Softball Returns To California For Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

Friday, February 21

Palm Springs, Calif.

3 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Utah

Softball Returns To California For Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic

2/18/2020 1:16:00 PM | Softball

Game Notes - Week 3

The Beach opens up the tournament Friday against Utah, Idaho State.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Tournament season continues as Long Beach State will once again participate in one of the nations largest tournaments, the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif. After four games against the Top 5 in the first two weeks, Long Beach State will have more balanced competition but still excellent teams with Utah, Northwestern and Oregon State all ranked in various polls.

LEADING OFF
• Long Beach State stunned No. 2 Oklahoma to highlight the team's time in Tucson at the Hillenbrand Invitational. Taking care of business as well against Bryant and Northern Iowa, the Beach rallied from three runs down with two outs against the Sooners with a four-run rally capped by a two-run walkoff double from Alyssa Gonzalez. The two losses for the Beach both came against No. 4 Arizona, the tournament hosts playing at home.

• On opening weekend, Long Beach State competed in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge for the second time, and despite coming in under .500 played well over the first five games. The offense carried the day in two blowout wins over Nevada and George Washington, and the Beach acquitted themselves well against then No. 3 Oklahoma and a 4-1 defeat to Oregon, who joined the Top 25 after last weekend.

• The Beach returns six starters from last season and 13 total letterwinners, supplementing that strong core with a pair of Division I transfers and five other newcomers in a group that has experience and will look to lead LBSU to a 25th NCAA postseason appearance.

• Earning a pair of first-place votes, Long Beach State was picked to finish second in the Big West by the conference's coaches in advance of the season. The Beach was picked just behind defending champions Cal State Fullerton and in front of other contenders Hawai'i, CSUN and UC Davis.

• Long Beach State continues to be a strong offensive team, and has batted over .280 as a team in six of the last seven seasons. The Beach is well on their way in 2020, batting. 287 overall as a team after ten games. Freshman Sara Olson is leading the way with a .375 batting average, while six players are batting .300 or better.

• In the circle, Long Beach State returns 98.7 percent of its innings pitched from a year ago, and all 50 starts. A trio of seniors were responsible for a large part of that, as Kellie White and Ashley Coleman both pitched over 130 innings in 2018 and were supplemented by 36 innings from Devyn Magnett.

PLAYER NOTES
• Senior Kellie White has been outstanding in 2020. Earning All-Tournament Honors in Puerto Vallarta, White has struck out 26 in 31.2 innings pitched, going 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA while pitching against some of the top teams in the country, with her two losses coming in a 2-1 defeat to No. 4 Arizona and loss against No. 2 Oklahoma. White was also the winning pitcher in the win over the Sooners in Tucson, going the distances in the victory.

• Ashley Coleman has again been the other main arm for the Beach, tossing 12.1 innings in four appearances so far this season. Coleman finished with a save against Northern Iowa, and has 12 strikeouts on the year.

• True freshman Morgan Quinlan has now made two starts for Long Beach State this season, and has 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings pitched while splitting her start for a 1-1 overall record.

• Junior Alyssa Gonzalez earned All-Region and All-Big West honors last season, and has continued to find success in 2020, batting .353 with a share in the team lead with 8 RBI. Slugging .471 on the year, "Gonzo" has come through in big moments, most notable in the bottom of the seventh against No. 2 Oklahoma, hitting a two-run double to complete a four-run, two-out walkoff comeback against the Sooners.

• Senior Sydney McCollum earned third-team All-Region honors in her first season with Long Beach State a year ago as a junior college transfer, and is off to a hot start in 2020. McCollum is batting .343 while starting all 10 games at shortstop, and has four stolen bases with a .410 on-base percentage.

• The Beach has gotten a lift particularly in the last week from a number of new players. Freshman Sara Olson has now started three games and is leading the team in hitting at .375, including a home run against Oklahoma. Joining her in the outfield is junior Rylie Seip, hitting .308 while making nine appearances early, and Louisville transfer Kyra Snyder is bating .333 while pushing for more time after making three starts last weekend in Tucson.

• Senior Abby Lockman has started all 10 games as the designated player for LBSU after coming in as a graduate transfer from Tennessee. A two-run home run against Oklahoma was a highlight from the opening weekend, and Lockman now has six RBI and two home runs, slugging .517 on the year.

• Senior Breezy Wise earned a sport in the starting lineup and has delivered, earning all-tournament honors at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge after hitting .429 with a pair of doubles and five runs scored. Wise is now batting .300 in nine games played in 2020.

• Junior Justine Briones will play a key role behind the plate this season for the Beach, returning as the team's starting catcher. Briones started 38 games behind the dish last season, and is well on her way to more this season, starting every game so far in 2020.

• Sophomore Emily Salazar played in 31 games as a true freshman for the Beach and played multiple positions while also serving as a pinch hitter and runner. Anchoring the third base position, Salazar has started 10 games and is batting .240 in the early portion of the year.