Conference Title on the Line
Also an NCAA Playoff Berth
May 9, 2006 PDF VERSION of this RELEASE 28-19, 11-4 Big West
home: 15-7 • away: 6-6 • neutral: 7-6 Quickly:
The Big West Conference Title is on the line as Long Beach State concludes the regular season with a three-game tilt at UC Santa Barbara, May 12-13. The 49ers are 11-4 in conference, as is CS Fullerton. The Titans host UC Riverside this weekend. If LBSU and CSUF finish the regular season with identical league records, then both will be declared Co-Big West Champions. However, CS Fullerton will get the automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs after winning 2-of-3 from The Beach in April.
About UC Santa Barbara:
The Gauchos swept UC Riverside last weekend behind junior pitcher Jennifer Davis' efforts in the circle. Davis posted an impressive 0.32 ERA for the week, allowing just one earned run in 22.0 innings of work. Christine Ramos is hitting .341 at the plate, while Davis has posted a 17-13 record in the circle with a 2.73 ERA.
UC Davis Recap:
Lacy Tyler had three hits and Michelle Turner notched her 23rd win in the circle to help lead Long Beach State to a 5-2 win over UC Davis on Sunday from La Rue Field. The win helped LBSU (28-19) clinch the series. Turner tied Meredith Cervenka and Tammy Dietrich for third place on the single-season wins chart (23) after allowing two runs on six hits and four strikeouts. Tyler finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Brooke LeSage also enjoyed a multi-hit game (2-for-3 with two RBI). The 49ers jumped on the board early in the first inning after Jessica Beaver's sacrifice fly scored Breezy Goad. Tyler then connected for a single through the left side to plate Tiffanie Wedell to give The Beach a 2-0 lead.A LeSage RBI single in the fourth inning and a bases loaded walk to score Wedell in the fifth gave LBSU a 4-0 lead before UC Davis scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 4-2. Panita Thanatharn's RBI single in the seventh inning to plate LeSage put the game out of reach for the Aggies (15-36).
The 49ers earned a split with host UC Davis, falling in game one, 1-0, and rebounding with an 8-3 win in the nightcap on Saturday (May 6). Lindsay Tognetti pitched a one-hit shutout and got help in the fourth inning when Nikki Sheldon's double scored Ashley Johnson in the games' only run. LBSU starting pitcher Michelle Turner suffered her ninth loss of the season, allowing one run on seven hits with four strikeouts. The 49ers left eight runners on base in the first game. Long Beach State responded in game two with an 8-3 win to even the series. LBSU got on the board with a three-run first inning as Davis' starting pitcher, Stacey Benzing walked in two runs (Jonae Perez and Jessica Beaver) with the bases loaded. Tiffanie Wedell's run came on an error by Davis first baseman, Sarah O'Neill. UC Davis answered in the second inning with two runs to cut the lead to 3-2, and managed to tie the score a 3-3 in the third inning, before Long Beach State took the lead for good in the fourth inning after Beaver's RBI scored Breezy Goad. Long Beach State added four runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. Both Wedell and Perez connected for a pair of RBI singles in the inning. Lacy Tyler collected her second straight victory in the circle, allowing three runs on six hits. Wedell finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Headlines 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, and Tiffanie Wedell. Perez was the 2005 Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year. 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 seven newcomers (six freshmen). Michelle Turner is a junior.
• The 49ers have played six opponents ranked in the Top-25 (UCLA, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, Mississippi State, and Northwestern) this season. Long Beach State is 2-6 vs. teams ranked in the Top 25 this season
Big West News:
The final week of the softball regular season is here, and three teams remain in contention to capture the Big West championship and automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Co-leading Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State have the best shots, while Cal Poly, at two games back needs a series sweep and some help from the Titans and 49ers to enter the winner's circle.
Cal State Fullerton (33-22, 11-4) took two of three games from Cal Poly (25-22, 9-6) in a crucial Big West series last week to tie Long Beach State (28-19, 11-4) for the top spot. The Titans host last place UC Riverside while the 49ers travel up the coast to fourth place UC Santa Barbara. The Mustangs trek to Pacific for their regular season series finale.
By virtue of winning the season series against both Long Beach and Cal Poly, the Titans hold the tiebreaker edge in determining which school gains the Big West‚s automatic postseason berth in the event of a co-championship. The 49ers would capture the bid by faring better in their series with UCSB than Fullerton does against the Highlanders, or in a two-way tiebreaker with Cal Poly based on taking the season series with the Mustangs. Cal Poly needs to sweep Pacific and hope that CSF and LBSU get swept by their opponents to claim the prize.
