Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State Softball Hosts UC Santa Barbara On ESPN3
4/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Long Beach, Calif. -
LEADING OFF
• After last week's sweep on the road at Cal Poly, Long Beach State stands alone in first place in the Big West, and will try to hold onto that position while hosting three games against UC Santa Barbara. All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN3, starting with a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., and then the series will conclude at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
• The Beach has won three straight series, and at 7-2 entering the week in conference play, has a one-game lead over Cal State Fullerton.
• Sophomore Nichole Fry has been the key hitter for Long Beach State thus far in 2017. The shortstop has started 39 games and is hitting .289 while leading the team with a .456 slugging percentage and reaching at a .406 rate. Fry leads the team in doubles, triples, walks and HBP and has scored 24 runs this season. Fry also had the game-winning hit in two of the three games last weekend at Cal Poly.
• Cielo Meza's return to the circle has been a big part of Long Beach State's conference turnaround. Since returning on March 28, Meza has not allowed a run in 23 innings pitched while striking out 21, and has posted a 3-0 record. Meza struck out 85 batters in 67.2 innings pitched before missing the second half of the 2016 season with injury, and her recovery stretched through the first 30 games of 2017.
• Long Beach State has gotten an lift from Iowa transfer Sammi Gyerman. The senior graduate transfer has played in all 40 games for Long Beach State, starting 39 and is hitting .328, best on the team. Her 41 hits rank among the conference leaders, and her five stolen bases also lead the 49ers.
• Christina Clermont returns for her third season with Long Beach State after earning first-team All-Big West honors in each of her first two seasons at LBSU. The 2015 Big West Co-Pitcher of the Year, Clermont went 23-12 one season ago and struck out 205 batters in 230.1 innings pitched. In 2017, Clermont leads the team with 122.1 innings pitched, and has a 9-8 record with a 2.86 ERA and one save.
• Clermont is within striking distance of a number of career records as Long Beach State. The senior now ranks fourth place in career strikeouts at LBSU, and she now has 52 wins which ranks 9th in school history.
WHAT'S THE SCORE
• All games played at the LBSU Softball Complex can be followed through StatBroadcast at www.beachlivestats.com. Long Beach State will also have live radio at selected broadcasts through KBEACH.org.
PLAYER NOTES
• Rachel Loera has been a great surprise for Long Beach State this season. The junior had just 19 at-bats entering the season, but is now second on the team with a .315 batting average, having scored eight runs and hitting two triples in 18 starts on the year.
• What began as a quick start is turning into a tremendous season for Hannah Cookson. The junior cooled off after fast starts in her first two seasons at the Beach, but has been one of the best hitters on the team in 2017. Her .304 batting average is third on the team, while she is one of three players slugging over .400 on the year.
• Jessica Flores had an outstanding series at Cal Poly, and was a big part in the series win. The junior college transfer lived up to her utility position designation, pitching 8.0 scoreless innings on the way to the win in game one, and then drove in the winning run in the 9th inning of game two. On the year, Flores has thrown 52.1 innings in the circle with five starts and has made nine starts in the outfield.
• Freshman Devyn Magnett has also been an important part of the pitching staff in 2017. Making three early relief appearances before making her first start against Utah, Magnett combined in a no-hitter on opening day with Clermont, and has now pitched 69.2 innings this year. She has now made eight starts, and has posted a 4-6 record with a 4.42 ERA.
• Freshman Aniesa Maulupe has delivered at the plate in 2017, leading the team with 16 RBI on the year. Walking nine times, Maulupe has driven in multiple RBI a team high four times this season, including four in Long Beach State's win over Oregon State.
• Junior LT Torres has all but one game for the Beach over the last three seasons at second base, and is hitting .238 this season, but reaching at a .331 rate. Another junior, Lauren MacLeod, has stepped up in the absence of Lauren Lombardi, starting 35 games behind the plate and hitting .211 on the year. MacLeod had a great weekend in Santa Clara, hitting .462 including a grand slam against Grand Canyon.
• Julia Lombardi has played well of late, and recently had an 11-game hitting streak, the longest of the year for the Beach. After a slow start, her batting average is now .248, and her six doubles and 14 RBI are both second on the team this season.
• Both Lombardi sisters are climbing the power ranks at Long Beach State. Having each played two seasons, Lauren ranks seventh all-time with 17 home runs in her career, while Julia Lombardi joined the top 10 with a home run against UC Davis. Additionally, Lauren now ranks 10th in LBSU history with 82 RBI in her career.
• Tierra Falo is leading the team with three home runs this season after hitting solo shot against Grand Canyon in Santa Clara. Falo has driven in eight runs, and has walked 13 times, second best on the team.
• Mattie Scheele and Kelli Finan have split time at third base this season, with Scheele getting the majority of the starts. Scheele has twice driven in a crucial run, once with the game-winner against Indiana and then again vs. Northwestern, bringing home the first run of the game in a 2-1 extra inning victory.
THIS AND THAT
• In addition to the three games this weekend being broadcast live, the series finale between Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State will be shown live on ESPNU at 1 p.m. on April 30.
• Twice named Big West Coach of the Year, Kim Sowder completed her 10th season in 2016 as head coach at Long Beach State, her Alma Mater, where she was an All-American shortstop. Sowder is now fifth place in career wins as a member of the Big West, and the 11th year coach now has 352 wins at the helm of the Beach.
• Once again Long Beach State will play one of the best schedules in the country. The 49ers played 11 teams ranked in the coaches' preseason poll, and an additional six teams receiving votes in the same poll. The team will also play at home for a record 29 games, all at the LBSU Softball Complex.
• Among the games of note at home in 2017 were single game against #8 Washington on Valentine's Day, Long Beach State's annual tilt with #10 UCLA on March 11, and a three-way round-robin contest between Long Beach State, #5 Arizona and defending national champions #9 Oklahoma.
• That schedule paid dividends in strength of schedule and quality wins, and Long Beach State's latest series victory at Cal Poly lifted the Beach to No. 59 in the most recent RPI.
• Long Beach State is one win away from reaching the 20-win plateau for the 34th straight season.
