49ers Face Southern Utah, Travel to SDSU
LBSU to Compete in Aztec Invitational
February 21, 2006 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE
4-3, 0-0 Big West
home: 1-0 • away: 0-0 • neutral: 3-3
Quickly:
The Long Beach State softball team (4-3) returns home to face Southern Utah for a double-header at the 49er Softball Complex (1 pm), before traveling to San Diego for the 2006 Aztec Invitational, Feb. 23-25. Junior Michelle Turner was named the Big West Pitcher of the Week on Monday (Feb. 20).
About Southern Utah: Southern Utah is 1-6 on the season. Long Beach State defeated SUU, 11-6, at the Alexis Resort Softball Classic in Las Vegas back on Feb. 10. Ashley Christians leads the offense with a .462 batting average. The Southern Utah pitching staff has an ERA of 5.09.
About the Aztec Invitational: Long Beach State competes in the eight-team tournament, Feb. 23-25. The 49ers take on San Diego State (host), Colorado State, Kentucky, Western Kentucky, and Wagner College. Games played at the SDSU stadium can be followed on GameTracker (http://goaztecs.collegesports.com)
Last Week Recap: The Long Beach State softball team upset the No. 2-ranked UCLA Bruins, 1-0, at Mayfair Park on Feb. 15. Junior transfer Michelle Turner pitched a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts over seven innings of work for her second win of the season. Long Beach State evened its record to 3-3, while UCLA suffered its first loss of the season to fall to 5-1. UCLA had outscored its opponents 54-7 prior to Feb. 15's contest. It was the first win over UCLA since the 2002 season. Junior Kourtnee Gervasi provided the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the fourth inning when her single thru the right side plated Turner, who reached base on a throwing error by UCLA shortstop, Jodie Legaspi. Turner allowed just one hit after the fourth inning.
After rain cancelled Friday's action, the Long Beach State softball team played one game in the Commercial Classic (hosted by UC Santa Barbara), and defeated Tulsa 6-2 on Saturday. The win improved the 49ers to 4-3 on the season. Michelle Turner was dominant in the circle and at the plate, going 1-of-4 with an RBI double, while allowing just two runs on eight hits and seven strikeouts, for her third win of the season. Long Beach State broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with Turner's double down the left field line to plate Wedell, to give LBSU the 2-0 lead. The 49ers then opened up a 5-0 lead on Tulsa in the top of the sixth inning. After Brooke LeSage and Kourtnee Gervasi led off the inning with back-to-back singles, Ashley Weber singled to left field to score LeSage. Wedell soon followed with a big single to center field to score both Goad (pinch runner) and Gervasi. After Tulsa scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Long Beach State added one more run on a LeSage solo home run over the left field wall. Wedell finished 2-of-3 with three RBI and a run scored, while LeSage was 2-of-3 with two runs scored.
Turner Named Pitcher of the Week: Junior Michelle Turner was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Turner (Buena Park) compiled a 2-0 record last week with a 1.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts.The junior transfer from UCLA defeated her old team when she pitched a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts over seven innings in Long Beach State's 1-0 win over the No. 2-ranked Bruins last Wednesday (Feb. 15). Despite heavy rains in the Santa Barbara area, Long Beach State managed to play one game in the Commercial Capital Classic and defeated Tulsa, 6-2. Turner allowed two runs and struck out a season-high seven batters en route to her third victory in the circle. Turner is 3-2 this season with a 1.00 ERA and 32 strikeouts.
News & Notes
Quick Storylines in ‘06
• Long Beach State will try and win its third consecutive Big West Title (6th overall) in program history
• The 49ers were picked second, behind CS Fullerton in the annual Big West Pre-Season Coaches Poll, released in January
• Long Beach State lost three first-team all-conference performers last year (Meredith Cervenka, Lauren Johnson, Marcel Torres). Cervenka was a three-time BWC Co-Pitcher of the Year, while Torres was a two-time BWC Co-Pitcher of the Year
• Keep an eye on: Jonae Perez, Michelle Turner, Jessica Beaver, and Tiffanie Wedell. Perez was the 2005 Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year. Beaver had an outstanding Fall season and should be in the starting line-up. Wedell has been the staple at second base for the 49ers. She was a 2005 Big West Honorable Mention, and Michelle Turner is a transfer pitcher from UCLA.
