SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The No. 15 Cal State San Marcos softball team (16-7, 12-4 CCAA) ventures up to Northern California for a four-game CCAA series at San Francisco State (9-12, 2-8 CCAA) this weekend. The Cougars begin the series with a doubleheader on Friday at 1 p.m. before wrapping up with a Saturday doubleheader at 11 a.m.  

LAST TIME OUT

• Due to expected heavy rainfall in the LA area, CSUSM's non-conference doubleheader at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday was postponed. 
• The Cougars split their series against then-No. 17 Cal State Dominguez Hills last weekend, dropping Saturday's doublheader by scores of 3-1 and 5-0 before recording back-to-back walkoff wins on Sunday with identical 7-6 scores with the nightcap going eight innings.
• In Sunday's twinbill opener, Jillian Albayati hit a one-out walkoff homer on a 3-2 count to lift the Cougars to victory.
• Aneesa Arredondo's walkoff RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning secured a series split for CSUSM.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars dropped to No. 15 in the most recent NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll.
• CSUSM is second in the CCAA standings, a half-game behind leader Sonoma State (18-4, 12-3 CCAA). 
• The Cougars rank second in four categories - slugging percentage (.425), batting average (.294), double plays (9) and double play per game (0.39). 
• The Cougars lead the CCAA in triples per game (0.26) with Madison Waymire recording a conference-leading three this season and ranking 39th in the nation. 
• CSUSM is averaging 1.39 doubles per game, ranking third in the conference.
• The Cougars' 11 home runs rank third in the CCAA. 
• Jillian Albayati continues to be the CCAA slugging percentage leader at .709 while ranking second in walks per game (0.57) and third in toughest to strikeout (27.5). 
• Waymire ranks second in the conference with 1.0 runs per game average. 
• Savannah Coyle is third in the CCAA, averaging 5.0 hits allowed per seven innings. 
• Paige Donnelly has been beaned four times this season, ranking her third in the CCAA.

 

GAMES 24-27 | SAN FRANCISCO STATE
Date	Friday, March 24 - Saturday, March 25
Times	March 24 - 1 p.m. (DH) March 25 - 11 a.m. (DH)
Location	San Francisco, Calif.
Venue	SFSU Softball Field
Records	CSUSM (16-7, 12-4 CCAA) SFSU (9-12, 2-8 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network

 

SHOWDOWN IN SAN FRANCISCO

• The Cougars swept the Gators in San Marcos last season. 
• After winning the series opener 8-1, the Cougars got a walk-off home run in the ninth inning by Morgan Salgado to claim the nightcap at 7-6 against the Gators.  
• CSUSM claimed a 3-0 victory in the second doubleheader opener against SF State before the Cougars collected their second walk-off of the series – a grand slam by Ryann Steiner in the bottom of the sixth to record an 11-1 mercy-rule victory. 
• This season, the Gators were swept by Sonoma State to begin CCAA play on Feb. 17-18 by scores of 9-0 (5 inn.), 11-0 (6 inn.), 11-0 (5 inn.) and 8-0 (5 inn.). 
• SF State was only able to get in one doubleheader in Carson the following weekend due to rain, dropping back-to-back games 4-3 and 7-6 to then-No. 13 CSUDH. 
• Last weekend, the Gators split their series at Cal Poly Humboldt by winning the first two games 2-1 and 4-3 (8 inn.) before falling 9-3 and 11-1 (5 inn.) the next day.
• SF State is 0-4 at home in conference action this season. 
• The Gators rank last in the CCAA in batting average (.213), hits (99), on-base percentage (.276), scoring (2.52) and WHIP (1.70). 
• SF State ranks third in the conference with eight double plays and 23 sacrifice bunts this season
• Marissa Jordan and Marley Gonzales are tied for first in the CCAA in sacrifice bunts per game (0.29). 
• The Gators have a slight edge in the all-time series at 13-11, but CSUSM has won six of the last 10 games. 
• The last time CSUSM played on SFSU's home field was in 2017 went they split the series, winning to the two middle games by scores of 2-1 and 3-2 and dropping the series opener and closer, 6-1 and 4-3 (8 inn.). 
• The Gators have only played 10 conference games this season and are currently ninth in the CCAA standings, 2.5 games ahead of last place Stanislaus State. 
• SF State was picked to finish seventh 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 82-64 (.562) 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.