Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers softball heads to Las Vegas for weekend tournament
2/15/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 15, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LONG BEACH STATE TO PLAY FIVE GAMES IN THREE DAYS AT LOUISVILLE SLUGGER DESERT CLASSIC IN LAS VEGAS: The Long Beach State 49ers will look to improve on their 4-0 record when they travel to Las Vegas for the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic this weekend. The 49ers will open the tournament on Friday against No. 12 Hawaii at 1:30 p.m., before playing Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 3:45 p.m. LBSU faces Arkansas at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and then plays Boise State at 3:45 p.m. The 49ers beat the Broncos 2-0 twice last weekend in Long Beach. The Beach wraps up the tournament on Sunday. LBSU's games on Friday will be played at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park field #1, while Saturday's games will be played at field #2. Sunday's Utah game is at UNLV.
Erin Jones-Wesley NAMED BIG WEST PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Freshman Erin Jones-Wesley has been named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week after picking up two wins in last weekend's Long Beach State Kick-Off Tournament. Jones-Wesley (Alta Loma, Calif./Los Osos HS) beat Boise State 2-0 on both Saturday and Sunday. The true freshman blanked the Broncos on Saturday throwing a complete-game three-hitter, while striking out eight. On Sunday she went the distance holding BSU to just five hits while fanning eight.
49ERS PICKED FOURTH IN BIG WEST PRESEASON POLL: Long Beach State was picked to finish fourth in the preseason conference coaches poll. LBSU recieved 39 points in the poll, just two behind Cal State Northridge for third. Cal Poly was the preseason favorite with 54 points, while UC Davis checked in second with 51 points. Both Cal Poly and UC Davis received three first-place votes.
LONG BEACH STATE OPENS SEASON WITH FOUR WINS: Long Beach State opened the 2011 season with four wins in the 49ers round robin tournament against Boise State and Loyola Marymount. LBSU got a pair of 2-0 wins over the Broncos and beat LMU 5-3 and 4-1. Erin Jones-Wesley and Taylor Petty combined to throw four complete games for The Beach, with Jones-Wesley recording two shutouts. The duo combined to strike out 36 batters with Petty fanning 20. The two 49er pitchers also limited BSU and LMU to just a .175 batting average while combining for a 1.00 ERA.
Offensively, Nalani St. Germaine led LBSU with a .571 batting average, while Caitrin DeBaun hit .500 with two RBI. Megan Denio hit .426 and Liz Javier batted .400 as the 49ers hit .278 as a team in the four games. DeBaun, Javier, and Jennifer Madigan all had two RBI to lead The Beach. Bree Stephan stole two bases over the weekend without being thrown out.
TURNER CLIMBING RECORD BOOKS: Senior Brooke Turner enters her senior season ranked among Long Beach State's career leaders in six pitching categories. The Buena Park product is already second in strikeouts and needs just 114 this season to pass Meredith Cervenka (2002-05) for the all-time lead. Turner has had at least 127 Ks in each of her three seasons at LBSU. She also ranks fifth in wins and shutouts, seventh in complete games and eighth in innings pitched and appearances. Turner didn't play in the 49ers' first four games but is expected to see action in Las Vegas.
PETTY RANKS AMONG ALL-TIME LEADERS IN TWO CATEGORIES, CLOSING IN ON OTHERS: Junior Taylor Petty also is among the school's all-time leaders in two categories and is closing in on the top 10 in a number of others. Petty heads to Vegas ninth in both strikeouts and saves. She is also needs just 10 more wins this year to move into sole possession of 10th all-time in wins at LBSU. Petty went 2-0 in the opening weekend of the season with 20 strikeouts.
JAVIER RETURNS AFTER ALL-CONFERENCE SEASON: Senior Liz Javier returns to lead the 49ers offense in 2011 after putting together a first-team All-Big West Conference season during her first year at LBSU. Javier hit .292 with a home run and 11 RBI last season.
STEPHAN BACK AFTER ALL-LEAGUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Sophomore Bree Stephan also returns for Long Beach State after being named second-team all-league last season as a true freshman. Stephan finished the season hitting .321 with a home run and 11 RBI after moving into the starting lineup in centerfield. Stephan was even better in league games batting .393 with 10 RBI in 19 Big West Conference games.
