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Zoe Ballen
Greg Siller

Softball

No. 25 CSUSM Faces No. 11 Chico State on the Road

SAN MARCOS, Calif. –  The No. 25 Cal State San Marcos softball team (23-3, 14-2 CCAA) will face its first nationally-ranked team this weekend when the Cougars travel to No. 11 Chico State (22-4, 14-2 CCAA) for a four-game CCAA series beginning with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Friday. 

LAST TIME OUT

  • The Cougars collected their second CCAA series sweep of the season last weekend, recording four victories over visiting Cal State East Bay by scores of 3-1, 4-3 (10 inn.), 8-0 (5 inn.) and 3-2. 
  • CSUSM pitching held the Pioneers to just a .173 batting average and tallied three times more runs (6 to 18) than CSUEB.
  • Bianca Gutierrez led the Cougar offense this past weekend, recording six hits and four runs.
  • Gianna Lombardi knocked out her first home run of the season and second of her collegiate career.
  • All three CSUSM starting pitchers recorded wins against the Pioneers.

BY THE NUMBERS

  • CSUSM made its first-ever appearance in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll at No. 25 on Tuesday.
  • CSUSM is off to its best start since moving to NCAA Division II in 2016.
  • After beginning the season 1-1, the Cougars went on a 13-game win streak (Feb. 5-25), their longest since moving to NCAA Division II. The program's record is 22 consecutive wins set between Feb. 18 - March 21, 2012 when CSUSM competed at the NAIA level.
  • Just 16 games into conference, the Cougars have already abolished their conference win record. The previous record was 11 CCAA wins which CSUSM passed with a 4-3 10-inning victory in the Friday nightcap against Cal State East bay.
  • The Cougars are supporting a .334 batting average, the highest in the CCAA and 19th best in the nation of teams with 20 or more games played. 
  • CSUSM's pitching has been outstanding as well with a 1.96 ERA in 178.1 innings, ranking second in the CCAA and 11th in the nation (teams >125 IP). 
  • Savannah Coyle's remains the only pitcher in all of NCAA Division II to record four saves this season. 
  • Paige Donnelly leads the CCAA with nine doubles (No. 25 in D2),  32 RBIs (No. 6 in D2), 1.28 RBIs per game (33rd in D2) and .791 slugging percentage (73rd in D2).
  • Bianca Gutierrez is the toughest player to strikeout out in the CCAA with just one strikeout in her 68 at-bats this season.
Ryann Steiner
Photo Credit: Greg Siller
GAMES 27-30 | CHICO STATE
DateFriday, March 18 - Saturday, March 19
TimesMarch 18 - 1 p.m. (DH)
March 19 - 11 a.m. (DH)
LocationChico, Calif.
VenueWildcat Softball Field
RecordsCSUSM (23-3, 14-2 CCAA)
CSUSB (22-4, 14-2 CCAA)
Live StatsSidearm Stats
Live Video ($)CCAA Network
COVID-19 Policy2021-22 CCAA Universities Spectator Policies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSIDE THE WILDCATS

  • Chico State is on a 12-game win streak, recording three consecutive sweeps over Cal State San Bernardino, Cal Poly Humboldt and San Francisco State.
  • The Wildcats opened CCAA play with a series split at Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 18-19, taking each of the doubleheader openers, 2-0 and 8-0 (6 inn.) before falling in the nightcaps, 0-7 and 6-9.
  • Chico State has only played four games at home this season, hosting CSUSB to close out the month of February.
  • CSUSM and Chico State sit on top of the CCAA standings with an identical 14-2 record in conference play.
  • The Wildcats lead the CCAA in shutouts with nine, ranking fourth in the nation.
  • Chico State has the 10th-best fielding percentage (.976) in the nation among teams who have played more than 20 games.
  • A two-time CCAA Pitcher of the Week honoree already this season, Brooke Larsen leads the nation with 14 complete games and 13 wins.
  • CSUSM is 5-11 in the all-time series against Chico State and is 0-6 when playing in Chico.
  • The Wildcats were picked to finish first in the 2022 CCAA Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

COUGAR OUTLOOK

  • After seeing their 2020 season canceled after 19 games and sitting out the entire 2021 season, CSUSM returns 11 student-athletes from the 2020 season in Marissa Alvarez, Nikki Andelin, Zoe Ballen, Mayca Brown, Bianca Gutierrez, Gianna Lombardi, Kayla Mack, Sabrina Morales, Klarissa Munoz, Jamie Ponce and Ryann Steiner. 
  • Seven Cougars will take the field in Cougar blue for the first time this season - Paige Donnelly, Rachel Jardim, Mackenzie Kestler, Sammie Olivo, Jackie Ramirez, Morgan Salgado and Madison Waymire.
  • Joining the team in 2022 as true freshmen are Aneesa Arredondo, Savannah Coyle, Makenzie Guiliano, Delaney Prater and Jayline Sloss.
  • CSUSM was picked to finish eighth in the 2022 CCAA Softball Preseason Coaches Poll.

THE EWING FILE

  • Head coach Stef Ewing enters her second fourth in charge of the Cougar softball season, finishing the 2020 shorten season due to COVID-19 pandemic with a 7-12 record that ended with an exhibition game against Team USA that was preparing for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
  • Ewing captured her first win as a collegiate head coach on Feb. 17th as the Cougars won 5-4 in a walk-off over Concordia Portland at CSUSM Softball Field.
  • She previously served as the assistant coach at New Mexico State where she helped the Aggies to three WAC Regular Season Conference Championships and two WAC Conference Tournament Championships.