The Chico State softball team gets the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference schedule underway this weekend, and right out of the gate the Wildcats face one of the toughest opponents they will see all season. The 'Cats, ranked No. 19 in the country in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Top 25 poll, travel to Seaside to take on No. 12 Cal State Monterey Bay. The four-game series begins Friday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., followed by a Saturday twin bill at 11 a.m.
Fans can follow the action online with Live Stats. Live video broadcasts of the games are available for purchase on the CCAA Network. For $9.95 per month, fans can access every Chico State game—home and away—along with all live and archived CCAA matchups.
Links to streaming video and Live Stats are available at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, and on the softball schedule page.
The Wildcats boast an 8-2 record heading into their series with Cal State Monterey Bay. In its final pre-conference tune-up, Chico State won four of five last weekend in Tucson, Arizona at the Desert Stinger Tournament. The Otters are 6-1 on the young season, and are coming off a doubleheader sweep last weekend against No. 22 Biola.
Though both teams are averaging five runs a game and hitting over .300 at the start of the year, the series could boil down to a succession of pitcher's duels. Brooke Larsen of the Wildcats, the reigning CCAA Softball Pitcher of the Week, is 5-1 with a 1.71 earned run average, and leading the conference in strikeouts (65) and complete games (6). The Otters counter with righthanders Cassie Gasper and Jensen Main—Gasper (3-1) has allowed just one earned run in 27 innings so far in 2022, while Main (3-0) has yet to be scored upon in 20.2 innings of work.
Chico State outfielder Tayler Berens begins the week as the CCAA's leading hitter, batting .615 through the Wildcats' first 10 games. Shortstop Rachael Bles (.423 batting average) and outfielder Nina Revoir (.370) are also providing the 'Cats with consistent offensive production in the early going.
Monterey Bay's offense is led by Ally Alcayaga, who ranks third in the CCAA with a .550 batting average. Alcayaga is complemented by infielder Oli Perez (.533 batting average), outfielder Ivana Perez (.462), and infielder Alyssa Burt (.364).
Chico State holds a 38-34 advantage in the all-time series against Cal State Monterey Bay. The last time the two teams met, the Wildcats swept a four-game series February 7–8 at University Softball Field. But the 'Cats have had their struggles at the Otter Sports Complex, having lost 11 of 14 on Monterey Bay's home field dating back to 2012.
