Friday, May 12
Long Beach, Calif.
7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

vs

Cal State Fullerton

Sara Olson
Photo by: John Fajardo

Softball Hosts Cal State Fullerton With Big West Title On The Line

5/9/2023 10:23:00 AM | Softball

Long Beach State can win the Big West title outright with a sweep of the Titans.

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- For the third season in a row, the two powers of the Big West will face off in a three-game series to determine a champion. In eight of the last nine seasons, either Cal State Fullerton or Long Beach State has won the Big West championship, with the title coming down to the final series between the teams once again.
 
LEADING OFF
• The series will take center stage, as ESPNU will broadcast the opening game, live on national television at 7 p.m. The final day of the regular season will then be broadcast on ESPN+, with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
 
• Long Beach State enters the series two games behind the Titans in the Big West standings, and with an RPI of 84, will need to sweep Cal State Fullerton to claim a 10th Big West championship. With one win, the Titans will win the championship, though with an RPI of 33, will likely make the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection if the Beach takes all three games.
 
IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE
• The last time the two teams met in Long Beach, the situation was nearly identical. In 2021, an unbeaten (21-0) Titans team came to the LBSU Softball Complex to face Long Beach State (19-2). Senior Kellie White, the Big West Pitcher of the Year, threw every pitch of the three-game series in a thrilling sweep to lead the Beach to the championship.
 
• LBSU rallied from a 2-0 deficit behind a two-run triple from Justine Briones in the first game in the sixth inning, and won the second 8-1 to set up a final, winner-take-all game. Breezy Wise drew a bases-loaded walk and White finished off the shutout to grab the trophy with a 1-0 victory.
 
ABOUT THE BEACH
• Long Beach State has now won all but one of their Big West series, traveling to CSU Bakersfield and sweeping the Runners on the road to improve to 18-6 in Big West action. Sophia Fernandez and Shannon Haddad both threw complete game shutouts, while Eryka Gonzales lowered her league-best 0.63 ERA in Big West action while getting the win in game three.
 
• Pitching has been the calling card of the Beach this season, particularly in league play. Long Beach State is second in the Big West with a 1.55 ERA in league games and have walked a league-low 43 batters through 24 games.
 
• The Beach faced an extremely difficult non-conference schedule, ranked No. 8 in the nation by D1 softball, taking on six ranked teams which included a win over No. 16 Baylor.
 
• Long Beach State set a new school record in Bakersfield, now with 56 stolen bases on the year, breaking the 53 set during the 2007 season. Lilyanna Martinez leads the team with 16, and trails only LBSU head coach Kim (Kostyk) Sowder in single-season stolen bases at the Beach. Additionally, Sara Olson has 13 stolen bases and Jacquelyn Bickar has 12, a dangerous trio on the basepaths.
 
• Also showcasing their team speed, Long Beach State has hit 19 triples, 0.39 per game which ranks 6th in the nation.
 
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 twice been named the Big West Pitcher of the Week and has won 11 games with a 2.35 ERA while facing most of the team's top opponents. Haddad leads the team in both strikeouts and innings pitched on the year, having pitched a new high of 125.1 innings pitched. Haddad was the 2021 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, and has gone 11-9 with 104 strikeouts and seven 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 leads the team in ERA at 1.95 and is second in innings pitched over 19 appearances with seven starts on the year, posting a 6-3 overall record. Gonzales leads the Big West in ERA in conference play, now 0.63 with a 3-0 record over 33.1 innings pitched.
 
• 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 44.1 innings on the year with 41 strikeouts, including an eight-strikeout complete game shutout against UC San Diego. Fernandez is third on the team with 62.1 innings pitched and is 6-1 with a 1.49 ERA in Big West action.
 
• Junior Sara Olson is leading the team in all three slash line categories, hitting .340/.419/.532 while walking 18 times and hitting five doubles, five triples and four home runs. Olson has also 13 stolen bases, and ranks third in LBSU history in career stolen bases while playing tremendous defense in left field.
 
• Jacquelyn Bickar has returned as an everyday starter for the Beach. The sophomore is leading the Beach in batting in Big West play at .361, and has hit a pair of grand slams while leading the team with 18 RBI, hitting .310 with 17 walks and 12 stolen bases.
 
• Sophomore Carly Robbins has established herself as a team leader at Long Beach State after transferring to the program from South Carolina. The team's regular starter at third base, Robbins is third on the team with a .309 batting average and fourth on the team in on-base percentage at .380 on the year.
 
• Lilyanna Martinez has started 40 games in the outfield, and has come on strong in Big West action, hitting .327 in conference play. With an on-base percentage of .383 on the year, Martinez has made the most of her speed this year with 16 stolen bases and has joined Olson in the program's career Top 10 in steals.
 
• 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, among the team leaders with 17 walks and a .375 on-base percentage.
 
• Graduate transfer Teah Thies has secured a role as Long Beach State's starting catcher, slugging .384 with three home runs, three triples and a pair of doubles. No stranger to the Big West, Thies starred for UC Santa Barbara before joining the Beach for this season.
 
• Freshman Makayla Medellin is now a three-time winner of the Big West Freshman of the Week award, and has had an outstanding first campaign. Hitting .313 in Big West play, Medellin has hit four doubless, a triple and two home runs while playing in three different positions defensively for LBSU, making no errors.
 
• In the infield, freshman Selena Perez has earned the nod as the team's everyday shortstop with her strong defensive play, while Emily Salazar has been a true utility player for the Beach, as the veteran has started 31 games in five different positions this season, and has now played in seven different positions over her four years as Long Beach State. Finally, Mikayla Ceballos has secured the starting first baseman role, hitting .270 on the year, now with 19 starts and a pair of home runs.
 
THIS AND THAT
• Long Beach State Softball will recognize their graduates departing the program this year as part of senior weekend. Graduate students Teah Thies, Cam Cecil and Samantha Fowler along with graduating seniors Shelby Frutoz and Emily Salazar will be honored for their contributions to the program on Saturday, May 13.
 
• A four-time Big West Coach of the Year selection, Kim Sowder is in her 17th season as head coach at Long Beach State, her Alma Mater, where she was an All-American shortstop. Sowder ranks fourth in career wins as a member of the Big West after winning her 500th career game earlier this season, and is one of 60 active coaches to have reached that milestone.
 
• After the first win against Cal State Fullerton in the final weekend of the regular season in 2021, Sowder joined Brian 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 seventh year with the program, and is a member of the USA Men's Fastpitch Softball National Team. Mariah Ramirez returns for her fifth 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 38 straight completed seasons after once again hitting the threshold in 2023. 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.
 
• 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.
 

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