Though the expected rain Friday has made both teams wait an extra day, two hungry softball squads – Chico State and Cal State Monterey Bay – are set to go head-to-head this weekend at University Softball Field. The four-game series, which gets underway with a doubleheader Saturday at 12 p.m. and concludes with a noon twin bill on Sunday, has all the earmarks of a classic, pitting a confident Wildcats squad against the two-time defending California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) champion Otters.
Fans unable to attend the games in person can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available online for game one of Saturday's doubleheader and both games of Sunday's twin bill.
Chico State enters the weekend with an overall record of 5-3 and a CCAA mark of 2-2. The Wildcats opened up conference play last weekend in Rohnert Park, splitting a four-game set with nationally-ranked Sonoma State.
The 'Cats have proven to be tough to beat at home since Head Coach Angel Shamblin took over the program. The 'Cats, already 3-1 at University Softball Field this season, have won 78 of 120 home games under Shamblin since 2010.
Chico State is batting a collective .279 on the season, averaging 4.8 runs and 7.1 hits a game. Among the 11 CCAA teams, the Wildcats' pitching staff is ranked second with a team earned run average of 1.88.
Individually, Cyrena Taylor is tied for the conference lead in doubles (5) and is fifth in slugging percentage (.824). Megan Bowley is third in the CCAA with a .545 batting average and ranks fourth in on-base percentage (.583). Alli Cook ranks eighth in the CCAA with four stolen bases, and Brynn Lesovsky is tied for eighth in the conference with nine runs batted in.
In the pitcher's circle, Brooke Langeloh is off to an inpressive start, ranking second among CCAA hurlers in ERA (0.31), second in opponent's batting average (.120), third in victories (4) and sixth in strikeouts (25).
Cal State Monterey Bay, 5-6 overall and 0-4 in CCAA play, started the 2016 campaign winning five of their first seven contests, including two lopsided victories at the Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas. Monterey Bay's conference-opening series, though, was another story – the Otters were unceremoniously swept four straight at home by Humboldt State last weekend.
As a team, Cal State Monterey Bay is batting.282 while averaging 5.1 runs and 7.2 hits a game. The Otters' pitching staff ranks fifth in the CCAA with a team ERA of 3.16.
Monterey Bay is led by a pair of First Team All-CCAA selections from last year. Junior outfielder Anneliese Lopez is batting an even .400 this season, with senior designated player Bianca Noriega is hitting .382. Junior infielder Alyssa D'Agostino tops the Otters in both home runs (2) and RBI (11), and junior outfielder Courtney Varela is batting .350 while ranking among the CCAA stolen base leaders with five swipes on the season.
The Monterey Bay pitching staff is anchored by a pair of right-handers, senior Lindsey Clarkson (2-3, 3.23 ERA, 28 strikeouts) and freshman Tori Pierucci (3-3, 2.21 ERA).
Since 1983, Chico State and Monterey Bay have played 50 times, with each team notching 25 victories. The Wildcats took three of five from the Otters last season, but in their last meeting, Monterey Bay beat the 'Cats 7-6 in 10 innings during the 2015 CCAA Championship Tournament.
Chico State has had quite a bit of success at home against the Otters, winning 13 of the 19 games played at University Softball Field.
