Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Open WAC Play
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 24, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - Western Athletic Conference play begins this week for all eight teams as the Fresno State softball team heads north to Reno, Nev., to take on the Wolf Pack Friday-Saturday at the Christina M. Hixson Softball Park. The `Dogs are 19-11 on the year and receiving votes in both of the top 25 polls. Fresno State split the regular season WAC title with Nevada a year ago but won the WAC Tournament by defeating the Wolf Pack in the championship game. Other WAC series' this week include: New Mexico State at Boise State, Utah State at Louisiana Tech and San Jose State at Hawai'i.
Scouting Nevada
The Nevada Wolf Pack are 13-12 on the year and last week went 3-1 at the Capital Classic by sweeping two games against Iona and splitting with Colorado State. Senior pitcher Katie Holverson threw her first career no-hitter vs. the Rams in the 1-0 win. Holverson is the team's ace, having pitched 93.1 innings with 83 strikeouts. She has a 3.82 ERA and a 5-7 record. The only other pitcher on staff for Nevada is Mallory Darby who boasts an 8-5 record with a 3.23 ERA in 69.1 innings. At the plate, Sam Bias and Noelle Micka tie for the team-high with 27 hits. Britton Murdock has a team-high 20 runs, four home runs and 19 RBIs. Fresno State leads the overall series 31-9 and won three of the four meetings in 2009.
Live Audio/Stats/Streaming
Live stats are available for every game during the season, both home and away, for free and will be provided via gametracker at www.gobulldogs.com. Live audio will be provided for free at www.gobulldogs.com for all road games with Alyssa Chambers calling the action. All Fresno State home games can be heard live on 790 the Deuce, ESPN Radio with Guy Haberman calling all of the action from Bulldog Diamond. Fresno State fans now have the opportunity to watch live video streaming of all home softball games for a small free via Fresno State All-Access. Fans can purchase the package and watch live events for many Fresno State sports including press conferences and special features.
Blood Drive Challenge
The 10th Annual Jenny Eller Blood Drive Challenge begins Monday, March 8 and ends Friday, April 9 at the Bulldogs' softball game vs. Utah State. Fans are encouraged to donate blood and they will receive a 2010 Fresno State softball commemorative t-shirt and a game ticket discount! Fans can donate at the following locations: Jenny Eller Donor Center, Fresno Donor Center, North Fresno Donor Center, Visalia Donor Center and the Porterville Donor Center. Fans can also donate blood in the blood mobile which will be outside of Bulldog Diamond prior to the April 9th game.
All-Decade Team Results Are In
For two weeks fans voted for their favorite athletes of the past decade and the results were announced on March 23. Current Bulldog Morgan Melloh made the list and was voted in as one of two pitchers on the team along with Jamie Southern. The others to make the team were: Lindsay Milchovich (first base), Jenna Cervantez (second base), Haley Perkins (third base), Christina Clark (shorstop), Becky Witt, Rachael Donaldson and Vanessa Czarnecki (outfielders), Nichole Willis (catcher) and Daisy Gaynor (utility/dp).
`Dogs to Appear on ESPNU
ESPNU announced that it will televise the Louisiana Tech at Fresno State Western Athletic Conference softball game Friday, May 7 at Bulldog Diamond. First pitch has been moved to 8 p.m.
The `Dogs have made 14 appearances throughout the year on national television, this will make the 15th. The `Dogs are 25-4 all-time vs. Louisiana Tech.
ESPNU is a multimedia college sports brand, highlighted by a 24-hour television network and Web site - ESPNU.com. The ESPNU schedule features more than 550 live events (regular-season and championships) annually. Action includes a variety of top football and men's and women's basketball mixed with baseball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, wrestling and more.
The network also has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA calling for extensive coverage of 22 NCAA Championships, including sports from each of the three collegiate seasons.
ESPNU is available nationwide in more than 68.5 million households and has long-term carriage agreements with nine of the top 10 providers - Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 614), DISH Network (Channel 141), Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and AT&T U-verse.
