March 16, 2010

Complete Release in PDF Format

LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State softball team will host Kansas in a single game at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday (March 17) before it heads south to close out its tournament slate at the San Diego Classic II, March 19-21.

The Beach will play all of its tournament games at SDSU Softball Stadium, beginning with a 4:30 p.m. match-up against Texas A&M on Friday. The 49ers then return to the field for a Saturday doubleheader against Harvard (9 a.m.) and Oregon State (11:30 a.m.) before closing out the weekend against UMass at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

THE OPPONENTS
Kansas brings an 11-12 record to Long Beach as it split a pair of home doubleheaders against Valparaiso and Missouri State last weekend. Alex Jones leads the Jayhawk starters with a .389 batting average, while Sara Ramirez has posted a team-high six home runs and 15 RBI. Jones has also anchored a three-man pitching staff with a 3.55 earned run average and 35 strikeouts.

Texas A&M (21-6) was ranked 20th and 22nd in the USA Softball and NFCA polls, respectively. Megan May (.429) and Rhiannon Kliesing (.403) are the Aggies' top two hitters as May also has a team-best 11 doubles, nine home runs and 32 RBI. Rebecca Arbino has anchored the pitching staff with a 10-3 mark, while registering a 2.05 ERA and 76 strikeouts.

Harvard enters the San Diego Classic II with a 4-5 record as it went 2-2 at the Amy S. Harrison Classic in Riverside last weekend. Melissa Schellberg has paced the Crimson with a .304 batting average, while Rachel Brown (4-0) has led the pitching staff, picking up all four of Harvard's wins and compiling a 0.61 ERA to go along with 44 strikeouts.

Oregon State has won its last five games, improving to 10-11 on the season. Paige Hall leads the Beavers with a .446 batting average and is also the team's No. 1 pitcher, registering a 3.46 ERA and 69 strikeouts, while Mary Claire Brenner (7 HRs, 20 RBI) and Audrey Roderfeld (6 HRs, 22 RBI) have provided the power in OSU's lineup.

Massachusetts (11-4) was ranked 25th in the latest USA Today/NFCA top 25 poll. Katie Bettencourt and Kyllie Magill have paced the UMass offense as both are hitting over .400. Magill also has a team-high 21 hits and 15 runs scored. Sara Plourde is the Minutewomen's ace on the mound, compiling a 10-2 record, 1.58 ERA and 140 strikeouts.

49ERS SWEEP BIG WEST WEEKLY HONORS
After leading the 49ers to a 4-1 mark at the Long Beach State Invitational, juniors Liz Javier and Brooke Turner were named the Big West Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively.

Javier hit safely in all five of LBSU's contests to extend her current hitting streak to seven games. She collected multiple hits against Purdue, Buffalo and San Diego. Javier finished the weekend with a .533 (8-15) batting average, scoring three runs and drawing five walks.

Turner won her second consecutive Big West Pitcher of the Week award after going 2-1 in the circle. She started the weekend with a solid performance in a defeat to Notre Dame, going all seven innings and allowing three earned runs, while striking out five. Turner then went the distance in a 1-0 win over Idaho State, giving up just five hits and recording a season-high 13 strikeouts. She came on in relief in her final appearance, shutting down San Diego to help the 49ers to a 6-1, eight-inning victory. Overall, Turner registered a 1.31 ERA in 16.0 innings of work. She allowed just 14 hits, four runs (three earned) and two walks, while striking out 20.

ONE-HIT WONDER
Sophomore Taylor Petty had a strong showing at the Long Beach State Invitational, going 2-0 with a 1.40 earned run average and 21 strikeouts in 20.0 innings. Petty led The Beach to a win over Buffalo, tossing a one-hit complete game shutout. It was Petty's second career one-hitter as she accomplished the feat in her first collegiate start at San Diego in 2008. The San Pedro native also tied her season high with eight strikeouts in an 8-4 win over Purdue.

ON DECK
Long Beach State will host Illinois-Chicago in a doubleheader at the 49er Softball Complex beginning at noon on Tuesday, March 23, before heading to UCLA for a single game against the Bruins on Friday (March 26) at 2 p.m. (PDT).