Fresno State Athletics
`Dogs Head Back to UCLA for NCAA Regionals
5/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 18, 2010
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State softball team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament to extend the Bulldogs NCAA record of 29-straight tournament appearances. The `Dogs have been to 12 of the 28 NCAA Women's College World Series and won the 1998 National Championship. Fresno State went to UCLA last year for the NCAA Regionals where the `Dogs went 2-2 with wins over Long Beach State and UNLV and two losses to UCLA.
The `Dogs will face San Diego State in Los Angeles on Friday at 3 p.m. The No. 5 overall seed UCLA will host and play St. Mary's on the other side of the bracket at 5:30 p.m. The winner of the UCLA Regional will play the winner of the Baton Rouge Regional in the Super Regionals which includes Texas A&M, Louisiana-Lafayette, McNeese State and No. 12 LSU.
Scouting San Diego State
San Diego State is 33-14 and making its third-straight NCAA Tournament. The `Dogs and Aztecs met earlier in the season, back on March 6 at the San Diego Classic I. San Diego State won the game 8-0 in six innings. In the overall series, the `Dogs lead 51-8. In the NCAA Tournament, the `Dogs are 2-0 vs. the Aztecs, winning both in 2008 at Bulldog Diamond. Three Aztecs are batting .300 or better led by Brittany Knudsen with a .396 average, 55 hits, 74 total bases, eight doubles and a .459 on base percentage. Justeen Maeva has a team-high four home runs, two triples and 36 RBI. Samantha Beasley is the workhorse in the circle with a mere 0.96 ERA. She has a 28-9 record with 11 shutouts and 345 strikeouts in 226.1 innings.
Scouting St. Mary's
Saint Mary's enters the tournament after winning the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship and has a 30-21 overall record. Fresno State and the Gaels will meet for the first time since 2008. The `Dogs lead the overall series 12-1. These two teams have never met in the NCAA Tournament. The Gaels are led by Michelle Mounts with a .367 batting average and 19 stolen bases. Jenna Smith has a team-high eight home runs, 34 RBI, 76 total bases and a .497 slugging percentage. Britany Linton has done most of the pitching with a 2.46 ERA, 17-11 record and 90 strikeouts in 196.0 innings.
Scouting UCLA
The Bruins from UCLA lead the overall series 41-10 vs. the Bulldogs. Fresno State lost a heartbreaker to UCLA earlier in the season in San Diego, 5-4. UCLA is 4-0 vs. Fresno State in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA is the No. 5 overall seed in this year's tournament and received an at-large berth. They are 40-11 on the year and 15-4 at home. Megan Langenfeld leads the way with a .510 batting average, 47 RBI, a 1.020 slugging percentage, 36 walks, 10 hit by pitch and a .658 on base percentage. In the circle, she has a 10-1 record with a 1.29 ERA. Julie Burney leads the team with 15 home runs. Donna Kerr has done most of the pitching, posting a 2.31 ERA, 17-7 record, 10 complete games and 168 strikeouts in 139.2 innings.
Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. Western Athletic Conference Tournament champion Hawai'i earned the No. 16 overall seed and will play in Palo Alto, Calif.
"We Are Your Team" - The Bulldogs will face San Diego State in the 2010 NCAA Tournament on Friday, May 21 at 3 p.m. at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles
