Wednesday, March 6
Long Beach, Calif.
10 a.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
Robert Morris
Photo by: John Fajardo
Softball To Host Louisville Slugger Invitational Starting Wednesday
3/5/2019 1:10:00 PM | Softball
Long Beach State is scheduled to hold 13 games in the LBSU Softball Complex by Sunday.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The busiest week of the season at the LBSU Softball Complex starts Wednesday as Long Beach State hosts the Louisville Slugger Invitational. The Beach is scheduled to host 13 games and play in six, starting with Robert Morris Wednesday morning and closing with a Sunday matinee against No. 2 UCLA.
LEADING OFF
• In a rain-shortened week, Long Beach State saw two games canceled but put together their most complete performance of the season against San Jose State, with Ashley Coleman throwing a complete game shutout and Alyssa Gonzalez cracking a three-run homer in a 5-0 victory.
• 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 had the big bat for Long Beach State in the opening weekend, hitting .421 with eight hits, including three doubles and two home runs. The senior leads the team with 21 RBI and has hit a pair of grand slams in 2019.
• Junior Sydney McCollum stepped up against the competition at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and had a big week, hitting .563 while reaching safely in all five games last week. A junior college transfer after starring for two seasons at Cypress College, McCollum has started every game for the Beach in 2019 and leads the team in batting average at .350 and on-base percentage at .480 along with a pair of stolen bases.
• Long Beach State opened 2019 with five games in Las Vegas, and had a big weekend offensively, piling up 43 runs in total on the way to a 3-2 record, with both losses coming by a single run. The Beach finished the weekend hitting .342 as a team, and hit eight home runs and 13 doubles in the opening weekend.
• The Beach returns all of the top of the lineup from a 2018 team that set multiple offensive records. The team's .306 batting average, 486 hits and 91 doubles were new season marks, with the runs and RBI totals just behind new records. Combined, the top three hitters for the Beach (Hernandez, Fry, Rowland) hit .370 to pace the team one year ago.
PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Alyssa Gonzalez is hitting .308 with four walks and just two strikeouts while sharing the team lead with five doubles. Gonzalez sat out 2018 after transferring from Ole Miss where she hit .290 as a true freshman with four home runs.
• Returning for her junior season, Taylor Rowland became the fifth player in school history to be recognized as an All-American in 2018, and the first since Brooke Turner in 2008. A season ago, Rowland set a new LBSU single-season record with 58 RBI, and has 10 already this season, hitting .283 with five doubles and a home run.
• Long Beach State's other big bat in the middle of the lineup, Tierra Falo is hitting .324 on the season while starting 12 games with five walks on the year. Falo begins the season with 11 home runs and now has 69 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 .308 with a team-leading 12 walks with on OBP of .446.
• Sophomore Justine Briones has been a steady presence for the Beach, starting 16 of 17 games behind the plate and hitting .333 with a pair of home runs. Additionally, her defense has been excellent, throwing out eight potential base-stealers and not making any errors.
• 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 11 games and is hitting .250 on the season while leading the Beach with three stolen bases.
• Junior Devyn Magnett returns to the circle after a ten-win season for the Beach in 2018, and leads the team with a 3.12 ERA in eight appearances.
• Ashley Coleman is leading Long Beach State in appearances following her return to competitive softball. The Cal Baptist transfer has started eight games for the Beach with two complete games, an 8.0 inning effort against Oregon State and a shutout against San Jose State.
• Kellie White has been the other arm in the circle for the Beach, striking out nine in her first start against North Dakota. In nine appearances, White leads the Beach with 29 strikeouts and is second in innings pitched at 35.2.
• Two freshmen have also played their part in the circle for the Beach this season. Both Presley Miraglia and Samantha Fowler have an ERA under two over seven combined appearances. The duo have combined for 12.2 innings pitched and both have a opposing batting average under .200.
LEADING OFF
• In a rain-shortened week, Long Beach State saw two games canceled but put together their most complete performance of the season against San Jose State, with Ashley Coleman throwing a complete game shutout and Alyssa Gonzalez cracking a three-run homer in a 5-0 victory.
• 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 had the big bat for Long Beach State in the opening weekend, hitting .421 with eight hits, including three doubles and two home runs. The senior leads the team with 21 RBI and has hit a pair of grand slams in 2019.
• Junior Sydney McCollum stepped up against the competition at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and had a big week, hitting .563 while reaching safely in all five games last week. A junior college transfer after starring for two seasons at Cypress College, McCollum has started every game for the Beach in 2019 and leads the team in batting average at .350 and on-base percentage at .480 along with a pair of stolen bases.
• Long Beach State opened 2019 with five games in Las Vegas, and had a big weekend offensively, piling up 43 runs in total on the way to a 3-2 record, with both losses coming by a single run. The Beach finished the weekend hitting .342 as a team, and hit eight home runs and 13 doubles in the opening weekend.
• The Beach returns all of the top of the lineup from a 2018 team that set multiple offensive records. The team's .306 batting average, 486 hits and 91 doubles were new season marks, with the runs and RBI totals just behind new records. Combined, the top three hitters for the Beach (Hernandez, Fry, Rowland) hit .370 to pace the team one year ago.
PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Alyssa Gonzalez is hitting .308 with four walks and just two strikeouts while sharing the team lead with five doubles. Gonzalez sat out 2018 after transferring from Ole Miss where she hit .290 as a true freshman with four home runs.
• Returning for her junior season, Taylor Rowland became the fifth player in school history to be recognized as an All-American in 2018, and the first since Brooke Turner in 2008. A season ago, Rowland set a new LBSU single-season record with 58 RBI, and has 10 already this season, hitting .283 with five doubles and a home run.
• Long Beach State's other big bat in the middle of the lineup, Tierra Falo is hitting .324 on the season while starting 12 games with five walks on the year. Falo begins the season with 11 home runs and now has 69 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 .308 with a team-leading 12 walks with on OBP of .446.
• Sophomore Justine Briones has been a steady presence for the Beach, starting 16 of 17 games behind the plate and hitting .333 with a pair of home runs. Additionally, her defense has been excellent, throwing out eight potential base-stealers and not making any errors.
• 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 11 games and is hitting .250 on the season while leading the Beach with three stolen bases.
• Junior Devyn Magnett returns to the circle after a ten-win season for the Beach in 2018, and leads the team with a 3.12 ERA in eight appearances.
• Ashley Coleman is leading Long Beach State in appearances following her return to competitive softball. The Cal Baptist transfer has started eight games for the Beach with two complete games, an 8.0 inning effort against Oregon State and a shutout against San Jose State.
• Kellie White has been the other arm in the circle for the Beach, striking out nine in her first start against North Dakota. In nine appearances, White leads the Beach with 29 strikeouts and is second in innings pitched at 35.2.
• Two freshmen have also played their part in the circle for the Beach this season. Both Presley Miraglia and Samantha Fowler have an ERA under two over seven combined appearances. The duo have combined for 12.2 innings pitched and both have a opposing batting average under .200.
Players Mentioned
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UTL
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INF
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INF
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OF
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P
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INF
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INF
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P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UTL
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