruited to play college softball.

Ward signs with Corban University

The Corban University Warriors compete in the highly competitive NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference, which includes powerhouses Southern Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University and Oregon Tech.

The Salem school wasn’t first on Ward’s list, but she sees the program as one where she can step in and contribute immediately. The Warriors were 6-32 overall this season and 5-19 in CCC play. The last time they made the CCC playoffs was in 2022.

“Our league is the toughest, I would say, in high school,” Ward said. “Obviously, it’s different at the college level. I watched Corban play Simpson, and I have seen Eastern Oregon play. I have seen the competition. I would rather play good teams and take a loss than play easy teams. I am super excited.”

Corban coach Jeff Covalt said he is looking forward to Ward joining the Warriors.

“We are very excited to welcome Bre,” he said. “We have loved getting to know her and her family and are excited to get to work with her every day and help her as she navigates college life. Our conference is the best NAIA conference in the country, and we are excited to help her learn to compete against incredible competition. Having Bre come in with her experience and skill set is something we are anxious to see.”

The Warriors will lose three pitchers to graduation this spring, leaving the door open for a new group of players, including Ward.

“My pitching coach threw them out to me,” Ward said of Corban. “The first thing I looked at was their record. I contacted them anyway. I reached out to the coach three times before he contacted me. Then he came to one of my travel ball tournaments, and after the first game, he offered me a scholarship. He sent me the paperwork two months later. I was still on the fence about committing. Then he called me about a week before I committed and offered me more to go there.”

But it wasn’t the scholarship that tipped the scales — it was the people.

“For me, it’s just comfort,” Ward said. “I like the girls on the team and the campus. When I first started recruiting, I wanted to have a family for four years. I messaged some of the girls on the Corban team, and they said it was very family-like.”

Ward, a powerful hitter, hopes to get some plate appearances at the college level, though pitchers are not often used in that capacity.

Ward is hitting .646 in 48 at-bats with 31 hits. She has 13 singles, 11 doubles, seven home runs and 28 RBIs. She has walked 15 times and struck out eight times.

“We are always open to pitchers hitting,” Covalt said. “I’m sure it’s a conversation we will have this fall. She has been putting together a really special senior season, and we hope she keeps that rolling both in the circle and at the plate when she’s here with us.”

Ward, who plans to major in sports and recreation management and minor in psychology, would like to take a state title with her to Corban.

“On travel teams, you are always fighting to get better,” Ward said. “In high school, I’m not fighting my teammates for my spot; I’m fighting for my teammates. Half of our team is freshmen. I love it. They are so open to everything. What I’m trying to put on the girls is that we are the team to beat. Every team we play wants to beat us. We have to show up 100 percent every game. Even when we play Pendleton or La Grande, it still counts.”

Langford headed to Mt. Hood Community College

Langford is going to a program steeped in history. The Saints have won seven NWAC softball titles, the most recent in 2024 and consistently post one of the top GPAs in the conference.

“I’m very excited,” Langford said. “Their coaching staff is really great and they have great girls. I connected with them really well, and I liked the campus. It’s really outdoorsy — they have a little river running through campus. They are getting a new sports complex for softball, so that’s nice.”

Langford said she was in contact with schools in Colorado and Arizona when Mt. Hood first reached out.

“They invited me to a practice, but I was at a softball tournament in Vegas,” Langford said. “I went the following week. It means a lot to me for my parents to be at every game. The coaches are really special to me, and they are giving me the opportunity to play. Being that it’s an Oregon school, it’s not as expensive. Mt. Hood is a feeder school for other programs. I hope they can help me do the same.”

Saints coach Brittany Hendrickson said she is looking forward to Langford joining the team.

“Adding a player of Lily’s talent and experience is huge for us,” Hendrickson said. “She brings a high level of skill, composure and leadership behind the plate. We’re excited about what she’ll contribute both on and off the field.”

Langford said her main focus is catching, but her production at the plate stands out.

Langford, who hits No. 2 in the lineup, has a .596 average in 57 at-bats. Among her 34 hits are 12 singles, 10 doubles, six triples and 35 RBIs. She has scored seven runs, struck out just twice and has 11 stolen bases.

“I’m mainly going for catching, and they say I have a big bat,” she said. “I will play anywhere, but catching is my main passion.”

Hendrickson said the Saints will take advantage of Langford’s versatility.

“Lily is exceptional at both,” she said. “Her hitting and catching are both going to make immediate impacts in our program.”

Like Ward, Langford has her eyes set on a state title. She has put in the time playing summer ball and has worked with hitting coach Henderson Orchard of Walla Walla to round out her game.

Though the TigerScots have fallen short in the past three title games, the experiences have been memorable.

“I got player of the game the last two years,” Langford said. “I hit a home run over the University of Oregon’s fence. That is one of my top memories as an individual player. Our success has opened doors.”

Hendrickson said players from successful programs tend to stand out.

“Lily comes from a solid Weston-McEwen program with a good history,” she said. “It does play a part when looking for recruits. It helps knowing they are being trained and prepared at a high level and provided opportunities to compete on a big stage and in pressure situations, like making it to the state finals last season.”

As the season winds down, Langford hopes to continue playing alongside Ward and is trying to recruit her for summer ball. Langford has played with the AI Bandits since she was 11. This summer, she will play with Northwest Athletics in the Boise/Meridian area. “I keep telling Bre she needs to come play with me this summer,” Langford said. “I just want her on my team one last time.”