The Chico State softball team has faced a whole host of challenges through the first half of the 2022 season, going head-to-head with nationally ranked schools in addition to several talented teams in and out of conference. The Wildcats' biggest challenge to date is coming up this Friday and Saturday, as the 'Cats and Cal State San Marcos—both ranked in the national Top 25 and deadlocked atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) standings—square off in Chico for a four-game series at University Softball Field.
 
The Wildcats and Cougars will get things underway with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m., then conclude the series with a Saturday twin bill scheduled for 11 a.m.
 
Fans unable to attend in person can follow the action online with live streaming video via 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. Live Stats will also be available, with links found at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, and on the Chico State softball schedule page.
 
The series features two extremely evenly-matched teams that are both riding hot streaks. Chico State, ranked No. 11 in the country in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll, is 22-4 on the season and 14-2 in the CCAA. The Wildcats have won 12 in a row and have swept three straight series, the most recent being last weekend against San Francisco State.
 
Cal State San Marcos, No. 25 in the NFCA poll (the program's first national top 25 ranking since joining the Division II ranks), is 23-3 overall and shares first place with the Wildcats in the CCAA with a 14-2 conference record. The Cougars have won four straight and nine of their last 10 contests, including a four-game sweep of Cal State East Bay last weekend.
 
Through the season's first 26 games, there's not a whole lot of difference between Chico State and Cal State San Marcos statistically, with both teams in the CCAA's top three in nearly offensive, pitching, and defensive category. The Wildcats, averaging 5.9 runs and 8.5 hits a game, are batting .311 as a team—third-best among the 10 conference teams. The 'Cats' pitching corps is third in the CCAA with a 2.13 earned run average, and leads the conference with nine shutouts and 214 strikeouts. Defensively, Chico State leads the CCAA with a .973 fielding percentage.
 
The Cougars, which averages 6 runs and over 9 hits a game, lead the CCAA in team batting average (.334) while ranking third in stolen bases (43). The San Marcos pitching staff is second in the conference in team ERA (1.96) and shutouts (8), and third in the CCAA in strikeouts (126).
 
Individually, Nina Revoir is hitting a team-high .395 (the tenth-best batting average in the CCAA), is tied for fourth in the conference in home runs (4) and runs scored (21), and ranks fifth in slugging percentage (.642), sixth in hits (32), and ninth in runs batted in (19). Alani Nguyen is tied for seventh in the CCAA with a team-best 21 RBI, while Amanda Metzger is tied for fourth in homers (4) and is eighth in the conference in runs scored (19).
 
In the pitcher's circle, Brooke Larsen in tied for the CCAA lead in wins (13) and tops all CCAA hurlers in shutouts (7), complete games (14), strikeouts (139; second-most of all Division II pitchers nationwide), and opponent batting average (.172). Larsen is also fourth in the CCAA with a 1.49 ERA. Katelyn Oldwin ranks in the conference top 10 in victories (tied for sixth with 7), complete games (tied for fourth, 6), shutouts (tied for fifth, 2), strikeouts (fourth, 66), and opponent batting average (eighth, .243).
 
Cal State San Marcos boast three of the top six hitters in the CCAA. Freshman outfielder Bianca Gutierrez is batting a conference-high .441, followed by freshman infielder Paige Donnelly with a .433 batting average and a CCAA-best 32 RBI. Freshman pitcher/infielder Savannah Coyle is sixth in the conference with a .417 batting average.
 
Lefthander Coyle (10-1, 0.98 ERA, 63 strikeouts) and freshman righty Jayline Sloss (8-1, three shutouts, 1.84 ERA) rank among the top pitchers in the CCAA.
 
Chico State leads the all-time series, winning 11 of the 16 games between the two teams. The Wildcats have won the last six meetings versus San Marcos, and are a perfect 6-0 at home against the Cougars.