• Long Beach State has a very young squad, featuring eight newcomers (six freshmen). Michelle Turner and Lindsay Russo are both junior transfers
• The 49ers play five opponents ranked in the Top-15 (UCLA, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, and Northwestern) this season. Long Beach State is 1-2 vs. teams ranked in the Top 25 this season
Aztec Invitational (Full Schedule)
Date Game Time
Feb. 23 Colorado State vs. Western Kentucky 12:00 PM
Feb. 23 SDSU vs. Western Kentucky 2:15 PM
Feb. 23 San Diego State vs. Long Beach State 4:30 PM
Feb. 23 Colorado State vs. Long Beach State 6:45 PM
Feb. 24 Indiana State vs. Loyola Marymount 9:00 AM
Feb. 24 Long Beach State vs. Kentucky 11:15 AM
Feb. 24 Kentucky vs. Colorado State 1:30 PM
Feb. 24 Loyola Marymount vs. Colorado State 3:45 PM
Feb. 24 Western Kentucky vs. Wagner 6:00 PM
Feb. 24 San Diego State vs. Wagner 8:15 PM
Feb. 25 Long Beach State vs. Western Kentucky 9:00 AM
Feb. 25 Long Beach State vs. Wagner 11:15 AM
Feb. 25 Indiana State vs. Colorado State 1:30 PM
Feb. 25 San Diego State vs. Kentucky 3:45 PM
Feb. 25 Wagner vs. Loyola Marymount 6:00 PM
Feb. 25 Kentucky vs. Indiana State 8:15 PM
Feb. 26 Wagner vs. Indiana State 9:00 AM
Feb. 26 *Kentucky vs. Loyola Marymount 9:00 AM
Feb. 26 San Diego State vs. Indiana State 11:15 AM
Feb. 26 *Western Kentucky vs. Loyola Marymount 11:15 AM
*Games played at SDSU campus field – no gametracker
All other games played at SDSU stadium field
A Look Inside the Numbers:
Long Beach State has been most productive in the third and fifth innings of games this season. The 49ers have scored a total of 12 runs in the third inning and 12 in the fifth inning. However, LBSU has been out-scored 13-4 in the sixth and seventh innings of games this season.
Player Notes
#3 Tiffanie Wedell
• Leads the team with a .435 batting average (10-for-23) with five runs scored and five RBI
• Has scored a run in five of the seven games played this season
• Had a five-game hitting streak (Feb. 10-12)
• Had three RBI in LBSU's 6-2 win over Tulsa on Feb. 18
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the season opening win vs. Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 10)
• Went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in the 11-6 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 10)
# 15 Michelle Turner
• Big West Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 20)
• Leads the 49ers with two HR and 15 RBI this season, and has compiled a .250 batting average
• Has 32 strikeouts in the circle with a 3-2 record and a 1.00 ERA
• Pitched a five-hit shutout with six strikeouts (no walks) in LBSU's 1-0 win over UCLA on Feb. 15. Also scored the game-winning run in that contest
• Made her 49er debut by pitching a one-hit shutout (with five strikeouts) in the 4-0 season-opening win over Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 10. Turner also connected for a two-run home run in the fifth inning of that game
#2 Jessica Beaver
• Has hit three doubles this season
• Has compiled a .261 batting average with four runs and three RBI
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in the season opening win over Illinois-Chicago (Feb. 10)
• Went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored, including a three-run double in the fifth inning in LBSU's 11-6 win over Southern Utah on Feb. 10
#16 Kourtnee Gervasi
• Has a current six-game hitting streak (Feb. 10-18)
• Second on the team in batting average (.412), with three runs and three RBI
• Hit .500 for the week (Feb. 15-18) with a run and an RBI...Had the game-winning RBI in the 1-0 win over UCLA on Feb. 15
• Hit an RBI single in the third inning of LBSU's 11-6 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 10)
#8 Brooke LeSage
• Hit her first home run of the season in the top of the seventh inning in LBSU's 6-2 win over Tulsa on Feb. 18
• Hit .500 for the week (Feb. 15-18) with two runs and an RBI
Other 49er Notables...
Jonae Perez had a run and RBI in the 4-0 win over Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 10; she also has four walks on the season...Melanie McCauley scored two runs in LBSU's 11-6 win over Southern Utah on Feb. 10...Brianna Goad has scored five runs this season (t-1st) on the team... |
