The Chico State softball team kicked off the 2018 season with a bang, winning five straight games and taking top honors in last weekend's Desert Stinger Classic. The No. 21 Wildcats have little time to savor those accomplishments, though, as they dive headlong into California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. The 'Cats travel to Southern California for a four-game series with Cal State San Bernardino, with doubleheaders starting Friday at 12 noon and Saturday at 10 a.m.
 
Fans can follow the series action online with Live Stats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website.
 
Chico State draws a very tough conference-opening opponent in Cal State San Bernardino. The Coyotes, 38-21 and an NCAA Championship Tournament participant last year, also went 5-0 in the Desert Stinger Classic, averaging over nine runs and 10 hits a contest.
 
The Wildcats batted .341 as a team during the Desert Stinger Classic, averaging eight runs and nine hits a game, while blasting nine home runs. Chico State's pitching staff was nearly untouchable at the Desert Stinger, allowing just four runs in the five tournament games and posting a collective 0.90 earned run average.
 
This weekend's series between the 'Cats and 'Yotes features some of the best hitters in the conference. Senior catcher Jessica Brown, a First Team All-CCAA selection last year, hit .529 at the Desert Stinger Classic, with two home runs and eight RBI. Junior outfielder Dominique Walker knocked in seven runs for San Bernardino, while Samantha Vacko, a sophomore transfer from East Tennessee State, batted .600 in the tournament, scoring six times.
 
Chico State counters with Desert Stinger MVP and reigning CCAA Player of the Week Wendy Cardinali. The junior shortstop batted .500 at the Desert Stinger with two home runs and seven RBI, with sophomore center fielder Kristin Worley (.500 BA, a CCAA-high five stolen bases) and junior outfielder Ari Marsh (.400, 7 RBI) figuring heavily into the Wildcats' offensive attack. Junior Bailey Akins and senior Karli Skowrup each hit two home runs during the season-opening weekend.
 
Cal State San Bernardino is expected to be one of the conference's top teams in 2018, and is picked to finish fourth in the CCAA preseason coaches poll. Chico State is picked to finish second in the poll, and even garnered three first place votes.
 
The Wildcats and Coyotes faced each other six times in 2017. The last time the two teams met, Chico State knocked San Bernardino out of the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional May 12 with a 5-3 win. Earlier in the season, the 'Cats took three out of four from the Coyotes at University Softball Field. Since 1983, Cal State San Bernardino leads the series, 43-42.