May 13, 2009

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LONG BEACH - Long Beach State (34-19, 15-6 Big West Conference), which received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, makes its way to the Los Angeles Regional, May 15-17, at Easton Stadium on the campus of UCLA.

The 49ers open the tournament against the No. 2 national seed and host Bruins on Friday at 3:30 p.m. Fresno State and UNLV round out the four-team regional as the Bulldogs and Rebels square off in the first game at 1 p.m.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
UCLA (41-9) earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as it won the Pacific-10 Conference championship with a 16-5 mark in league play. Katie Schroeder has paced a potent Bruin offense with a .417 batting average, 65 hits, 14 home runs and 33 RBI. Kaila Shull has also been one of the squad's top performers with a team-best 55 RBI. On the defensive end, Donna Kerr (18-6, 2.55 ERA, 221 strikeouts) and Megan Langenfeld (14-1, 0.93 ERA) have given UCLA a solid 1-2 punch in the circle.

Fresno State (36-18) also secured an automatic berth, winning the Western Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. Hayley Perkins leads the Bulldogs with a .324 batting average, .405 on base percentage and 60 hits. Michelle Moses, meanwhile, has provided the power, recording a team-high nine home runs and 30 RBI. Morgan Melloh has been Fresno State's ace on the mound as she has posted a 28-14 record, 1.48 ERA, 17 shutouts and 414 strikeouts in 297.2 innings of work.

UNLV (31-19) was an at-large selection from the Mountain West Conference, where it tied for third with a 7-8 mark in league play. Ashli Holland tops all Rebel starters with a .342 average and 52 hits, while Jaci Hull leads the squad in home runs (11) and RBI (50). Stephanie Bregante and Jessica O'Connor have both posted 11 wins in the circle with Bregante registering a team-high 89 strikeouts.

THE SERIES
Long Beach State trails in its all-time series with UCLA by a 62-9 count. The 49ers won the most recent meeting on March 8, snapping the Bruins' 18-game winning streak with a 2-1 triumph at the Long Beach Invitational. LBSU is 0-6 against UCLA in NCAA Regional action.

The 49ers also trail in their series with Fresno State by a 32-13 count, but won the last meeting, 8-0, in a six-inning affair at the Mayfair Tournament on March 1. LBSU is 2-4 against the Bulldogs in NCAA Regional action.

The Beach leads in its all-time series with UNLV by a 36-18 count. The Rebels came out on top in the most recent outing, claiming a 4-2 victory at the National Invitational Softball Tournament in San Jose (March 14). The two teams have met once in the postseason when the 49ers defeated UNLV, 2-0, at the Women's College World Series in 1990.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Long Beach State is tied for the ninth-most regional appearances in NCAA history, but has never hosted in its 19 trips to the tournament. Despite playing away from home, the 49ers have advanced to the Women's College World Series five times, with their last appearance coming in 1993.

AMONG THE NCAA LEADERS
Several 49ers rank among the NCAA leaders through games of May 10. Junior Ashley Weber is second in the nation with 0.50 sacrifice hits per game and ranks 12th on the toughest to strike out list (.039 strikeout average). Senior Jennifer Griffin ranks fifth in walks per outing (0.91/game) and 17th in doubles per game (0.32/game). On the defensive end, freshman Taylor Petty sits at No. 28 with a 1.41 ERA. As a team, The Beach also ranks among the top 35 in the country with a .970 fielding percentage.

SOWDER SURPASSES 100
In just her third season at the helm of the Long Beach State softball program, Kim Sowder has posted an impressive 102-61 (.626) overall record, becoming just the second head coach to reach the century mark in program history. Sowder joined former longtime 49er head coach and current UNLV skipper Pete Manarino in the 100-win club.