The Titans are 15-1 all-time against the Highlanders and have not lost a Big West series this season. The Highlanders have lost six of their 13 league contests by a single run. The 49ers have won eight of the last nine meetings against the Gauchos. They need two wins to reach the 30-win plateau for the fifth consecutive year. UCSB is riding a four-game winning streak and could end up in third place in the league standings with a strong showing coupled with a Cal Poly collapse.
The Mustangs followed up an eight-game winning streak by losing three of their last four games. Pacific has defeated Cal Poly seven straight times. The Tigers have lost eight of their last nine games after being in first place three weeks ago.
Cal State Northridge is making a late season surge, winning seven of its last nine. The Matadors would finish above .500 with a sweep of future Big West member UC Davis.
No Sweeps Here:
Long Beach State has not been swept in a conference series since the 2002 season. And just to let you know, LBSU won 20 straight conference series from April 26, 2003 to April 9, 2006. The streak was snapped at CS Fullerton on Apr. 15, 2006. After its series win over Pacific (Apr. 29-30), LBSU has won 21 of its last 22 conference series since April of 2003.
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 29 runs in the third inning and 37 in the fifth inning. ...The 49ers are 17-2 when leading after four innings (4-13 when trailing after four innings; 7-4 when tied after four innings)...Long Beach State is 2-6 vs. teams in the Top 25 this season, and 13-4 vs. teams ranked in the West Region...According to warrennolan.com, Long Beach State's RPI is 39th with a strength of schedule rank of 35...Furthermore the website figures that UCLA and Arizona rank 1-2 in the RPI, while Northwestern ranks No. 7. (LBSU defeated both Northwestern and UCLA this season).
Player Notes
# 15 Michelle Turner (Big West Pitcher of the Year Candidate)
>>> Six-time Big West Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 20, Mar. 13, Mar. 20, Apr. 3, Apr. 10, May 1)
>>> Pitched the seventh perfect game in school history (was the sixth player to throw a perfect game) and added a career-high 11 strikeouts in Long Beach State's 8-0 win over Mercer on Mar. 10
>>>Established another school and conference record with her sixth Big West Pitcher of the Week selection on May 1. Turner tied Meredith Cervenka on Apr. 3 as the only other player in program history to garner four Pitcher of the Week honors
>>>Became the eighth pitcher in school history to win at least 20 games in the circle for a single season on Apr. 23
>>Tied Meredith Cervenka and Tammy Dietrich for third place on May 7 for most wins (23) in a single season
>>Moved to No. 2 for most strikeouts in a single-season (170) after the UC Davis series (May 6-7), passing Kristi Fox who had 167 in 2000
• Leads the 49ers with four HR and 24 RBI this season, and has compiled a .246 batting average
• Has a team-high 13 doubles
• Has 170 strikeouts in the circle with a 23-9 record and a 1.56 ERA. She has walked just 17 batters all season
• Turner notched her seventh shutout of the season in game one vs. Pacific (4/29), allowing just two hits, no walks, and nine strikeouts in the 1-0 win. In fact at one point, Turner recorded seven straight strikeouts.
• Went 3-0 for the week of Apr. 17-23, and recorded 23 strikeouts with just three earned runs and five walks.
• Turner picked up two wins in the circle (Apr. 8-9) and posted her sixth shutout of the season after Long Beach State's 1-0 win over Cal Poly (4/9). Turner allowed just four hits and struck out five. She also produced the RBI single in the first inning, scoring Breezy Goad from third base.
