Long Beach State Softball Opens Season In Mexico For Third Time

Friday, February 11

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

8 a.m. PT

Long Beach State University

Memphis

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Softball Opens Season In Mexico For Third Time

2/10/2022 11:14:00 AM | Softball

Week One - Game Notes

The Beach will play five games starting on Friday in Puerto Vallarta

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

See attachment for complete Long Beach State game notes.

LEADING OFF
• Long Beach State will kick off the season with another trip to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, making the trip down to Mexico to start the season for the third time. The Beach previously made their way to Puerto Vallarta to begin the 2020 and 2018 seasons.

• In 2021, Long Beach State made the NCAA postseason for the 25th time in school history, and the eighth time under head coach Kim Sowder. Sowder's efforts in navigating the 2021 season earned the skipper in her 15th season Big West Coach of the Year honors for the fourth time in her career. Closing in on 500 career wins, Sowder won her 200th Big West game last season and has guided the Beach to eight postseason appearances.

• Last season, the Beach finished the season which primarily conference play with a Big West record of 22-2 to capture the program's ninth Big West Championship and the first since 2014. Cal State Fullerton visited the LBSU Softball Complex unbeaten entering the final week of the season, but the Beach swept the Titans in three straight games with Kellie White leading the way, throwing every inning of the series to claim the title.

• As a team, Long Beach State set a new record last season by batting .320 on the year, besting the .306 mark shared by the 2014 and 2018 programs while hitting over .300 for the third time. The .320 mark ranked 15th in the nation, as two batters hit .400 and four other regulars finished the season batting over .300.

• 17 letterwinners and 6 starters as well as two starting pitchers from that postseason squad return in 2022, and the Beach will supplement that group with eight newcomers - two Division I transfers as well as six incoming freshmen.

• Long Beach State will face a tough road right out the gate, playing seven teams ranked in the Top 20 in the first 14 games of the year, and four games against teams in the Top 10. That will start right away, as the Beach is set to face No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Arkansas in the first week of the year.

• Long Beach State will get a lift from some key returning players. Among those is senior Naomi Hernandez, who returns for her fifth year with the program. A national freshman of the year finalist in 2018, as well as the Big West Freshman Player of the Year, Hernandez has played a pivotal role with the program. A two-time All-West Region selection, Hernandez has also been named All-Big West three times, and was a first time honoree for the second time in 2021.

• Hernandez has already claimed plenty of space in the LBSU record books. She starts the season 4th all-time in batting with a .337 average, and ranks in the career Top 10 in runs scored, doubles and walks at the Beach.

PLAYER NOTES
• Catcher Justine Briones joins Noami Hernandez in her fifth year with the program. Having started 97 games behind the plate in her career, Briones was an All-Big West selection in 2021 and hit .289 with 16 RBI in Big West Conference action.

• Samantha Fowler was the breakout pitcher in the circle for the Beach one year ago. Posting a 4-2 overall record, Fowler pitched 47.0 innings on the year with 55 strikeouts, and finished in the Top 10 in the Big West in ERA, opposing batting average and strikeouts.

• Earning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, Shannon Haddad posted an unbeaten 8-0 record in 11 starts, and had 56 strikeouts in ten league appearances. With 64 strikeouts on the year and just 10 walks, Haddad ranks 16th in K/BB ratio nationally and played a part in four shutouts this season, but did not pitch after April 17.

• Samantha Fowler stepped up in the absence of Haddad. Making five starts, Fowler closed the year with a 4-2 record and a 3.28 ERA. Her 55 strikeouts on the year ranked 8th in the Big West in limited innings. The sophomore has set two season highs for the Beach, striking out 12 in a win at Hawai'i while throwing a nine inning complete game victory against Cal with eight strikeouts.

• Two lefties will play a part in the pitching staff this season, as Mo Quinlan returns after pitching 17.0 innings in 2021 for her third year at the Beach, while Sophia Fernandez is also looking to take an increased role after playing primarily as a pinch hitter in her first year with the program. Shelby Frutoz and Addison Kostrencich are also available, coming off of redshirt seasons.

• Kyra Snyder is another returning starter for the Beach, after hitting .261 last season for LBSU. Snyder has the ability to play a number of positions, and that flexibility will help the Beach as she returns for her third year with the program after transferring from Louisville.

• Cam Cecil started 38 games at shortstop for Long Beach State a year ago, and hit .293 with 18 RBI, and will likely play a big role with the infield again this season. A junior, Cecil is now in her second year at LBSU after transferring from Iowa.

• In the outfield, the Beach will be looking for a return to form for two veterans. Senior Rylie Seip started 23 games in the shortened 2020 season, hitting 3 home runs and batting .350, while junior Maddy Ruffin hit .313 in that season after earning Honorable Mention All-Big West honors as a freshman in 2019.

• Two underclassmen who will be pressing for time in that position as well are sophomores Sara Olson and Lilyanna Martinez. Martinez as a true freshman was a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen bases while hitting .351 a year ago in 30 games, while Olson hit .234 after batting .338 as a true freshman in 2020.

• Turning to the newcomers, graduate transfer Ashleigh Inae will be counted on to make an immediate impact for the Beach. Inae started 180 games at shortstop for ECU and finisher her career there with a .290 batting average. Inae will have one season of eligibility with Long Beach State.

• Six freshman will also join the Long Beach State team this year. Marissa Caballero and Jacquelyn Bickar make up a middle infield duo that will be pushing for time, while Savannah Magadan and Rebekah Durazo are set to back up Briones at catcher. Bella Flexen and Corissa Sweet are also set to make their Division I debuts this season.

• Long Beach State will be without two key infielders to begin the year, as junior Emily Salazar suffered a season-ending knee injury and Carly Robbins, a transfer from South Carolina, will sit out the season as a redshirt.

THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton led the way in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. Long Beach State, the defending champions, received four first-place votes and were picked to finish in second place with 74 points, while the Titans received five first place votes and topped the poll with 77 points. UC Davis, Hawai'i and UC San Diego were also highlighted as contenders for the upcoming season.

• A four-time Big West Coach of the Year selection, Kim Sowder finished her 15th season as head coach at Long Beach State, her Alma Mater, where she was an All-American shortstop. Sowder ranks fifth in career wins as a member of the Big West, and the coach now has over 450 wins as the skipper of the Beach.

• After the first win against Cal State Fullerton in the final weekend of the regular season in 2021, Sowder joined Pete Kolze of Pacific, Judi Garman of Cal State Fullerton, and Long Beach State legend Pete Manarino as the only coaches to record 200 conference victories in the Big West.

• In addition to Sowder, Associate Head Coach Panita Thanatharn also played for the program, finishing her career as an All-Big West selection in 2007. Assistant Coach Kevin Castillo begins his sixth year with the program, and is a member of the USA Men's Fastpitch Softball National Team. Mariah Ramirez returns for her fourth season as the team's Volunteer Assistant Coach following a standout career at Utah.

• Long Beach State continues to have continued historical success, and has reached the 20-win mark in 36 straight completed seasons including 2021. Additionally, Long Beach State has competed in 5 Women's College World Series, made the NCAA Tournament 25 times, and claimed 9 Big West titles.