The Chico State softball team has waited long enough. After months of offseason weightlifting, workouts and practice games, the Wildcats are sitting on go for the start of the 2016 campaign. The first official cry of "Play Ball!" goes up this weekend, as the 'Cats take on Academy of Art Saturday and Dominican Sunday in a pair of non-conference doubleheaders at University Softball Field.
Saturday's twinbill with the Urban Knights gets underway at 12 noon, with Sunday's double dip slated to start at 11 a.m. Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats via the Wildcat Athletics website, with live streaming video also available online for game one of Saturday's doubleheader. Live video will be available for both games of Sunday's twinbill.
Chico State finished 2015 with an overall record of 29-22 and made the program's first postseason appearance in three years. The Wildcats return many of their key players from last season, including four All-California Collegiate Athletic Associations (CCAA) selections, the school's all-time home run and stolen base leaders, and the entire pitching staff. Add a pair of skilled junior college transfers and six true freshmen with impressive high school credentials, and the 'Cats feel they have the ingredients to contend for the CCAA crown and earn the program's fifth trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament since 2010.
The Wildcats are picked to finish fourth in the CCAA in 2016, according to the annual coaches' conference preseason poll.
Alli Cook is once again a fixture at the top of the Chico State lineup. The senior center fielder and First Team All-CCAA selection batted .337 in 2015 and posted over 20 steals for the third straight season, making her the top base thief in Chico State history.
For the fourth straight year, Desiree' Gonzalez will be the team's main power source at the plate. The senior first baseman combined extra-base punch and average in 2015, posting personal bests in batting average (.360) and slugging percentage (.607) while smacking seven round trippers and driving in 39 runs. For her efforts, Gonzalez earned the second All-CCAA Honorable Mention of her career.
The all-important pitching staff features some familiar names back in the circle. Haley Gilham will look to improve on a spectacular 2015 season that saw her post a 16-11 record and 2.59 earned run average to earn First Team All-CCAA honors and the conference's Freshman of the Year Award.
Senior Brooke Langeloh, another All-CCAA selection, is coming off her best season in a Wildcat uniform, winning 11 games in 2015 while striking out a team-high 102 batters.
Senior Cheyenne Sandoval (1-0, 2.30 ERA in 15 relief appearances last season) and junior Cailin Garmon (1-2, 2.80 ERA) will be counted on to provide some quality innings out of the 'Cats' bullpen.
Among the eight newcomers expected to make an impact for the 'Cats are two junior transfers from Odessa College in Texas.
Cyrena Taylor will be asked to add some pop to the middle of the Wildcats' lineup. Taylor hit .387 with five homers and 54 RBI last season for Odessa, earning First Team All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) and National Junior College Athletic Association All-Region honors.
Adding speed both offensively and defensively will be outfielder Sarah Galaviz. The Moreno Valley native was a First Team All-WJCAC selection after hitting .387 and stealing 17 bases last season at Odessa College.
Academy of Art, Chico State's Saturday opponent, comes to Chico after opening the 2016 season with a Thursday home doubleheader against nationally-ranked Humboldt State. The Urban Knights were 28-26 in 2015 and finished fourth in the Pacific West Conference with an 18-14 conference mark.
Among Academy of Art's main offensive weapons are senior catcher Elise Oldham (.329/seven home runs/38 RBI in 2015) and a pair of All-Pac West recipients, sophomore infielder Samantha Klume (.318, four homers last season) and sophomore pitcher Brenna Mitchell (a 20-game winner with 150 strikeouts last year).
The Wildcats lead the all-time series with the Urban Knights 4-1. Saturday marks the first time since the 'Cats swept a doubleheader Feb. 17, 2012 that Chico State and Academy of Art have met on the softball diamond.
Dominican, also a member of the Pac West Conference, has already opened its 2016 season, dropping both ends of a doubleheader last Saturday against Cal State Monterey Bay. The Penguins will host Cal State East Bay in a Saturday twinbill before traveling to Chico to face the Wildcats Sunday.
Dominican posted a 14-32 record in 2015 and finished eighth in the Pac West with an 11-20 conference mark.
The Penguins are led by All-Pac West second baseman Catlyn Cavender. The junior won the team's triple crown with a .375 batting average, 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Another All-Pac West selection, junior pitcher/utility player Katelyn Harden, hit .316 a year ago and led the Dominican pitching staff with nine victories.
Sunday will be the first Chico State-Dominican softball matchup since the 2014 Best of the West Tournament in Turlock. The Wildcats have won all five meetings with the Penguins dating back to 2011.
