49ers Travel to Hawai'i for Tournament
LBSU Collects 34 Receiving Votes in Latest Top 25 Poll
March 2, 2004
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Quickly:
Long Beach State (10-4) travels to Honolulu for the 4th annual Kipa Aloha Malihini Softball Tournament, March 4-7. Long Beach State opens the tournament versus Siena (0-0) at 11:00 a.m. and Southern Illinois (9-2) at 1:00 p.m. Both times are HST. LBSU faces College of Charleston (10-2) on March 5 at 3:00 p.m., then host Hawaii (7-10) at 7:00 p.m. Again times are listed HST. Winners and Losers Brackets will be played March 6-7. The 49ers are coming off a 4-0 loss to the No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins on Feb. 29. Long Beach State is 2-4 versus Top-25 teams this season. The 49ers collected 34 Receiving Votes (Ranked No. 26) in the latest ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. It was the third straight week that LBSU had Receiving Votes in the poll. Kipa Aloha Malihini Tournament Info:
March 4
Long Beach State vs. Siena (11:00 a.m.)
Long Beach State vs. Southern Illinois (1:00 p.m.)
Siena vs. Charleston (3:00 p.m.)
Hawaii vs. Southern Illinois (5:00 p.m.)
Hawaii vs. Charleston (7:00 p.m.)
March 5
Southern Illinois vs. Siena (11:00 a.m.)
Southern Illinois vs. Charleston (1:00 p.m.)
Long Beach State vs. Charleston (3:00 p.m.)
Hawaii vs. Siena (5:00 p.m.)
Hawaii vs. Long Beach State (7:00 p.m.)
March 6
#4 Seed vs. #5 Seed (10:00 a.m.)
#2 Seed vs. #3 Seed (12:00 p.m.)
#1 Seed vs. Winner of Game #1 (2:00 p.m.)
Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2 (4:00 p.m.)
March 7
Loser #3 vs. Winner of Game #4 (10:00 a.m.)
Winner Game #2 vs. Winner Game #3 (12:00 p.m.)
Winner Game #5 vs. Winner Game #6 (2:00 p.m.)
Winner Game #6 vs. Winner Game #7 (4:00 p.m.) UCLA Round-Up (2/29/04)
UCLA 4, Long Beach State 0
The No.1-ranked UCLA Bruins defeated Long Beach State, 4-0 on Feb. 29 behind Stephanie Ramos, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Keira Goerl collected her ninth win of the season after pitching seven innings, allowing five hits and three strikeouts. UCLA broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a run, and added three more in the bottom of the fifth. Marcel Torres suffered the loss, her first of the season, after going 4.1 innings, allowing all four runs. Meredith Cervenka pitched 1.2 innings, and retired two. Colleen Burdick, Arleigh Thorp, Jamie Farnworth, Roxanne Staniorski, and Melanie McCauley collected all five hits for The Beach. Leading Off:
Long Beach State (10-4) travels to Honolulu for the 4th annual Kipa Aloha Malihini Softball Tournament, March 4-7. Long Beach State opens the tournament versus Siena (0-0) at 11:00 a.m. and Southern Illinois (9-2) at 1:00 p.m. Both times are HST. LBSU faces College of Charleston (10-2) on March 5 at 3:00 p.m., then host Hawaii (7-10) at 7:00 p.m. Again times are listed HST. Winners and Losers Brackets will be played March 6-7. The 49ers are coming off a 4-0 loss to the No. 1-ranked UCLA Bruins on Feb. 29. Long Beach State is 2-4 versus Top-25 teams this season. The 49ers collected 34 Receiving Votes (Ranked No. 26) in the latest ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll released on Tuesday. It was the third straight week that LBSU had Receiving Votes in the poll.
Moving Closer to The Top 25:
Long Beach State collected 34 Receiving Votes in the latest ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll released on March 2. It is the third consecutive week that LBSU collected Receiving Votes in the poll. If the poll were expanded to the Top 30, LBSU would rank No. 26.
LJ OK:
Lauren Johnson posted her best season in a 49er uniform last season, and has shown no signs thus far of slowing down in 2004. She generated both runs in the pair of 1-0 victories on Feb. 20 versus No. 4-ranked Washington and Ohio. LJ went 3-for-3 with a .429 batting average in the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego (2/20-21) with three runs, a double, and an RBI. She connected for her seventh RBI of the season in the fifth inning versus Iowa State on 2/21. Johnson went 6-for-15 in the UCSB Early Bird Tournament with three runs and four RBI, and one home run. Johnson has also added two stolen bases to her totals this season as well. Johnson went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the 49ers come-from-behind victory versus Illinois-Chicago on Jan. 30. Johnson hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning versus Oregon State to give Long Beach State a 5-1 lead and eventual win. Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI in LBSU's 4-1 win over San Diego State on Feb. 7. Johnson is batting .297 with seven runs, seven RBI, 11 hits, and two stolen bases.
