Softball Continues Tournament Play At Bear Down Fiesta

Thursday, February 15

Tucson, Ariz.

4 p.m. PT

Long Beach State University

Arizona

Photo by: John Fajardo

2/14/2024 10:51:00 AM | Softball

Week 2 Bear Down Fiesta

The Beach will play five games in Tucson starting Thursday.

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

See attachment for complete Long Beach State Game Notes.

LEADING OFF
• Long Beach State continues tournament play, taking part in the Bear Down Fiesta hosted by Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. The Beach will play the hosts Wildcats twice, Omaha twice and No. 13 Arkansas in five scheduled games beginning Thursday the 15th.

• The Beach started the season at the Puerto Vallarta Collegiate Classic, and faced three teams in the Top 20, battling the distance in all four but not coming away with a win. Starting pitchers Eryka Gonzales and Shannon Haddad were both named to the All-Tournament team, while the offense was led by juniors Corissa Sweet and Jacquelyn Bickar.

ABOUT THE BEACH
• Long Beach State went 21-6 in Big West play last season on the way to capturing the program's 10th Big West title and the fifth under head coach Kim Sowder, advancing to the NCAA postseason for the 26th time.

• The Beach returns eight position starters and all three starting pitchers from that squad, including Big West Freshman of the Year Makayla Medellin and First-Team All-Big West selections in outfielder Sara Olson, infielder Jacquelyn Bickar and starting pitcher Shannon Haddad.

• Haddad, Olson and Bickar were all selected for the 2024 Big West Preseason All-Big West team as selected by the coaches, the most individuals chosen from any team. The Beach and Cal State Fullerton were once again tabbed to finish top two after the rivals have battled for the championship in each of the last three seasons.

• Medellin joined pitchers Sophia Fernandez, Eryka Gonzales and speedy outfielder Lilyanna Martinez on the Alll-Big West second team, while Carly Robbins earned Honorable Mention and Selena Perez joined Medellin on the all-freshman team.

• Pitching was a strength of the team, particularly in league play. Long Beach State was second in the Big West with a 1.41 ERA in league games walked a league low 48 batters while holding their opponents to a .191 batting average as a staff.

• In 2023, Long Beach State was fantastic on the basepaths, smashing the school stolen base record with 60, breaking the 53 set during the 2007 season. Lilyanna Martinez led the team with 19, tying Long Beach State head coach Kim (Kostyk) Sowder for the single-season record at the Beach. Additionally, Sara Olson and Jacquelyn Bickar both had 13 stolen bases for the Beach.

• Both seniors, Sara Olson and Lilyanna Martinez are both in the program's top 10 in career stolen bases, and have their sights set on the school record currently held by head coach Kim Sowder.

• Long Beach State ranked in the nation's Top 50 in ERA, finishing the season with a 2.57 ERA as a staff, as Eryka Gonzales, Shannon Haddad and Sophia Fernandez all finished with ERAs under 2.75 while pitching the majority of the team's innings. All three return to lead the pitching staff into the 2024 season.

PLAYER NOTES
• Junior Shannon Haddad returns and will once again lead Long Beach State in the circle. The Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year in 2021 with an 8-0 record and a 2.05 ERA Haddad went 13-10 over 146.1 innings pitched, striking out 109 with a 2.10 ERA in 2023.

• Senior Sophia Fernandez earned All-Big West honors for the second straight season in 2023. Fernandez went 7-1 in Big West play with six starts, and held opponents to a Big West leading .149 hitting in conference play while posting a 1.25 ERA. Fernandez finished the year second on the team with 74.1 innings pitched, and was second in strikeouts while holding opponents to .216 hitting on the year.

• Also impressing in 2023 was junior Eryka Gonzales. A second-team All-Big West pick, Gonzales was the team leader in ERA at 1.95 and was third in innings pitched over 19 appearances with seven starts on the year, posting a 6-3 overall record. Gonzales led the Big West in ERA in conference play at 0.63 with a 3-0 record over 33.1 innings pitched.

• Senior Sara Olson led the team in all three slash line categories, hitting .329/.404/.513 while walking 19 times and hitting seven doubles, five triples and four home runs. Olson starts the season ranking third in LBSU history in career stolen bases and has an established reputation as a tremendous defensive outfielder, with multiple All-Big West selections in her career.

• Junior Jacquelyn Bickar also received first team honors from the conference in 2023. An everyday starter since her arrival at Long Beach State, Bickar led Long Beach State in hitting during league play at .364, and hit a pair of grand slams to help lead the team in RBI on the year while adding 13 stolen bases.

• A four-time Big West Freshman of the Week, Makayla Medellin was the obvious pick for the Big West Freshman Player of the Year in 2023. Batting .315 in Big West play, Medellin drove in the only run in the title-clinching 1-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton and has secured the three spot in the lineup, ultimately hitting five doubles, a triple and two home runs in her first season of collegiate softball.

• Junior Lilyanna Martinez started 45 games in the outfield, and came on strong in Big West action, hitting .321 in conference play. With an on-base percentage of .380 on the year, Martinez has made the most of her speed this year with 19 stolen bases, tying the single season school record and now ranks 9th in career stolen bases at Long Beach State. A two-time All-Big West selection, Martinez earned second-team honors in 2023.

• Sophomore Carly Robbins has established herself at Long Beach State after transferring to the program from South Carolina. The team's regular starter at third base in 2023, Robbins was third on the team with a .293 batting average and hit a pair of home runs with six doubles and earned Honorable Mention All-Big West.

• Other key returners for Long Beach State include a trio of senior first basemen who will battle for time in Sinclair Lawhorn, Mikayla Ceballos and Cassie Camou. Sophomore Selena Perez started 47 games at shortstop for the Beach as a true freshman, while Rebekah Durazo and Savannah Magadan started 18 games as backup catchers for the Beach last season.

• The Beach welcomes in a pair of fifth-year graduate transfers for the 2024 campaign. Catcher Jaeden Barajas played for four seasons at Utah Valley, and hit over .250 in each of the last two seasons while serving as the starting catcher for the Wolverines. Jocylyn Vidal comes to the Beach from San Jose State where she played with three current and former LBSU players in Shannon Haddad, Suzy Brookeshire and Ashley Machado. Vidal hit .259 in her career with the Spartans, lifting her average to .289 in 44 starts as a junior.

• A large incoming class of six freshmen will look to make an immediate impact with the team as well with pitcher Kate Barnett, outfielders Emily Dowden, Erica Estrada and Malayna Terrones alongside infielders KaLeena Gonzales and Sophia Stein.