Long Beach State Softball Looks To Extend Winning Streak Against CSUN This Weekend

Friday, March 29

Long Beach, Calif.

4 p.m.

Long Beach State University

CSUN

Photo by: John Fajardo

Long Beach State Softball Looks To Extend Winning Streak Against CSUN This Weekend

3/26/2024 12:31:00 PM | Softball

Game Notes - Week 8

The Beach has won six straight entering Friday's doubleheader with the Matadors.

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

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State has won six straight and will try to keep the momentum as their homestand continues this weekend. The Beach will play a trio of night games, hosting CSUN for a doubleheader Friday night before playing on a national spotlight on ESPNU Saturday night at 7 p.m. to close the series.

LEADING OFF
• Senior Sophia Fernandez had a dominant week for the Beach in the circle, earning Big West Pitcher of the Week honors after her series with UC Davis. Going 2-0 over 18.0 innings with just one earned run and a 0.39 ERA, Fernandez pitched an 11.0 inning complete game with a career-high tying seven strikeouts, before allowing just one unearned run in a 4-1 win to close the series in a second complete game.

• Fernandez is now 3-1 in Big West action with an 0.86 ERA, throwing a league-high 32.2 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts in 5 appearances, leading the staff as a senior.

• Against UC Riverside, Long Beach State saw Sophia Fernandez have a great start in the circle with a 1.43 ERA, striking out 10 batters over 14.2 innings while the Beach offense was paced by Sinclair Lawhorn who hit .571 and Makayla Medellin, who hit a pair of home runs as the Beach won the series against the Highlanders.

• Long Beach State opened their home schedule with a thrilling win over Michigan. Junior Corissa Sweet had both a game-tying RBI to extend the game into extra innings as well as the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Beach walked off the Wolverines 7-6.

• With one final ranked opponent still ahead of them, Long Beach State has played eight opponents in the Top 25, and faced the second toughest strength of schedule in Division I during the non-conference per Massey Ratings, just behind Baylor.

• 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.

• Long Beach State received some bad news, as preseason All-Big West pitcher Shannon Haddad and senior Lilyanna Martinez were both ruled out for the remainder of the season. Haddad had not pitched for LBSU since the second weekend, while Martinez suffered a major knee injury against California Baptist. The pair have combined for four All-Big West selections in their time at the Beach.

• 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 42 stolen bases while Martinez is 5th overall with 36 stolen bases. Junior Jacquelyn Bickar also ranks in Long Beach State's Top 10 after recording her 26th career stolen base.

PLAYER NOTES
• Senior Sara Olson continues to be one of Long Beach State's leaders, hitting .270 with a team-high 24 hits, 19 walks and six doubles on the year while batting in the top half of the lineup. An outstanding defensive outfielder as well, Olson has five stolen bases this season and is searching for another All-Big West selection in 2024.

• Junior Jacquelyn Bickar is also among the team leaders in hitting so far this season, batting .261 with eight stolen bases leading the team. A first-team All-Big West selection in 2023, Bickar has been an everyday starter for three seasons and joined Sara Olson and Lilyanna Martinez in the program's career Top 10 in steals.

• After missing six games earlier in the year, defending Big West Freshman of the Year Makayla
Medellin has returned in a big way for the Beach. Medellin is leading the team in batting at .293 and has hit five doubles and three home runs, driving in 13 RBI in 24 starts this season.

• Junior Carly Robbins has had a solid start offensively for Long Beach State. An All-Big West selection a season ago, Robbins is batting .259 with four doubles, two triples and two home runs, slugging .424 to be second on the team behind Medellin and leads the team with 18 RBI, starting every game in the infield.

• Senior Sophia Fernandez has had to lead the way for Long Beach State in the circle. Fernandez has six wins and a save this year for Long Beach State, pitching a team-high 79.0 innings. Carrying the pitching load in the absence of Shannon Haddad and a lighter workload for Eryka Gonzales, Fernandez has now thrown four complete games in Big West action and ranks among the best in league play in ERA, innings pitched and opponent batting average. Last season, 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, earning second-team All-Big West honors.

• Junior Eryka Gonzales has started 11 games this season for Long Beach State, pitching 42.0 innings in the circle for LBSU. A second-team All-Big West pick in 2023, 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.

• Freshman Kate Barnett has been a bright spot early in the circle for Long Beach State in 2024. Pitching primarily in relief so far, Barnett's 55.2 innings are second-most on the team, and her ERA is the second-lowest on the team.

• Senior Sinclair Lawhorn has established her spot in the starting lineup, batting .241 with four doubles and 8 RBI on the year while starting 25 games at first base. Lawhorn is leading the team with a .400 on-base percentage as a senior.

• Freshman Malayna Terrones was named the Big West Freshman of the Week on March 4 after hitting a pair of home runs against Michigan and San Jose State. A true freshman from Los Alamitos HS, Terrones has 5 RBI on the year and has started 10 games for the Beach.

• Two Division I transfers are making an impact for Long Beach State as well. Jaeden Barajas has started 11 games behind the plate for Long Beach State and is fourth on the team with ten walks and a .378 on-base percentage on the year. Jocylyn Vidal is among the team leaders with seven RBI, splitting time between third base and DP in 2024.

• Junior Shannon Haddad has been out since Feb. 17 after trying to work through an injury to start the year. 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.

• Other key players for Long Beach State include a pair of seniors in Mikayla Ceballos and Cassie Camou who give the Beach some pop off of the bench or at DP. Sophomore Selena Perez has started 23 games at shortstop and has made just four errors, while Rebekah Durazo and Savannah Magadan have combined to start 21 games behind the plate in support of Jaeden Barajas.