CHICO – The Chico State softball team may be taking a break from California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play this weekend, but it’s a break in name only. The Wildcats will be playing a minimum of six games Friday through Sunday as part of the annual Mizuno Tournament of Champions, hosted by Cal State Stanislaus. The three-day event takes place at three different Turlock locations and features no less that 26 teams from throughout the West Region.
The Wildcats will begin play Friday at Turlock’s Pedretti Park with a pair of games against Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents. Chico State squares off against Central Washington at 5:45 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. tilt versus Western Washington.
Saturday the ’Cats play three games, taking on Pacific West Conference member Azusa Pacific at 2:30 p.m., followed by contests against GNAC foes Saint Martin’s at 6 p.m. and Montana State-Billings at 8:15 p.m.
The Wildcats will also compete in bracket play Sunday, with opponents and times to be determined. Fans can follow all of Chico State’s Tournament of Champions games online via Live Stats through the Wildcat Athletics website.
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Chico State enters the tournament 18-11 on the season, and coming off beating Cal State Monterey Bay three out of four last weekend at University Softball Field. Despite dropping the series finale to the Otters, the Wildcats have won seven of their last eight games and hold down fourth place in the CCAA standings with a 16-8 conference record.
The ’Cats enter the Mizuno Tournament of Champions batting a collective .279 on the season, averaging just under four runs and eight hits a game. The lineup features a trio of .300 hitters – Emily McEnaney (.347), Desiree’ Gonzalez (.344) and Alli Cook (.323) – with Marlee Rettig (.298) batting .424 in her last 11 games.
In the pitcher’s circle, Alex Molina is 11-3 on the year and leads the staff in complete games (11), strikeouts (61) and earned run average (2.09). Despite a 4-6 win-loss record, Kayla McConnell is also having an outstanding season, posting seven complete games and fanning 44 batters. Collectively, the Wildcat pitching staff owns a 2.68 ERA.
A brief overview of the Wildcats’ Tournament of Champions opponents:
Central Washington (12-11 overall, in fourth place in the GNAC with a 10-6 conference record) is playing its best ball of the season – the Wildcats have won 12 of their last 15 after starting the year 0-8. Central Washington is batting a collective .325, averaging 5.6 runs and 8.6 hits a game; in the pitcher’s circle, the Wildcats sport a 4.28 team ERA.
Western Washington (enters the week 16-14, in fifth place in the GNAC with an 8-8 conference record) has lost seven of its last 11 prior to its Thursday pre-tournament game against Sonoma State, though the Vikings scored 24 runs in a doubleheader sweep of conference for Northwest Nazarene last Saturday. Western Washington is hitting .285 as a team, averaging 5.3 runs and 7.7 hits a game. The Vikings’ pitchers boasts a combined 3.88 ERA.
Azusa Pacific (began the week 17-13, in sixth place in the Pac West Conference with a 9-9 record) won three straight last weekend with victories over Hawaii Pacific and BYU-Hawaii. The Cougars are batting a collective .271, averaging 4.3 runs and 7.4 hits a game. Azusa Pacific’s pitching staff has been outstanding this season, fashioning a stingy 2.31 team ERA.
Saint Martin’s (20-10, second in the GNAC with an 8-4 conference record) has won six of its last seven contests entering the Tournament of Champions. The Saints are batting .296 as a team, averaging 4.7 runs and 8.2 hits a game, while the pitching staff owns an impressive 2.40 team ERA.
Montana State-Billings (8-18, sixth in the GNAC with a 7-8 conference mark) began the week on a four-game winning streak before dropping a pair Tuesday to Cal State Monterey Bay and both ends of a Wednesday doubleheader against Cal State Stanislaus. The Yellowjacks average 4.7 runs and 7.3 hits a game while batting a collective .287; the team’s pitching staff has struggled, though, with a team ERA of 6.77.
