Softball Hosts Annual Louisville Slugger Invitational Starting Wednesday Morning

Softball Hosts Annual Louisville Slugger Invitational Starting Wednesday Morning

3/5/2024 1:10:00 PM | Softball

The Beach will play five games at home as part of 10 games at the LBSU Softball Complex this week.

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

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State will once again play host to the Louisville Slugger Invitational, this year with 10 games to be played at the LBSU Softball Complex from Wednesday March 6 to Sunday March 10. The action starts on Wednesday when the Beach hosts Toledo at 10 a.m., with a first pitch moved to the morning to try and avoid rain forecast for later in the day.

LEADING OFF
• The Beach is now 1-0 at home after a thrilling win over Michigan last week. 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.

• Freshman Malayna Terrones hit a two-run home run in that game as well as a second home run in a win over San Jose State last week. Slugging .648 over six games, Terrones became the first player for Long Beach State to earn a Big West weekly honor, named the Big West Freshman of the Week on March 4.

• Through 20 games, Long Beach State has played eight opponents in the Top 25, and have faced the toughest strength of schedule in Division I per Massey Ratings.

• Sophomore Makayla Medellin returned for Long Beach State last week and hit .500 over five games. Medellin had a double and a home run and finished the week with five RBI in a strong return for the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.

• 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 42 stolen bases while Martinez is 5th overall with 35 stolen bases.

PLAYER NOTES
• Senior Sara Olson is leading Long Beach State in on-base percentage this season, hitting .279 with a team-high 17 hits, 11 walks and four doubles on the year while serving as the team's primary leadoff hitter. An outstanding defensive outfielder as well, Olson shares the team lead in stolen bases this season and is searching for another All-Big West selection in 2024.

• Junior Jacquelyn Bickar shares the team lead in hitting so gar this season, batting .294 with five stolen bases, tied with Olson for the team lead. A first-team All-Big West selection in 2023, Bickar has been an everyday starter for three seasons and needs only a few more stolen bases to join Olson and Lilyanna Martinez in the program's career Top 10 in steals.

• After missing six games, defending Big West Freshman of the Year Makayla Medellin returned in a big way for the Beach last week, batting .500 at the Judi Garman Classic. Driving in two RBI in two pinch hit appearances, Medellin had three hits against Texas A&M and raised her batting average on the year to .294, tied for the team lead.

• Junior Carly Robbins has had a solid start offensively for Long Beach State. An All-Big West selection a season ago, Robbins is batting .283 with a double, a triple and two home runs, slugging a team-best .478 and leading the team with 11 RBI, starting every game in the infield.

• Lilyanna Martinez had a strong weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, and is batting .225 while playing in every game, primarily in center field. The senior is a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts this season, and now ranks 5th in career steals at the Beach. 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.

• 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 10 games behind the plate for Long Beach State and is second on the team with nine walks with a .375 on-base percentage on the year. Jocylyn Vidal is second on the team with seven RBI, splitting time between third base and DP in 2024.

• Senior Sophia Fernandez earned both wins for Long Beach State last week, and also has a save in 2024 over 13 appearances in the circle. 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 a team-high eight games this season for Long Beach State, pitching 32.0 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 33.2 innings are the most on the team, and her ERA is the lowest on the team.

• Junior Shannon Haddad has missed the last two weeks of competition after working 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 trio of senior first basemen who will battle for time in Sinclair Lawhorn, Mikayla Ceballos and Cassie Camou. Sophomore Selena Perez has started 18 games at shortstop and has made just three errors, while Rebekah Durazo and Savannah Magadan have combined to start 10 games behind the plate in support of Jaeden Barajas.