Softball Hosts Michigan In Home Opener Wednesday Night

Wednesday, February 28

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Michigan

2/27/2024 9:33:00 AM | Softball

Week 4 Michigan & Judy Garman

The Beach will then play five games in Fullerton at the Judy Garman Classic

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

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Beach will host Michigan in the team's home opener on Wednesday as the team's meet for the 11th time in the all-time series. Wednesday's game is the first since 1985 to be played in Long Beach, and is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. with coverage on ESPN+.

LEADING OFF
• After Wednesday's game, the Beach will then play five teams over the following three days at the Judy Garman Classic in Fullerton, taking on Texas A&M, Florida, San Jose State, Oregon State before closing with Fresno State for the second tournament in a row.

• After three weeks, Long Beach State has played six opponents ranked in the Top 25 and have faced the toughest schedule in the country in their first 14 games.

• Last week, Long Beach State took part in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, opening the tournament with a win against BYU. Lilyanna Martinez hit .364 and Carly Robbins hit .357 with a double and home run to lead LBSU offensively.

• 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.

• Shannon Haddad, Sara Olson and Jacquelyn 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.

• In 2023 Long Beach State broke the school single-season stolen base record with 60, breaking the record of 53 set during the 2007 season. Lilyanna Martinez, Sara Olson and Jacquelyn Bickar all had 13 or more stolen bases and return in 2024.

• Both seniors, Sara Olson and Lilyanna Martinez are both in the program's top 5 in career stolen bases, and have their sights set on the school record currently held by head coach Kim Sowder. Olson ranks second currently with 40 stolen bases while Martinez is tied for 5th overall with 34 stolen bases.

PLAYER NOTES
• Junior Carly Robbins has had the best start offensively for Long Beach State. An All-Big West selection a season ago, Robbins is batting .323 with a double and home run while leading the team with six RBI, starting every game in the infield.

• Lilyanna Martinez had a strong weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, and is batting .250 while starting every game in center field. The senior is a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts this season, and now ranks 5th in career steals. She also shares the single-season with head coach Kim Sowder after swiping 19 bags last season on the way to second-team All-Big West honors.

• 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.

• Freshman Kate Barnett has been a bright spot early in the circle for Long Beach State in 2024. Pitching solely in relief so far, Barnett's 23.1 innings pitched are second only to Eryka Gonzales, and her 3.60 ERA is lowest on the team.

• 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.

• 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.