Softball Closes Non-Conference Play With LMU DH Saturday

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State will finish non-conferenfce play by hosting Loyola Marymount for a doubleheader this Saturday at the LBSU Softball Complex starting at Noon. Both games will be streamed live via Beach Vision.

LEADING OFF
• LMU is also playing Cal State Fullerton in a three-game series starting Thursday before coming to the Beach.

• Long Beach State got back on track with an excellent weekend at the Easton Invitational, riding strong pitching to a 4-1 record in Fullerton. Ashley Coleman and Kellie White combined to allow just three runs over the course of the weekend as the Beach won four straight before taking a tough-luck 2-1 loss against Iowa State.

• Senior Nichole Fry returns for her fourth season as a starter at shortstop and catalyst at the top of the order for the Beach. She was one of 50 players selected to the preseason USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year watch list, highlighting her importance for LBSU. The senior was a first-team All-Big West selection in 2018.

• Fry has been consistent and productive for the Beach through her career. She is well-placed to finish her career ranked in Long Beach State's Top 10 in eight different categories. In addition to being Long Beach State's 10th career .300 hitter, Fry is set to join the best ever at the Beach in hits, RBI, Walks, and At-Bats. She also already sits in the top ten in triples, and can easily finish her career with the most doubles and runs scored in school history.

• Missing the first seven games of the season with injury, Fry came through in the clutch in LBSU's win over Oregon State. In extra innings, Fry's first hit of the season was a two-run walkoff home run in a 6-4 win over the Beavers. Fry also played a role in all eight of LBSU's runs in a win over #24 North Carolina, scoring three and driving in five RBI in the win.

• Senior Jamie Wren has been outstanding in 2019. Opening the season hitting .421 with 13 RBI in Las Vegas, Wren has hit a pair of grand slams in her team-leading five home runs, and is the LBSU leader in hitting at .367, slugging at .644 and RBI with 32 along with scoring 21 runs on the season. She's among the nation's leaders in RBI and has started all 27 games for the Beach.

• Wren continued to shine last week, hitting .444 with a pair of doubles and five RBI in Fullerton while scoring six runs, tied for the team lead.

• Junior Sydney McCollum has also played well in recent weeks. Hittting .471 with four doubles last week in the Easton Invitational, the junior college transfer is now batting .357, second on the team behind Wren, while leading the team in OBP at .446 and in stolen bases with four.

PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Alyssa Gonzalez tied a pair of school records against Boston, smashing a pair of home runs while knocking in seven RBI. The sophomore transfer from Ole Miss is now batting .321 and has 25 RBI, second on the team with six doubles and three home runs on the year.

• Long Beach State's other big bat in the middle of the lineup, Tierra Falo is hitting .310 on the season while starting 21 games with six walks on the year. Falo begins the season with 11 home runs and now has 73 RBI in her career at the Beach.

• Naomi Hernandez returns for the Beach following a tremendous first season that saw the outfielder earn Big West Freshman Player of the Year honors. Starting every game in 2019, Hernandez continued a hitting streak that ended at 15 games, the fourth-longest in school history, and is batting .306 with a team-leading 17 walks with on OBP of .427.

• Sophomore Justine Briones has been a steady presence for the Beach, starting 26 of 27 games behind the plate and hitting .270 with a pair of home runs. Additionally, her defense has been excellent, throwing out nine potential base-stealers while making just one error on the season.

• Katelyn Hanson returned from an early-season injury and has now started 16 games for Long Beach State, hitting .282 with a four doubles and a home run with nine RBI.

• Ashley Coleman is leading Long Beach State in appearances following her return to competitive softball. The Cal Baptist transfer has started 13 games for the Beach with six complete games. The junior threw two one-hit shutouts last weekend, and has lowered her ERA to 2.76 while leading the team in wins.

• Kellie White has been the other arm in the circle for the Beach, striking out nine in her first start against North Dakota. In 13 appearances, White is tied for the team lead with 45 strikeouts and is second in innings pitched at 58.2 after throwing two complete games last week.

• Junior Devyn Magnett returns to the circle after a ten-win season for the Beach in 2018, and is second on the team with a 3.04 ERA in 11 appearances.

• Two freshmen have also played their part in the circle for the Beach this season. Presley Miraglia and Samantha Fowler have combined for 18.2 innings pitched and eight strikeouts in 10 appearances.

• Breezy Wise came to the Beach as a Division I transfer from Arizona State and made an immediate impact in the opening weekend, hitting .385 with a pair of home runs. Wise has now started 14 games and is hitting .238 on the season while stealing three bases.

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Players Mentioned

Justine Briones

Ashley Coleman

Tierra Falo

Samantha Fowler

Nichole Fry

Alyssa Gonzalez

Katelyn Hanson

Naomi Hernandez

Devyn Magnett

Sydney McCollum

Presley Miraglia

Kellie White

Breezy Wise

Jamie Wren

Long Beach State University Athletics