Friday, March 4
San Diego, Calif.
2:30 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
Utah State
Photo by: Scott Quintard
Softball To Play Four Games In San Diego This Weekend
3/1/2022 3:52:00 PM | Softball
The Beach will take part in their final four games before the first home games of the year.
LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State continues tournament play this weekend, playing four games while taking part in the San Diego Classic. The Beach will start the weekend by playing Utah State, on Friday, and will also play Stony Brook in addition to the co-hosts, San Diego and San Diego State.
LEADING OFF
• The Beach went 3-2 last weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate classic, Sophia Fernandez pitched a complete game against No. 24 BYU, and the Beach defeated Southern Utah and Texas Tech with big offensive showings, while their two losses came to Top 10 teams in No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 9 Oregon.
• For the third time, Long Beach State took part in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge to open up the season, and ended the first week with a 2-3 record. Freshman Marissa Caballero led the team in batting with a .462 batting average while making no errors in five starts at shortstop. Senior Justine Briones and sophomore Sara Olson both were named to the All-Tournament Team as well for the event, as Briones had a 3-run home run and Olson had five RBI on the weekend.
• Long Beach State faced a tough road right out the gate, playing eight teams ranked in the Top 25 in the first 14 games of the year, and six games against teams in the Top 10. The Beach grabbed a win against No. 24 BYU, and is 4-2 in the rest of their games so far this season.
• Last season, the Beach finished the season which primarily featured 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.
• 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 is fourth all-tim at LBSU with a .340 batting 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 over 100 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. Briones started the year by hitting .375 with a three-run home run in Puerto Vallarta, earning All-Tournament team honors, and leads the team with two homer runs.
• Samantha Fowler was the breakout pitcher in the circle for the Beach one year ago, and will be counted on to lead a group effort on the staff in 2022. Fowler leads the staff with 18 strikeouts, and has pitched 21.0 innings this season while making a team-high eight appearances.
• Two lefties will play their part in the pitching staff this season as well. Sophia Fernandez leads the team with 24.0 innings pitched and has posted a 2-2 record, while Mo Quinlan has also made four starts for LBSU, striking out 12 in six appearances. Redshirt freshmen Addison Kostrencih and Shelby Frutoz have also both made their debuts this season, each also pitching over 10 innings and recording a save in the first 15 games of the year.
• Kyra Snyder is another returning starter for the Beach, after hitting .261 last season for LBSU. Snyder opened the year by hitting .438 in Puerto Vallarta, starting all five games either at first base or as the DP and is batting .357 on the year in her third year at LBSU after transferring from Louisville.
• Sophomore Sara Olson was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, coming up with clutch hits in both of Long Beach State's wins, finishing the weekend with five RBI. Olson has now started all 14 games for Long Beach State, and is third on the team in batting at .368 on the year.
• Freshman Corissa Sweet is leading a collection of true freshman who are making a big impact in their first season. Sweet is now leading the team in both batting and slugging, hitting .412 while slugging .647 on the year.
• Freshman Marissa Caballero has started every game at shortstop for Long Beach State, and is hitting .324 with a double and seven RBI on the year. Her primary middle infield partner is also a freshman, Jacquelyn Bickar, who has started 13 games at second base and hit a two-run home run against Oklahoma.
• Sophomore Sinclair Lawhorn has now started eight games at first base, and fellow sophomore Mikayla Ceballos started a pair of games at Arizona, hitting .375 with a home run against LMU.
• Cam Cecil is hitting .292 with nine starts in 2022 after starting 38 games one season ago after transferring from Iowa.
• 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, and has started in 12 games at third base for the Beach.
• Other freshmen who are pressing for early action include Savannnah Magadan and Rebekah Durazo, who will be backing up Justine Briones at catcher.
• 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. Others currently sidelined due to injury include defending Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Shannon Haddad and outfielder Lilyanna Martinez.
LEADING OFF
• The Beach went 3-2 last weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate classic, Sophia Fernandez pitched a complete game against No. 24 BYU, and the Beach defeated Southern Utah and Texas Tech with big offensive showings, while their two losses came to Top 10 teams in No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 9 Oregon.
• For the third time, Long Beach State took part in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge to open up the season, and ended the first week with a 2-3 record. Freshman Marissa Caballero led the team in batting with a .462 batting average while making no errors in five starts at shortstop. Senior Justine Briones and sophomore Sara Olson both were named to the All-Tournament Team as well for the event, as Briones had a 3-run home run and Olson had five RBI on the weekend.
• Long Beach State faced a tough road right out the gate, playing eight teams ranked in the Top 25 in the first 14 games of the year, and six games against teams in the Top 10. The Beach grabbed a win against No. 24 BYU, and is 4-2 in the rest of their games so far this season.
• Last season, the Beach finished the season which primarily featured 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.
• 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 is fourth all-tim at LBSU with a .340 batting 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 over 100 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. Briones started the year by hitting .375 with a three-run home run in Puerto Vallarta, earning All-Tournament team honors, and leads the team with two homer runs.
• Samantha Fowler was the breakout pitcher in the circle for the Beach one year ago, and will be counted on to lead a group effort on the staff in 2022. Fowler leads the staff with 18 strikeouts, and has pitched 21.0 innings this season while making a team-high eight appearances.
• Two lefties will play their part in the pitching staff this season as well. Sophia Fernandez leads the team with 24.0 innings pitched and has posted a 2-2 record, while Mo Quinlan has also made four starts for LBSU, striking out 12 in six appearances. Redshirt freshmen Addison Kostrencih and Shelby Frutoz have also both made their debuts this season, each also pitching over 10 innings and recording a save in the first 15 games of the year.
• Kyra Snyder is another returning starter for the Beach, after hitting .261 last season for LBSU. Snyder opened the year by hitting .438 in Puerto Vallarta, starting all five games either at first base or as the DP and is batting .357 on the year in her third year at LBSU after transferring from Louisville.
• Sophomore Sara Olson was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, coming up with clutch hits in both of Long Beach State's wins, finishing the weekend with five RBI. Olson has now started all 14 games for Long Beach State, and is third on the team in batting at .368 on the year.
• Freshman Corissa Sweet is leading a collection of true freshman who are making a big impact in their first season. Sweet is now leading the team in both batting and slugging, hitting .412 while slugging .647 on the year.
• Freshman Marissa Caballero has started every game at shortstop for Long Beach State, and is hitting .324 with a double and seven RBI on the year. Her primary middle infield partner is also a freshman, Jacquelyn Bickar, who has started 13 games at second base and hit a two-run home run against Oklahoma.
• Sophomore Sinclair Lawhorn has now started eight games at first base, and fellow sophomore Mikayla Ceballos started a pair of games at Arizona, hitting .375 with a home run against LMU.
• Cam Cecil is hitting .292 with nine starts in 2022 after starting 38 games one season ago after transferring from Iowa.
• 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, and has started in 12 games at third base for the Beach.
• Other freshmen who are pressing for early action include Savannnah Magadan and Rebekah Durazo, who will be backing up Justine Briones at catcher.
• 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. Others currently sidelined due to injury include defending Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Shannon Haddad and outfielder Lilyanna Martinez.
Players Mentioned
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