Call it a final tune-up before postseason play. Call it a final surge in pursuit of a second straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) regular season crown. But however you want to categorize it, the Chico State softball team's four-game set this weekend against Cal State East Bay—the final series of the 2018–19 campaign—is important to the Wildcats for a number of reasons, as head coach Angel Shamblin's squad attempts to roll into next month's conference tournament and NCAA West Regional with a full head of steam and plenty of positive momentum.
The Wildcats travel to Hayward to take on the Pioneers in doubleheader action Friday at 1 p.m., with the series concluding with a Saturday twin bill at 11 a.m. Fans can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats, available through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video is also available online.
Chico State enters the weekend series riding a wave of good news. The Wildcats are fresh off a series win against Stanislaus State, beating the Warriors three out of four last Friday and Saturday to raise their season record to 26-12 and move back into second place in the CCAA with a 20-10 conference mark. As a result, the 'Cats have re-entered the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll at No. 25, while locking down the No. 3 seed in the first NCAA West Region ranking of the season.
While Chico State has its eye on clinching one of the West's top eight seeds and the chance to compete for the national championship, the Wildcats still have a chance to finish on top of the CCAA standings. With four regular season games remaining, the 'Cats trail first place UC San Diego by a game-and-a-half. The Tritons have eight regular season games remaining.
The Wildcats take on a Cal State East Bay team that is 11-29 on the year and in 10th place in the CCAA with a 7-21 conference record. The Pioneers have lost seven of their last nine contests, including three of four last weekend against Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Chico State is 15-7 on the road this season. Because of heavy spring rains, East Bay is actually playing its first series of the season this weekend at its home ballpark, Pioneer Softball Field.
The Wildcats are batting .290 as a team in 2019, while the Pioneers are batting a collective .268. The Pioneers have some pop, ranking second in the CCAA with 25 home runs.
It's pitching where Chico State—at least statistically—seem to have a decided edge over East Bay. The Wildcats top the CCAA (and rank 13th in the nation) with a 1.75 team earned run average, and lead all conference staffs in shutouts (7), strikeouts (199), and opponent batting average (.201). The Pioneers rank last among the 11 CCAA teams with a 5.54 ERA.
Last season, Chico State swept a four-game series with East Bay February 23–24 at University Softball Field. The Wildcats have won 12 of the last 15 meetings with the Pioneers, and since 1983 lead the all-time series 67-38.
