SPOKANE, Wash. - The Whitworth University softball team will open the 2009 schedule this week at the Northwest Cup tournament in Portland, Oregon. The event will include four Northwest Conference schools, four Cascade Conference schools and Simon Fraser. Concordia University is hosting the tournament at Delta Park.

Whitworth will begin its first season under new head coach Joe Abraham. Abraham inherits a team that finished 16-21 overall last season, 13-12 in the NWC (fifth place). Four Pirate field players return as starters, including honorable mention All-NWC selection Lacey Kerr. Jessica Mangis and Kesley Ayers, both sophomores, return to pitch for the Bucs.

Whitworth will play all four participating members of the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference during the weekend. On Saturday the Bucs will play Corban at 9:00 a.m. and Northwest Christian at 11:00 a.m. Corban finished 15-22 last season, 11-13 in the CCC. The Warriors defeated the Pirates 8-1 at the Northwest Cup last season. Northwest Christian went 10-33 overall, 3-21 CCC last spring. Whitworth defeated the Beacons 8-1 at last year's Northwest Cup.

On Sunday the Pirates will play Eastern Oregon at 9:00 a.m. and host Concordia at 11:00 a.m. EOU went 21-23 last year, 11-13 in the CCC. Whitworth hasn't played the Mountaineers since 2006 - a 13-5 and 2-1 sweep of a doubleheader in Spokane. Concordia finished second in the CCC in 2008 (16-8) and went 21-16 overall. The Cavaliers defeated Whitworth 7-0 at last year's cup.