• Collected wins No. 13 and 14 at CS Northridge (Apr. 2). In game one, Turner allowed just two runs on four hits to go along with six strikeouts in the 3-2 victory. Moreover, the 49ers rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a three-run sixth inning. Turner held strong in the bottom half of the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a hit...Also went 2-for-4 with two doubles in G2
• Recorded her fifth shutout of the season in the 1-0 win over Utah Valley State on Mar. 19
• Tossed a three-hitter to lead Long Beach State to a 4-1 victory over Wichita State to open the Hillenbrand Invitational (Mar. 3)
• Had two 2-run home runs and nine strikeouts in the circle to lift Long Beach State to a 7-4 win over South Florida at the Hillenbrand Invitational (3/4)
• Tossed a three-hit shutout and went 2-for-4 from the plate with a pair of RBI in LBSU's G1 win over Southern Utah (Feb. 22)
• Went 2-for-2 with a run and RBI vs. Wagner on Feb. 25
• 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
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in ERA (1.56)
• Ranks No. 2 in the Big West in Opp BA (.206)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Wins (23)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in K's (170)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in Doubles (13)
#2 Jessica Beaver
• Connected for her third HR of the season (first career grand slam) in the fifth inning to help lift Long Beach State to a 5-1 win over CS Fullerton on Apr. 19
• Hit the game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of G2 to lift LBSU to a 5-3 win over Utah Valley State on Mar. 19
• Has two of Long Beach State's six triples this season
• Has compiled a .218 batting average with 22 runs and 22 RBI
• Connected for a three-run triple vs. Mercer on Mar. 10
• Hit .267 at the Hillenbrand Invitational, Mar. 3-5, with two runs, one HR, and three RBI. Hit a two-run home run in the first inning in LBSU's 4-1 win over Wichita State (3/3)
• 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
# 1 Breezy Goad
• Has posted a .258 batting average and has scored a team-high 27 runs
• 9-for-13 on stolen base attempts (No. 6 in the Big West)
• Had the game-winning RBI with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning in G3 vs. UC Riverside on Apr. 23
• Scored the game-winning run in G3 vs. Cal Poly in the first inning (4/9)
• Went 2-for-3 with a run scored in LBSU's 8-4 G2 win at CS Northridge on Apr. 2
• Was 2-for-4 with a solo HR in the first inning vs. Northwestern on Mar. 25
• Hit the game-winning RBI single in the seventh inning of G1 to help LBSU to the 1-0 win on Mar. 19...Hit .429 in the double-header vs. Utah Valley State (3-for-7)
• Hit .357 at the Long Beach State Invitational (Mar. 10-12), including a 4-for-5 performance with four RBI vs. Syracuse on Mar. 11
#3 Tiffanie Wedell
• Hitting .259 with 22 runs scored and 17 RBI
• Has had two five-game hitting streaks (Feb. 10-12, Feb. 23-Mar. 3)
• 8-for-9 in stolen base attempts (No. 10 in the Big West)
• Posted a .500 batting average in the UC Davis series (May 6-7) with four runs, two RBI, and a triple...Wedell finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI in G2 (May 6)
• Hit .500 (4-for-8) with three runs and two RBI on the Pacific series (May 6-7)...Had the key hit in G3 of the series when her two RBI single gave LBSU a 7-2 lead
• Went 2-for-4 with two RBI including an RBI double in the seventh inning of G2 at CS Northridge (Apr. 2)
• Went 2-for-3 with a run and RBI vs. Kentucky on Feb. 24
• 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)
#16 Kourtnee Gervasi
• Posted a .714 batting average (5-for-7 with two runs and an RBI) in the Pacific series (Apr. 29-30)...Scored the game-tying run in G3 on a wild pitch in the first inning...Had an RBI double also in G3
• Hit .500 at CS Northridge (3-for-6 with a run scored) on Apr. 6
• Connected for a three-run HR in the fourth inning vs. Northwestern to tie the score at 5-5 (Mar. 25)...The 49ers went on to win 6-5.
• Had a six-game hitting streak (Feb. 10-18)
• Hitting .255, with 17 runs and 13 RBI
• Had a .444 batting average at the Long Beach State Invitational (Mar. 10-12), with three runs, three doubles, and an RBI
• Hit her first home run of the season with a two-run shot in the second inning vs. South Florida on Mar. 4
• Posted a .500 batting average 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)
49er Notables...
Jonae Perez is hitting .400 in conference play and .310 overall (No. 1 on the team) this season...Perez went 4-for-4 with three RBI in G3 vs. Pacific on Apr. 30...Jessica Beaver has six RBI and six runs scored in BWC play...Opponents are hitting just .188 vs. Michelle Turner in league play (She is also 10-1 in league play)...Lacy Tyler earned her second win in the circle after she had a one-hit shutout thru 5.1 innings and LBSU leading 1-0 in G2 vs. Pacific on Apr. 29...Tyler won her second consecutive start in G2 at UC Davis on May 6, allowing three runs on six hits...Brooke LeSage hit for a team-high .600 average in the UC Davis series (May 6-7) with three RBI and a run scored |
