Long Beach State University Athletics
Softball Continues Big West Play At Cal State Northridge
4/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 1, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete Softball Release in PDF Format 
This Week:
No. 14 Long Beach State 49ers (27-9, 3-0 Big West) at
CS Northridge Matadors (13-16, 2-1 Big West)
Dates: Saturday, April 5; Sunday, April 6
Times: Noon (DH), Noon
Location: Northridge, Calif.
Next Week:
Cal Poly Mustangs (15-13, 3-0 Big West) at
No. 14 Long Beach State 49ers (27-9, 3-0 Big West)
Dates: Saturday, April 12; Sunday, April 13
Times: 1 p.m. (DH), 1 p.m.
Location: 49er Softball Complex
North To Northridge
Conference play continues for the Beach this week, as the No. 14 49ers head north for their second Big West series against Cal State Northridge. The teams start the series on Saturday, April 5 with a doubleheader starting at Noon, and will continue the next day with the third game also starting at Noon on Sunday. All three games will be available on Gametracker through www.longbeachstate.com.
Scouting Cal State Northridge
Despite coming in to the weekend with a record under .500, the Matadors have still been dangerous in two ways that the teams are meeting this weekend. CSUN has a 6-2 record while playing Matador Diamond this year, and took two of three from Pacific last weekend in their first conference series. Mercedes Lovato leads a trio of Matador pitchers, having already throwng 128.1 innings while appearing in all but one game, and Amanda Peek leads the hitters with a .457 batting average and 20 RBI.
Long Beach State vs. the Matadors
Long Beach State holds a slim edge in what has been a long series with Cal State Northridge, having won 43 games to 38 for the Matadors. Long Beach State took two of three last year, as Kelly Cross threw a one-hitter in a 1-0 win, and Jessica Beaver and Lacy Tyler combined for four hits in the finale, a 5-3 win for Long Beach State. That marks a larger trend of recent success, as the 49ers had swept Cal State Northridge in each of the four years prior dating back to 2003.
A Question Of Strength
Entering Big West play, Long Beach State was the owner of the nation's hardest schedule, ranking No. 1 in the strength of schedule lists ahead of three 49er opponents, Kentucky, Northwestern and Florida along with No. 2 Alabama. Representing themselves well, the 49ers finished non-league play with a record of 24-9 and have a 7-6 record against ranked opponents on the year, winning seven of their last nine games against a ranked opponent after an 0-4 start. Long Beach State's record against the Top 10 is even more impressive, as the 49ers have gone 3-1, beating two No. 5s and a No. 8 this season, taking down Florida, Texas A&M and Northwestern respectively.
Opening Up
The first weekend of conference play couldn't have gone much smoother for Long Beach State, as the 49ers rolled to three wins against UC Davis on the road in Davis. The toughest test for the Beach came in the opener as Jessica Hancock dueled with Brooke Turner in a 1-0 win for the Beach, as Turner struck out eight to hold on for the win. The 49ers blasted a season-high three home runs in the second game Saturday on the way to an 8-3 win, and Turner punched out seven on the way to a second shutout, winning 4-0 after a Danielle Linke triple brought home the go-ahead run.
In The Ranks
A sweep of UC Davis in the team's opening weekend of Big West conference play was convincing enough to hold the 49ers even at No. 14 this week in their top ranking. This week marks the second week at No. 14 for Long Beach State in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. In the other poll, the Beach moved to No. 17, continuing to move up as the wins pile up for Long Beach State. The 49ers are unlikely to move much in the near future, with their biggest chance to impress coming in two weeks as the 49ers host preseason conference favorite Cal Poly on April 12-13.
Terrific Turner
One of the bright spots for Long Beach State in 2008 has been the play of pitcher Brooke Turner. The sister of Michelle Turner, a former 49er and Big West Pitcher of the Year, Brooke has wasted no time rewriting the 49er record books. In her first start against San Diego, Turner set a school record with 15 strikeouts, and topped that record against No. 5 Florida, giving the 19-0 Gators their first loss with 16 punchouts. Named the National Player of the Week on March 4, Turner has been named the Big West Pitcher of the Week six times this season and took the No. 5 spot in the top ten list among single-season strikeouts in school history after picking up 15 last week in two shutout victories.
And The Other Half Of The Battery
Calling most of those games has been Brooke LeSage, Long Beach State's senior catcher and batting leader through 36 games. LeSage is hitting .326 and reaching base at a .436 rate, leading the team in both categories. Also dangerous on the basepaths, LeSage is leading the team in steals with seven, proving she can move after getting on first. In her career, LeSage ranks in the LBSU top 10 in walks, and has 13 this season to go with seven bean balls.
The Record Books
Senior Jessica Beaver's attack a number of records highlights the career accomplishments for a group of seniors that are climbing up the career lists. Beaver hit another home run, her 18th of her career to move closer to the top spot in career home runs, and is now just six RBI away from becoming the career leader at Long Beach State. Beaver also ranks in the top ten in stolen bases, doubles, and runs scored in what has been an impressive four-year career. Jonae Perez' .333 Big West batting average has helped her maintain her spot among the most consistent career hitters, and Lacy Tyler joins Beaver in the doubles list along with joining LeSage in the top 10 in walks. Rounding out the list, Brooke Turner entered the Top 10 single-season strikeout marks and will try to reach her sister's 2006 mark of 187 along with the school record of 191 set by Michelle Cervenka.
This And That
Long Beach State leads the Big West in both ERA and opposing batting average, all while going to a relief pitcher just once all season ... combine that with a conference-best .974 fielding percentage and it shows how the team leads the league with a 27-9 overall record ... Danielle Linke's six triples lead the league, as do Jennifer Griffin's 25 walks, a pair of conference leaders from LBSU's first-year players ... Griffin's total ranks sixth in single-season school history, and has a good chance to take the single-season record this year ... Griffin's walk total is also helped by her five intentional passes, the only player afforded such respect on the 49ers this season.
