• CSUSM fell 5-2 to Chico State on the first day of the CCAA Tournament on May 2. In the new format, the first round was single elimination before returning to the regular double-elimination format. 
• Mackenzie Kestler's bat caught fire as she drove both runs in on a two-out RBI double before crushing a solo home run. 

• Head Coach Stef Ewing is seven wins away from her 100th victory as a head coach, all achieved at CSUSM. 
• The Cougars are fourth in the CCAA with a .274 batting average.
• CSUSM has the second-highest slugging percentage in the conference at .389.
• The Cougars are third in the CCAA with 0.46 home runs per game and 21 home runs this season. 
• CSUSM also ranks fourth in the conference with 1.22 doubles per game. 
• With 137 walks this season, the Cougars are third in the CCAA. 
• CSUSM boasts the fourth-lowest ERA in the CCAA at 2.43. 
• Paige Donnelly is second in the CCAA with 0.59 walks per game and third in with a .479 on-base percentage.
• Madison Waymire is right behind Donnelly in walks per game, ranking third in the CCAA at 0.57. 
• Bianca Gutierrez is the fourth-toughest CCAA Player to strikeout, averaging one strikeout per 23.2 at-bats. 

WEST REGIONAL PREVIEW

• This marks CSUSM's second consecutive appearance in the NCAA West Regional after making its debut last season as the No. 2 seed and host of one of the pods. 
• Four teams will be competing in the West Region Pod at Sonoma State -  2022 West Region Champion and No. 2-seeded Cal State Dominguez Hills, No. 3-seeded Sonoma State, No. 6-seeded Cal State San Marcos and No. 7 seeded Azusa Pacific. 
• The other West Region Pod is being hosted by top-seeded Concordia University Irvine and consists of No. 4-seeded Cal State San Bernardino, No. 5-seeded Northwest Nazarene and No. 8-seeded Chico State. 
• The Cougars entered the 2022 West Regional as the top seed in their pod. After falling 4-0 to Northwest Nazrene in their opening game, the Cougars went on a tear, taking down Cal State Monterey Bay 5-0 and getting revenge on Northwest Nazarene with a 4-0 victory. CSUSM defeated Sonoma State on championship day twice with a 4-3 10-inning victory before clinching their ticket to the West Super Regional with a 3-1 win. 
• After securing a 3-2 victory in 13-innings against Cal State Dominguez Hills in the 2022 West Super Regional opening game, the Cougars fell 10-2 in six innings and 3-1 to see their historic season come to a close. 

SONOMA STATE BREAKDOWN

• Sonoma State won its first CCAA Regular-Season Championship this season, finishing with a 23-8 conference record. 
• Entering the CCAA Tournament as the top seed, the Seawolves went 1-2 with losses to Chico State (3-0) and CSUDH (5-1) in addition to one win against CSUSB (6-5, 8 inn.). 
• CSUSM and SSU did not face each other this season due to heavy rain in Rohnert Park on March 10-11. 
• The last time these two teams played each other was when the Cougars ended the Seawolves' season in 2022 in the West Regionals by scores of 4-3 (10 inn.) and 3-1 on May 14. 
• CSUSM is 8-16 when playing SSU and 2-6 at Seawolf Softball Field. 
• The Seawolves are the best offensive team in the West Region with a .309 batting average and .449 slugging percentage.
• 2023 CCAA Most Valuable Player Anna Zoia-Buescher is boasting a West Region-best .471 batting average and 74 hits. 
• SSU's pitching staff is stellar as well, ranking second with a 1.74 ERA behind CCAA leader Charlie Johnson (1.15) and fifth-ranked Bailee Reed (1.81). 

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.

• 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 93-76 (.550) 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.