Friday, May 13
Fullerton, Calif.
5 p.m.

Long Beach State University

at

Cal State Fullerton

Sophia Fernandez

Beach And Titans Clash Again With Softball Championship On The Line

5/10/2022 1:58:00 PM | Softball

The winner of the three-game series at Fullerton will lift the trophy.

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- For the second straight season, the final series of the year between Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton will determine the Big West champion, as the rivals are tied for first place entering the final weekend. The series begins with a 5 p.m. first pitch on Friday before a 3 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. All three games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
LEADING OFF
• Long Beach State won the title last season in similar fashion, as the Beach trailed the Titans by two games in the standings, but swept the series as Kellie White pitched every inning and LBSU held on in the finale 1-0 to win their ninth Big West championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time in program history.
 
• Samantha Fowler opened the CSUB series with a dominant performance in the circle, striking out 10 of 16 batters she faced on the way to recording her first solo no-hitter and the 33rd no-no in program history. Fowler's record improved to 13-7 on the year as the Beach went on to sweep the Roadrunners to set up this weekend, where the series winner lifts the trophy.
 
• Jacquelyn Bickar was named the Freshman Player of the Week for the second time this season after leading LBSU to a series sweep of UCSB. With an on-base percentage of .875, Bickar recorded an out just once in three starts while piling up five RBI and five runs scored with a triple, playing a key part in all three wins. Bickar previously won the award after the UCR series, and raised her batting average to .280 following the weekend.
 
• The final game of the UC Davis series was the longest game for the Beach since the 2011 season, when the Beach won against UCSB in 13 innings. The Beach also had a win in 13 innings against UNLV in 2009, making the only game longer in the last 20 years a 17-inning contest against Cal Poly in 2004. The contest lasted four hours and one minute.
 
• The Beach closed non-conference play with one of their best games of the year. Sophia Fernandez got the start and three innings, Shelby Frutoz two and the win and Samantha Fowler two and the save as the trio finished off the second combined no-hitter in program history, the 32nd overall for the Beach. Naomi Hernandez hit a solo home run in support of the staff, who struck out eight on the way to the win.
 
• 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 behind a complete game from Sophia Fernandez, and the Beach finished non-conference play with a 9-7 record against teams outside the Top 25. LBSU ultimately had the 20th ranked non-conference strength of schedule in the nation.
 
• Senior Naomi Hernandez is having another outstanding season, batting .366 with 25 RBI and two home runs to lead Long Beach State. Now in her fifth year with the program, Hernandez was a national freshman of the year finalist in 2018, as well as the Big West Freshman Player of the Year. A two-time All-West Region selection, Hernandez has also been named All-Big West three times, and was a first team honoree for the second time in 2021.
 
• Hernandez has already claimed plenty of space in the LBSU record books. She is fourth all-time at LBSU with a .343 career batting average, and is four runs away from setting the school record in the category. She is also just the second player in school history to have both 100 walks and 100 RBI over her career.
 
PLAYER NOTES
• Long Beach State's pitching staff has come together and is working as a unit, exemplified no better than a three-pitcher combined shutout against California Baptist, just the second in school history and the first with more than two pitchers.
 
• Samantha Fowler was the breakout pitcher in the circle for the Beach one year ago, and leads the staff in starts and strikeouts this season. In a team-high 30 appearances, Fowler has 118 strikeouts over 20 starts as well as a three saves in a team-high 126.2 innings pitched.
 
• Sophia Fernandez has 14 starts on the year, pitching 97.0 innings with a 2.53 ERA and a 8-4 record, and has thrown six complete games including a pair of complete game shutouts. Over her last eight outings, Fernandez has allowed just four earned runs.
 
• Shelby Frutoz has pitched 46.2 innings as a redshirt freshman, posting a 6-4 record and two saves over 17 appearances for the Beach. Mo Quinlan has made six starts for LBSU and Addison Kostrencich has also pitched 15.1 innings in her debut season rounding out the staff.
 
• After starting 180 games at ECU, Ashleigh Inae has come to the Beach as a graduate transfer and is having an excellent season. Now batting .331 on the year while starting 46 games at third base, Inae has been on a tear in league play, and is batting .421 against conference opposition with nine doubles.
 
• 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 in 46 games for Long Beach State, and is hitting .301 on the year and leads the team with 12 stolen bases, and will join the LBSU single-season Top 10 with one more.
 
• Kyra Snyder has had a strong season as a returning starter for the Beach. Snyder opened the year by hitting .438 in Puerto Vallarta, and is batting .304 on the year with 18 RBI over 44 starts split between DP and first base. Snyder also hit her first home run of the year at UC Riverside.
 
• 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big West selection Lilyanna Martinez made a late debut in the season, but is hitting .271 now over 24 games.  Martinez hit .351 a year ago before an injury prematurely ended her season, and just made her return from rehab, easing back in and making her first two starts against UC Davis.
 
• Freshman, Jacquelyn Bickar is leading a collection of true freshman who are making an impact on the team's fortunes. A two-time Big West Freshman of the Week selection, Bickar has now started 47 games at second base and is hitting .284, fifth on the team with 16 RBI and a pair of triples.
 
• Freshman Marissa Caballero has started every game at shortstop for Long Beach State, and is hitting .230 with four doubles and 15 RBI on the year, including the walkoff RBI against CSUN in the extra inning contest.
 
• Corissa Sweet has started 30 games between the outfield and DP, and is batting .264 on the year and is second on the team with five doubles, while driving in 13 RBI. Catcher Rebekah Durzao is another freshman getting more playing time, now hitting .237 with 17 starts on the year and 10 RBI.
 
• Catcher Justine Briones joins Noami Hernandez in her fifth year with the program. Having started over 120 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 shares the team lead with two home runs while hitting .235 on the year with 14 RBI.
 
• Sophomore Sinclair Lawhorn has now started 19 games at first base, while junior Cam Cecil is hitting .244 with 12 starts in 2022 after starting 38 games one season ago after transferring from Iowa. Sophomore Mikayla Ceballos has also started eight games behind the plate for Long Beach State with 6 RBI.
 
• Long Beach State will be without two key infielders, 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. Also currently sidelined due to injury is defending Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Shannon Haddad.
 

Players Mentioned

INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
Softball Game Highlights vs California Baptist 3/20/2024
Thursday, March 21
Long Beach State Wins Big West Dennis Farrell Commissioner's Cup
Wednesday, May 31
NCAA Stanford Regional Postgame Comments - Long Beach State Softball
Saturday, May 20
60 Seconds at The Beach: Softball Nichole Fry
Monday, July 11