Softball Continues Big West Play At Home Against UC Santa Barbara

Friday, April 12

Long Beach, Calif.

3:30 p.m.

Long Beach State University

UC Santa Barbara

Softball Continues Big West Play At Home Against UC Santa Barbara

4/9/2024 12:21:00 PM | Softball

Game Notes - Week 10

The Beach host a three-game series with the Gauchos starting on Friday.

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

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Coming off of a series win at UC San Diego, Long Beach State is back at home this weekend hosting UC Santa Barbara for a three-game series. The series opens Friday night on ESPN+ prior to a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

LEADING OFF
• Senior Jocylyn Vidal slashed .545/.615/1.273 last week with two doubles and two home runs including a game-winning grand slam in the seventh inning to cap a comeback win in the series finale against the Tritons. Sophia Fernandez and Kate Barnett combined for a 1.12 ERA over four games.

• Walkoff heroics have been a part of the LBSU DNA this season, with the Beach grabbing 6 of their 8 home wins this season on the final at bat.

• Strong defense has also been a major piece of the team's recent success. Long Beach State ranks in the nation's Top 50 in both double plays per game as well as fielding percentage, now .971 on the year.

• Senior Sophia Fernandez is now 5-2 in Big West action with an 1.12 ERA, throwing a league-high 56.0 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts in 9 appearances, throwing six complete games while leading the pitching staff in 2024.

• Fernandez earned 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Senior Sara Olson currently ranks second in career stolen bases at Long Beach State, and has her sights on the school record currently held by head coach Kim Sowder of 50. Olson ranks second currently with 43 stolen bases while Lilyanna 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
• 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 .323 and has hit six doubles and three home runs, driving in 14 RBI in 30 starts this season while slugging a team-best .505. Medellin is leading the team in league play as well, batting over .400 while starting every game.

• Senior Sara Olson continues to be one of Long Beach State's leaders, hitting .264 with a team high 22 walks and six doubles on the year while batting in the top half of the lineup. An outstanding defensive outfielder as well, Olson has six 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 .262 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.

• Senior Sophia Fernandez has had to lead the way for Long Beach State in the circle. Fernandez has seven wins and a save this year for Long Beach State, pitching a team-high 102.1 innings, fourth-most in the Big West. Carrying the pitching load in the absence of Shannon Haddad and Eryka Gonzales, Fernandez has now thrown six complete games in Big West action and ranks among the best in the Big West in ERA, innings pitched and opponent batting average in league play. 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.

• 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 66.1 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 .250 with four doubles and 11 RBI on the year while starting 31 games at first base. Lawhorn is leading the team with a .409 on-base percentage as a senior.

• Junior Carly Robbins has had a solid start offensively for Long Beach State. An All-Big West selection a season ago, Robbins is batting .228 with four doubles, two triples and two home runs, slugging .387, third best on the team. Robbins also leads the team with 18 RBI and has started every game in the infield.

• Rebekah Durazo has secured a starting role for Long Beach State, playing in 28 games and starting 24 this season. The junior sits second on the team with 15 RBI and has hit a pair of home runs, slugging .424 on the year.

• Senior Jocylyn Vidal is making the most of her final season as a graduate transfer. Coming from San Jose State, Vidal's massive week last week lifted her batting average to .265, second on the team and her slugging percentage over .400 to join Durazo and Medellin.

• 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.

• Junior Eryka Gonzales has started 11 games this season for Long Beach State, pitching 42.0 innings in the circle for LBSU, but has not pitched since March 23. 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.

• 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 29 games at shortstop and has made just five errors as an outstanding defender.