Double-Duty:
Junior Transfer Marcel Torres has been very productive in both the circle and at the plate this season. Torres was named the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week (2/24) and has accumulated a 5-1 record and a 1.19 ERA in 35.1 innings pitched, allowing just six runs on 29 hits, and 20 strikeouts. Torres picked up her second victory of the season versus Santa Clara on Jan. 31 when she allowed one run on four hits and three strikeouts in seven innings. Torres pitched seven shutout innings in a 4-0 win over Santa Clara on Feb. 8. Torres shutdown No. 4-ranked Washington allowing just four hits in a 1-0 victory on Feb. 20. Torres has also been efficient at the plate, notching a .216 batting average with eight hits (three doubles) and three RBI, and two runs scored. Torres knocked in two runs in the fifth inning at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 31.
Torres Earns League Honor:
Marcel Torres, of the Long Beach State softball team, was named the Big West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the league office on Feb. 24. Torres (Diamond Bar, Calif.), pitched a shutout against the No. 4-ranked Washington Huskies last Friday at the 14th Annual Campbell/Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State. The junior went 7.0 innings, and allowed just four hits, and issued two walks with four strikeouts, in the 1-0 LBSU victory. Torres shared the award with Pacific's Natalie King.
Cerv-ing Some Heat
2003 Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year Meredith Cervenka has been quite productive in the circle for the 2004 campaign. Cervenka has compiled a 5-1 record with a 1.48 ERA, allowing nine runs on 28 hits and a team-high 31 strikeouts. Cervenka collected her second win at UC Santa Barbara allowing one run on two hits in LBSU's 8-1 victory. Cervenka pitched 7.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and six strikeouts in a 4-0 win over Santa Clara on Feb. 6. She pitched her second shutout of the season versus Ohio on Feb. 20, and registered a season-high nine strikeouts versus Iowa State on 2/21. Cervenka, in fact recorded her 300th career strikeout versus Santa Clara on 2/6. Cervenka has 316 career strikeouts, sixth most in program history. Her five wins have given her 40 for her career, tied for seventh most in school history.
Gunning for 300:
Lindsey Knoff is one strikeout away from recording career strikeout No. 300. Knoff is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, but could see playing time in the Hawaii Tournament this weekend . Knoff moved to No. 6 all-time in innings pitched this season (19.0) with 558.5 career innings pitched.
Six is Good:
Not only did senior short stop Jamie Farnworth hit her first career home run on Jan. 30 in the season opener versus Oregon State, she tacked on two more in the UCSB Early Bird Tournament for a total of three for the season. Farnworth was selected as the Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week, for the period ending Feb. 12. Farnworth (Upland, Calif.) has helped Long Beach State jump out to a 10-4 mark this season, after posting a team-best .306 batting average, with six runs, three home runs, and seven RBI, and a .920 fielding percentage. Farnworth connected for her first career home run on opening day in a 5-1 win over Oregon State on January 30 at the UCSB Early Bird Invite in Santa Barbara. She followed that performance up the same day with a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning versus Illinois-Chicago, to give Long Beach State a 5-4 victory over the Flames. Despite falling to the top-ranked Bruins at the Long Beach State Invitational on 2/7, Farnworth went 2-for-3 with a double off Bruin All-American pitcher Keira Goerl. Farnworth has also compiled a .611 slugging percentage and a .422 on base percentage this season. Farnworth was a Big West All-Conference honorable mention last season, and will play for the Greek Olympic team in this year's Summer Olympics in Athens.
Double Down:
The school record holder in career-doubles (38), Arleigh Thorp, has already connected for four this season, to go along with a .214 batting average, with seven runs scored, and seven RBI. Thorp hit a two-run home run, her first of the season in the Campbell/Cartier Classic versus Iowa State in the first inning to propel the 49ers to a 6-2 victory. Thorp moved to No. 8 all-time at The Beach this season with 65 career RBI's.
Good Hands with Gervasi in Right Field:
Freshman Kourtnee Gervasi has patrolled the right field with a 1.000 fielding percentage (16 put outs, 1 assist). Gervasi also has compiled a .231 batting average with 6 runs, nine hits (one double), and an RBI. Gervasi went 3-for-9 (.333) with two runs scored in the Campbell/Cartier Classic in San Diego (Feb. 20-21).
Burdick's Golden Glove:
Senior Colleen Burdick has been steady at first base all season with 114 put outs and five assists (no errors) for a 1.000 fielding percentage. At the lead-off slot, Burdick has compiled a .250 batting average, with 11 hits (one double, one triple), six runs, and 14 total bases.
Fast Starts:
Long Beach State has out-scored its opposition, 10-3 in the first inning this season. LBSU has also generated the bulk of its runs in the 5th inning (12) and 7th inning (11).
49ers Picked 1st:
Long Beach State was selected to capture the 2004 conference crown, according to the Big West Coaches poll released in January. The 49ers return all nine starters from 2003 that finished 17-3 in conference play. |