Oakes is Perfect
Sophomore pitcher Mackenzie Oakes (Bakersfield, Calif.), threw the first perfect game of her career in a 3-0 win over Georgetown in the `Dogs final game of day three at the Bayer CropScience at Bulldog Diamond in a 3-0 win over Georgetown. It is the first perfect game by a `Dog since Jamie Southern threw one in an 8-0 run-ruled victory over Dartmouth on March 25, 2005. This is the 14th perfect game in Fresno State history and Oakes is the eighth different Bulldog to pitch one.
It was the first seven-inning perfect game since Southern vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 15, 2004 in Phoenix, Ariz., and the first seven-inning perfect game at home since Southern vs. San Jose State on April 13, 2002. Other Bulldogs to throw perfect games are: Southern (4), Wende Ward (2), Melanie Parrent (2), Amanda Scott (2), Barbara Cambria (1), Terry Carpenter (1) and Lindsay Parker (1).
No-Hitter Club
Melloh became the 17th Bulldog in school history to throw a no-hitter in the 1-0 win vs. Pacific on Feb. 13. It was the 63rd total no-hitter at Fresno State. Mackenzie Oakes followed on Feb. 14 wit ha 6-0 no-hitter vs. Sacramento State. Melloh and Oakes became the first Fresno State pitchers since Kristen Hunter and Amanda Scott in 2000, to have two different pitchers threw no-hitters in the same season. It was also the first time since Carie Dever and Marcie Green in 1990 that two different pitchers threw no-hitters in back-to-back days.
Oakes threw her second no-hitter of the season against Georgetown. It was the 65th no-hitter in school history. She becomes the first Bulldog since Robin Mackin in 2006 to throw two no-hitters in one year and the first since Southern in 2005 to throw a perfect game and a no-hitter in the same season.
Chasing Records
Several Bulldogs will look to move up the Fresno State, WAC and NCAA career record books this season. Head coach Margie Wright continues to set records of her own. She picked up her 600 victory at Bulldog Diamond in the season opening win vs. Santa Clara. Wright has 1,201 wins at Fresno State and picked up her 1,200th with a 1-0 victory over Virginia in the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. Wright is also 36 wins away from 1,400 in her career.
Morgan Melloh is on pace to break the Fresno State and WAC strikeout record this season along with moving up in total appearances, games started, wins, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts per 7 innings, shutouts and saves. In Fresno State history, Melloh is No. 5 in appearances with 131 (needs five for 4th), No. 9 in games started with 104 (needs one for 8th), T7 in wins with 81 (needs three for 6th), No. 9 in complete games with 90 (needs four for 8th), 8th in innings pitched with 774.2 (needs 5.0 for 7th), No. 2 in strikeouts with 1,043 (and needs 278 for No. 1), No. 9 in shutouts with 40 (needs three for 8th), No. 3 in saves with five (needs five for No. 2).
Junior Haley Gilleland has 45 stolen bases in her career and needs just six to tie Becky Witt's school record of 51. She was 3-for-4 for stolen bases on opening weekend and picked up her fourth of the year vs. UC Riverside. She had one stolen base at the San Diego Classic I and one in the Bayer CropScience Classic.
Sophomore Michelle Moses hit her 11th home run of her young Bulldog career on opening weekend and now has eight on the year. She hit a three-run home run vs. No. 13 Texas and her first career grand slam vs. Utah. With 18 career home runs she currently is eighth place. She needs five more to tie Nichole Willis in seventh.
Hitting Streaks
Several Bulldogs have already posted long hitting streaks throughout the season as Haley Gilleland is riding a 10-game hitting streak, a team-high for this season. Gilleland's career-high hitting streak is 17 games. The school record is 35 set by Robyn Yorke (1994-97).
Other long hitting streaks by Bulldogs this season include: Jody Badorine (seven games, feb. 14-26), Andrea Ortega (seven games, March 13-18), Haley Gilleland (six games, Feb. 14-26), Caitlin Stiglich (six games, Feb. 20-26), Courtney Moore (four games, March 10-14) and Michelle Moses (four games, Feb. 13-14).
"We Are Your Team" - Fresno State Softball will hit the road to compete in their first conference series of the season when they face the Nevada Wolf Pack on March 26th and 27th. Follow your Bulldog Softball team at GoBulldogs.com. We are your team.
