In sports, things can get interesting pretty quickly. The Chico State softball team lifted the lid on the 2020 season with a bang last weekend, notching five straight wins—including a 4-0 shutout of 10th-ranked Concordia Irvine. Yet mere days after capturing the Concordia Kickoff Classic championship, the No. 20 Wildcats are faced with another challenge as another undefeated team, Cal State Monterey Bay, comes to University Softball Field for an important series that could set the tone for California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play. The four-game set begins Friday with a noon doubleheader, followed by a twin bill Saturday at 11 a.m.
Fans can follow the action on the Internet with Live Stats, accessible through the Wildcat Athletics website. Live streaming video will also be available online.
It's always a battle when the Wildcats and Otters go head-to-head. Chico State beat Monterey Bay six straight times between 2017 and 2019, but the Otters have won the last four meetings, including a 3-1 victory over the Wildcats in last season's CCAA Championships. The all-time series between the two teams is deadlocked at 34 wins apiece.
The 5-0 Wildcats and 4-0 Otters are anxious to start the 40-game conference season on a positive note.
Monterey Bay, which finished 29-25 last year, was picked to finish fifth in the conference in the CCAA preseason coaches' poll. The Otters got the 2020 season off to a successful start by winning a pair of games against both Menlo College and the University of Antelope Valley last weekend in Seaside.
The Otters hit a combined .359 and averaged eight runs a contest in their first four games, while the Monterey Bay pitching staff allowed just one earned run and struck out 32 batters in just 26 innings.
Chico State outscored its Concordia Kickoff Classic opponents 22-5 last weekend, batting a collective .294, rapping out a dozen extra-base hits, and stealing 10 bases. The Wildcats pitching staff posted a 0.80 earned run average and struck out 37 batters over the five games.
This weekend's series features no less than five All-CCAA selections from last year. The Wildcats will utilize the services of pitcher Brooke Larsen, shortstop Kristin Worley, and first baseman Reilani Peleti, while the Otters counter with senior pitcher Hayley Fein and junior infielder Alyssa Burt.
