GUNNISON, Colo. – Western Colorado Esports is set to host their first competitive viewing event this Friday, Apr. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science & Engineering classroom 109. The Mountaineer Rocket League Crimson team will play the University of Houston (Major League Coogs) in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Semifinals, as they look to punch their ticket to the finals on Friday, May 5.
 
This is a free viewing event and open to everyone. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will last around one hour.
 
The Rocket League Crimson team of Shawn Glade, Benjamin Ford, Ross Mcnally and Braedon Gould finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed in their division with an 8-1 record. Their only loss came in week five against the University of Houston. Where the Coogs defeated the Mountaineers 3-0 in the best of five series.

The Mountaineers won their quarterfinal match 3-0 over Grays Harbor College last Friday. 
 
For Playoffs, the format will be a best of seven match up, the Mountaineers will look to come out victorious against only team that defeated them this season.
 
In other Esports news, the Western Colorado Valorant team also holds the No. 1 seed and has already qualified for the NECC Finals in their division. The Valorant team is in its first semester as a program and has gone 10-1 this year to earn their spot in finals, which are scheduled for Monday, May 1.
 
Spring semester was a breakthrough year for the Mountaineer Esports program as six of the ten teams qualified for the NECC playoffs.
 
For more information on WCU Esports email zwalsh@western.edu (Zach Walsh – Esports and Video Coordinator).