The Chico State softball team is loaded with talented outfielders in 2022, and the chance for playing time is something that has to be earned. Freshman Tayler Berens, who had just four plate appearances in the season-opening Concordia Kickoff Classic, certainly made the most of her opportunity at the Desert Stinger Tournament, putting on a display at the plate that will no doubt lead to many more at-bats for the ’Cats this spring. Berens’ impressive productivity in Tucson makes her the latest Wildcat of the Week.
All told, Berens batted .636 (7-for-11) in the three-day Desert Stinger Tournament, reaching base nine times in her 13 plate appearances (a .692 on-base percentage) while posting a healthy .727 slugging percentage to help the Wildcats win four of five in Arizona and improve to 8-2 on the season.
Friday in the Wildcats’ tournament opener against Central Washington, Berens provided the walk-off hit with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning in Chico State’s 6-5 victory. But the really big day for Berens was on Saturday, when Saint Martin’s and MSU Denver could literally not get her out. Berens reached base in all seven of her plate appearances, going 3-for-3 in each contest while also scoring twice, driving in a run, and stealing a base.
For her weekend efforts, Berens was one of two Wildcats (along with Brooke Larsen) to be named to the Desert Stinger All-Tournament Team.
Two weeks into the 2022 campaign, Berens leads the CCAA in batting average (.615) and on-base percentage (.706).
Berens and the Wildcats, ranked No. 19 in the first National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll of the regular season, opens California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play this week against the No. 12 team in Division II, Cal State Monterey Bay. The four-game series gets underway Friday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill beginning at 11 a.m.
