CHICO – The Chico State softball team will be faced with a couple of big challenges this weekend – getting the upper hand on the rainy conditions in Arcata, and battling the No. 4 Humboldt State Lumberjacks. For the time being, Mother Nature has won out, as the four-game set scheduled for Friday and Saturday has been officially pushed back a day due to wet weather. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks are now slated to get underway with a series-opening doubleheader Saturday at 11:00 a.m., followed by a Sunday double dip set to start at 9 a.m.

Chico State hits the road following a successful home series last weekend against Cal State Stanislaus. The Wildcats took three of four against the Warriors to improve to 6-7 on the season and move into a tie for fifth place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings with a 4-4 conference mark.

As a team, the Wildcats are batting a collective .268, averaging 2.7 runs and 6.2 hits a game, while the Chico State pitching staff ranks sixth in the conference with a 3.28 earned run average. Individually, Amanda Cordeiro continues to lead the CCAA in on-base percentage (.583), and her .444 batting average is fourth-best among conference players. Alli Cook has a share of the CCAA's stolen base lead (8), while in the pitcher's circle, Alex Molina is second in the conference in ERA (1.53) and tied for third in both strikeouts (33) and complete games (5).

Humboldt State, home for the first time this season following 19 straight road contests, enters the weekend 15-4 overall and owning a share of third place in the CCAA with a 5-3 conference record. The Lumberjacks fell from the nation's top spot last weekend after splitting a four-game conference series with Cal State Monterey Bay and splitting a Sunday twinbill with Dominican.

Humboldt State is one of the top-hitting teams in the CCAA, batting a collective .317, averaging six runs and 9.5 hits a contest, while leading the conference with 31 home runs. Humboldt's pitching staff ranks fifth in the CCAA, with a team ERA of 3.11.

The Lumberjacks' offense is led by freshman infielder Tiffany Hollingsworth, batting .379 on the season with six home runs and a conference-best 22 runs batted in. Junior outfielder Dani Randall, a First Team All-CCAA selection a year ago, is batting .308 with five homers and 14 RBI, while junior first baseman Alison McKibbon is hitting .305 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Sophomore righthander Katie Obbema is the ace of the Humboldt State pitching staff – the 2013 CCAA Freshman of the Year is 8-2 on the season with a 2.42 ERA.

The Wildcats took the season series with the Lumberjacks last season, winning three of four March 1-2 at University Softball Field. Despite winning nine of the last 11 meetings, Chico State still trails Humboldt State 84-30-2 in the all-time series, dating back to 1983.

Fans not able to make it to Arcata to watch Chico State in person can follow the action online via Live Stats through the Wildcats Athletics website. A live Internet broadcast of the games is also available courtesy of KRFH Radio in Arcata.