SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 5 Cal State San Marcos softball team(13-4, 10-2 CCAA) moved up its game against Pace to Tuesday at 12 p.m. before the Cougars welcome reigning NCAA Division II National Runner-Up and No. 16 Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday doubleheader at 1 p.m. and Saturday twinbill at 12 p.m. 

LAST TIME OUT

• Despite multiple efforts to get games in, CSUSM's series at No. 20 Sonoma State was ultimately canceled due to consistent rain in Northern California.
• Prior to this weekend, the Cougars registered their third CCAA series victory after taking three of four from Chico State at home March 3-4 by scores of 2-1, 5-3, 5-7 and 8-1. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars were ranked No. 5 in last week's NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
• CSUSM remains on top of the CCAA standings with a half-game lead over second-place Sonoma State. 
• The Cougars' .423 slugging percentage is the second highest in the CCAA. 
• CSUSM has accumulated a .297 batting average, second highest in the CCAA. 
• The Cougars are second in triples per game (0.29) and third in triples (5). 
• CSUSM is averaging 1.41 doubles per game, ranking second in the conference. 
• Jillian Albayati is the CCAA slugging percentage leader at .775 while also leading in doubles per game (0.40). 
• Bianca Gutierrez and Albayati are ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the CCAA in toughest to strikeout, ranking No. 14 (54.0) and No. 28 (40.0) in Division II. 
• Madison Waymire ranks second in the conference with 1.0 runs per game average. 

 

GAMES 18-19 | PACE
Date	Tuesday, March 14
Times	12 p.m.
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	CSUSM Softball Field
Records	CSUSM (13-4) Pace (2-4)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

   

LOOK INTO PACE

• Coming from Pleasantville, New York, Pace University is in the middle of an eight-game, four-team Southern California road trip. 
• The Setters opened the trip at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday, dropping a doubleheader to the Toros by scores of 4-1 and 5-1. 
• Prior to coming to CSUSM, Pace will play a doubleheader on Monday afternoon at Concordia University Irvine. 
• The Setters will wrap up their California trip on Thursday with a twinbill at Biola. 
• Pace opened its season with a doubleheader sweep against Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2-1 (8 inn) in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.
• The Setters concluded the 2022 season with a 28-21 record at the NCAA East Regionals, defeating top-seed Adelphi, 6-0, before falling to Caldwell, 3-2. In their rematch against Adelphi, Pace was shutout 4-0. 
• In the NE10 Conference, the Setters finished 2022 tied for fifth alongside Bentley with a 14-12 conference record. 
• Catcher Haley Rusbuldt is leading the Setters' offense with a .294 batting average, .588 slugging percentage, two doubles and one home run in six games. 
• 2022 D2CCA All-Region second-team selection Gisselle Garcia is the Pace ace with a 1.75 ERA in 20 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on 13 hits and five walks while striking out 27 batters. 
• Pace was picked to finish fourth in the 2023 NE10 Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

 

GAMES 20-23 | NO. 16 CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS
Date	Friday, March 17 - Saturday, March 18
Times	March 17 - 1 p.m. (DH) March 18 - 12 p.m. (DH)
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	CSUSM Softball Field
Records	CSUSM (13-4, 10-2 CCAA) CSUDH (13-6, 5-3 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

 

SUPER REGIONAL REMATCH

• The last time these two teams faced each other was in the 2022 NCAA Super Regionals in San Marcos where the Cougars took game one 3-2 in 13 innings before falling 10-2 (6 inn.) and 3-1. 
• The Toros went on to claim NCAA Divison II National Runner-Up honors after falling to 2022 National Champion Rogers State. 
• CSUDH began the season ranked No. 2 in the NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, but the Toros have since dropped to No. 16 after going 6-3 in nonconference play to begin the season. 
• The Toros opened CCAA action with a series split at Cal State San Bernardino before taking two home wins over San Francisco State with the final two games of the series being canceled due to rain. 
• Rain followed CSUDH to Northern California two weekends ago where the Toros only got two games in against Cal Poly Humboldt, splitting their doubleheader with a 7-0 win before falling 2-0 in the nightcap. 
• In their bye week, the Toros swept Pace in a doubleheader on Sunday, 4-1 and 5-1. 
• The Toros lead the CCAA with a 1.27 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. 
• CSUDH is recording the second-best on-base percentage (.362) in the conference. 
• The Toros are tallying a 2.80 strikeout-to-walk ratio, ranking second in the CCAA. 
• Alyssa Olague and Sara Bhatt are No. 1 and No. 3 in ERA in the CCAA at 0.79 and 0.88, respectively. 
• Bhatt is the CCAA leader with a 4.38 hits allowed per seven innings average. 
• The Toros have a slight edge in the all-time series against CSUSM at 16-15. 
• When playing in San Marcos, CSUSM is 7-8 against CSUDH. 
• CSUDH was picked to finish second in the 2023 CCAA Preseason Softball Coaches Poll.

    

COUGAR OUTLOOK

• CSUSM has 17 returners for the 2023 season, including 2022 All-CCAA honorees Paige Donnelly (first team), Savannah Coyle (first team), Bianca Gutierrez (first team) and Jayline Sloss (second team). 
• The Cougars will have seven newcomers this season with six freshmen and one transfer.
• Athletically, the Cougars are made up of 13 redshirt sophomores, five true sophomores and six true freshmen.
• CSUSM was picked to repeat as conference champions in the 2023 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

 
THE EWING FILE

• 2022 CCAA Coach of the Year Stef Ewing enters her fifth season in charge of the Cougar softball season.
• The Cougars finished the 2022 historic season surpassing all expectations by winning the program's first CCAA Regular-Season Championship with a 28-8 conference record while going 45-14 overall and hosting the NCAA West and Super West Regional as the top seed. 
• In her four seasons, she has coached two NFCA All-American third team selections, seven All-CCAA honorees (three first team selections), a CCAA Newcomer of the Year and CCAA Freshman of the Year. 
• Ewing captured her first win as a collegiate head coach on Feb. 17, 2019 as the Cougars recorded a walk-off 5-4 victory over Concordia Portland at CSUSM Softball Field.
• Ewing has complied a 79-61 (.564) in her five seasons at CSUSM. 
• 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.