Softball Remains On The Road To Face CSUN

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Riding an eight-game winning streak, Long Beach State will remain on the road for one more weekend, heading up the 405 to take on CSUN for a three-game series starting on Friday. The team's will play one game starting at 1 p.m. Friday prior to a double header on Saturday, also starting at 1 p.m. The first two games of the series will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

LEADING OFF
• The Beach picked up an additional game in the standings following a second straight sweep, this time on the road at UC Davis. Two specatcular catches from Sara Olson in left field help the Beach take an epic 6-4 win in 10 innings in the opener. A Jacquelyn Bickar grand slam was the catalyst in a 10-2 win in game two, and Shannon Haddad's gem in the third helped the Beach close out the Aggies 2-0 in the finale.

• Long Beach State will take on another league leader this weekend in CSUN. The Matadors are tied with Cal State Fullerton in second place, two games back at 4-2 after two straight series wins, one at Cal Poly and the second against Hawai'i at home. Kaylee Escutia leads the way for the Matadors with a .364 batting average, slugging .530 oon the year.

• Pitching has been the calling card of the Beach this season, particularly through league play so far. Long Beach State leads the Big West with an 0.62 ERA and have allowed just four earned runs and walked only four batters through six games.

• Now a back-to-back winner of the Big West Pitcher of the Week, Shannon Haddad closed the UC Davis series with a complete game shutout, striking out six with no walks and not allowing an extra-base hit in the win. Haddad has now thrown three shutouts in four starts in conference play, striking out 20 with no walks.

• Long Beach State's current winning streak began during the end of the team's home tournament, the Louisville Slugger Invitational. Long Beach State grabbed their first ranked win of the year as Eryka Gonzales pitched a complete game and Sara Olson had three hits in a 2-1 win over No. 16 Baylor. LBSU also had two close one-run losses, one in extra innings, while convincingly beating Purdue 8-1 and winning an added game Monday against South Dakota, 4-1.

• Both Gonzales and Olson were recognized by the Big West for their efforts in that tournament with Gonzales named the Big West Pitcher of the Week while Olson was selected as the Big West Player of the Week. Gonzales earned the honor on the strength of her performance against Baylor, while Olson had a massive week, hitting a solo home run in a pinch hit appearance against CBU and ultimately batting .727 on the week, going 8-for-11 with two walks and a pair of stolen bases. The Beach has now won the Big West Pitcher of the Week in three straight weeks.

• The program debuted the new lights at the LBSU Softball Complex starting on Wednesday, February 15, hosting five games as part of the Wilson Invitational. The Beach picked up a pair of one-run victories at home, taking down San Diego and ULM as Long Beach State welcomed in near-capacity crowds throughout the week.

• Long Beach State has made the most of their speed in the early part of the season showing in two different ways. The Beach has stolen 34 bases on the season, closing in on the school record of 53, set in 2007. Lilyanna Martinez leads the way with nine, but Jacquelyn Bickar has eight and Sara Olson has seven, leading a number of dangerous runners on the basepaths. Long Beach State also ranks in the nation's Top 10 with 13 triples, averaging 0.43 triples per game, with six players on the team hitting two ore more this season.

PLAYER NOTES
• Sophomore Shannon Haddad has given the Beach a lift in the circle with her return. Coming back after nearly a year and a half, Haddad has won seven games with a team-best 2.26 ERA while facing most of the team's top opponents. Haddad leads the team in both strikeouts and innings pitched on the year. Haddad was the 2021 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and has gone 7-5 with 66 strikeouts and four shutouts in her return.

• Also impressing is sophomore Eryka Gonzales, who led CSUN with 70.2 innings pitched two seasons ago before also taking last season off. Gonzales is second on the team in ERA at 2.55 and innings pitched over 12 appearances with five starts on the year, posting a 4-3 overall record.

• Returning pitchers Samantha Fowler and Sophia Fernandez have also played a big role on the year. The team's ace a season ago, Fowler struck out nine batters in a win over NC State, and has pitched 24.1 innings on the year with 24 strikeouts. Fernandez is third on the team with 3.0 innings pitched and has a 3-3 overall record on the year.

• Sophomore Carly Robbins has established herself as a team leader at Long Beach State after transferring to the program from South Carolina. Starting at third base all but one game this season, Robbins leads the team with a .366 batting average and leads the team in on-base percentage at .441 on the year.

• Junior Sara Olson is also hitting over .300 at .333 on the year, walking nine times and slugging a team-best .494 with four doubles, three triples and a home run. Olson has also stolen seven bases, and ranks eighth in LBSU history in career stolen bases while playing tremendous defense in left field.

• Sophomore Corissa Sweet is another established regular Long Beach State, holding down a spot as the team's designated player. Batting .294 on the year, Sweet is one of four players with an on-base percentage of .400 or higher and is a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases on the year.

• Fifth-year senior Cam Cecil has returned to the program and gives the program another experienced bat in the lineup while playing multiple positions defensively. Cecil had the clutch hit to give the Beach the series sweep of the Highlanders, and has proven to be a tough out, leading the team with 13 walks and second behind Robbins with a .431 batting average.

• Graduate transfer Teah Thies has secured a role as Long Beach State's starting catcher, slugging .408 with two home runs, two triples and a pair of doubles. No stranger to the Big West, Thies starredfor UC Santa Barbara before joining the Beach for this season.

• Jacquelyn Bickar has returned as an everyday starter for the Beach. Now with three home runs on the year, Bickar has hit two grand slams and leads the team with 14 RBI on the year, batting .269 with 7 walks and eight stolen bases.

• Two true freshman are in the mix for the Beach as well. Selena Perez has earned the nod at shortstop, coming to the Beach as an out-of-state recruit from Chandler, Arizona. Makayla Medellin was also off to a strong start, but has been in and out of the lineup with injury of late.

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Players Mentioned

Jacquelyn Bickar

Cam Cecil

Sophia Fernandez

Samantha Fowler

Eryka Gonzales

Shannon Haddad

Lilyanna Martinez

Makayla Medellin

Sara Olson

Selena Perez

Carly Robbins

Corissa Sweet

Teah Thies

Long Beach State University Athletics