SAN MARCOS, Calif. – After a weekend off due to a rain-canceled series at Cal Poly Humboldt, the No. 7 Cal State San Marcos softball team (10-5, 4-4 CCAA) is anxious to get back on the field to host San Francisco State (5-11, 2-6 CCAA) for a four-game series beginning with a doubleheader on Friday at noon before wrapping up with a Saturday twinbill at 11 a.m. 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Cougars did not compete last weekend due to heavy rain and field conditions at Cal Poly Humboldt. 
• The previous weekend, the Cougars went 1-3 against Sonoma State at CSUSM Softball Field. 
• CSUSM took the opening game 3-2 in eight innings before falling 13-12, 1-0 and 7-4 in the final three. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Cougars have stayed in the No. 7 spot the last two weeks in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. 
• CSUSM is one of four teams from the West Region featured in the Top 25 joining No. 14 Western Washington, No. 21 Northwest Nazarene and No. 24 Concordia University Irvine. Cal State Dominguez Hills is receiving votes. 
• In their first 15 games of the season, the Cougars have already tallied nine double plays, ranking them first in the CCAA and 10th in Division II. 
• CSUSM's four shutouts this season remain a CCAA best. 
• The Cougars have the highest on-base percentage in the CCAA at .394. 
• The CSUSM pitching staff has the second-highest ERA at 2.44. 
• The Cougars are boasting a 2.23 strikeout-to-walk ratio, the second highest in the CCAA.
• Madison Waymire is averaging a CCAA-leading 1.20 runs per game. 
• Jayline Sloss has accumulated six victories this season, ranking her second in the CCAA.
• Savannah Coyle's conference-high three saves rank third in Division II. 
• Sloss and Coyle rank first and third in the CCAA in ERA at 0.78 and 2.07, respectively. 

 

GAMES 16-19 | SAN FRANCISCO STATE
Dates	Friday, March 8 - Saturday, March 9
Times	March 8 - 12 p.m. (DH) March 9 - 11 a.m. (DH)
Location	San Marcos, Calif.
Venue	CSUSM Softball Field
Records	CSUSM (10-5, 4-4 CCAA) SFSU (5-11, 2-6 CCAA)
Live Stats	SideArm Stats
Live Video ($)	CCAA Network
Tickets	HomeTown Ticketing

   

THIS WEEKEND AGAINST THE GATORS

• The Gators dropped a four-game series at Cal State Monterey Bay last weekend, splitting Friday's doubleheader with a 5-4 loss in the opener before bouncing back with a 3-2 win in the nightcap. SF State dropped both ends of Saturday's twinbill, 4-0 and 8-3. 
• SF State also fell 1-3 in its conference-series opener at Cal State San Bernardino, winning the series opener 4-3 before falling 7-2, 15-14 and 8-4 in the final three games. 
• The Gators have the worst fielding percentage in the CCAA at .953 with 24 errors in 16 games. 
• SF State is tallying a CCAA-high 21 sacrifice bunts this season. 
• The Gators are right on CSUSM's heels with eight double plays, ranking second in the CCAA. 
• Marley Gonzales ranks 15th in Division II with a conference-best 0.38 sacrifice bunts per game. 
• Kai DeLeon's nine stolen bases and 0.56 stolen bases per game ranks her second in the CCAA. 
• The Gators lead the all-time series at 13-15 but CSUSM has won six of the last eight contests between the two teams. 
• In 2023, CSUSM split its series in San Francisco as the Cougars won the series opener (4-3) and closer (7-6) with losses in the middle games (6-0, 5-3). 
• SF State was picked to finish seventh in the 2024 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

COUGAR OUTLOOK

• CSUSM has 14 returners for the 2024 season, including 2023 All-CCAA second-team honorees Savannah Coyle, Madison Waymire, Jillian Albayati, Paige Donnelly and Gianna Lombardi.
• The Cougars have nine newcomers this season with six freshmen and three transfers.
• Athletically, the Cougars are made up of six redshirt juniors, six true juniors, one redshirt sophomore, four sophomores and six true freshmen.
• CSUSM was picked to finish second in the 2023 CCAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• The Cougars' 51-game schedule includes 26 home contests, 23 road games and two neutral games

 

THE EWING FILE

• 2022 CCAA Coach of the Year Stef Ewing enters her sixth season in charge of the Cougar softball season and has a 109-83 (.568) overall record as a head coach.
• Ewing and Assistant Coach A.J. Robinson were named the 2023 NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year. 
• In 2023, the Cougars won the school's first West Regional team title and punched their ticket to the NCAA Division II National Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 
• In her five seasons, she has coached two NFCA All-American third-team selections, 13 All-CCAA honorees (four 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.
• The 2024 squad's first win of the season was Ewing's 100th as a coach, a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Chaminade at the CUI Kickoff Classic on Feb. 2. 
• 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.