Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs to End Tournament Slate At Home
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By: Kimberly Fisher
kimfisher@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
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Fresno State Classic |Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15 | Margie Wright Diamond - Fresno, Calif.
Thursday, March 12
*Fresno State vs. Providence - 4:00 p.m.
*Fresno State vs. Pacific - 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 13
*Fresno State vs. Montana - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
*Fresno State vs. Minnesota - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 14
*Fresno State vs. Cal Poly - 2:30 p.m.
Weekend Outlook
After a five-game slate at the Judi Garman Classic last weekend, the Fresno State softball team returns home to host its third and final tournament before starting conference play next week. The `Dogs welcome Providence, Pacific, No. 16 Minnesota, Montana and Cal Poly to the four-day annual Fresno State Classic for a total of 17 games to be played at Margie Wright Diamond. The tournament will kick off on this Thursday and last through Sunday, March 15.
About the `Dogs
The Bulldog softball team kicked off its 2015 campaign at the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 6 and have posted an overall record of 15-9 after hosting two tournaments and competing at both the Mary Nutter Classic and Judi Garman Classic. The `Dogs are led by third-year head coach Trisha Ford who is assisted by Sara Pickering and Carly Wynn. The 21 California natives who make up the 2015 Fresno State softball roster will play a 30-game stretch before conference play begins on March 20 against the Colorado State Rams. The crowded group of talented newcomers helps ease the offensive loss of four `Dog starters at the conclusion of the 2014 season.
Providence (2-9)
For only the third time in history, Fresno State will take on Providence for its first game of the Fresno State Classic with an all-time record of 1-1 against the Friars. Providence comes off of a Tuesday double header against Loyola Marymount where they split on the day. The team is led by senior Shanelle Harrell with a .351 batting average and senior Kristie Dederick (.333) has a team-best of five runs scored. Due to a tournament cancellation, the Friars have competed in only 12 games this season including appearances at Florida Atlantic "Strike-Out Cancer" Tournament and UCLA Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament, with their pair of wins coming against Illinois (8-5) and Loyola Marymount (8-7).
Pacific (8-17)
Pacific picked up a notable win over No. 9 Baylor last weekend at the Judi Garman Classic , and has posted an overall record of 8-17 this season. The Tigers split a midweek doubleheader with Penn State on Tuesday with a 2-1 walk-off to record the victory in their first matchup. Freshman Molly Bourne leads Pacific with a .309 batting average, 19 runs batted in and 25 hits this season including her first two collegiate home runs last weekend. Fresno State holds an all-time winning record over the Tigers (9-23-1) with the last meeting being at the 2014 Fresno State Classic where the `Dogs fell 5-3.
Montana (4-15)
After picking up two consecutive wins against Saint Mary's and Utah State last weekend at the Springhill Suites Invitational, Montana is now 4-15 on the season. Lexie Brenneis leads the Grizzlies with a .393 batting average and has generated 16 runs. In the circle for Montana, Kenzie Cole (4.33 ERA) has made eight starts and 16 appearances this season with 38 strikeouts. Friday's meeting with Montana will be the first game in softball history against the Bulldogs and Grizzlies.
No. 16 Minnesota (18-4)
On Sunday, Fresno State will cap the tournament against the No. 16 ranked Golden Gophers in its seventh game against a ranked opponent this season. With an 18-4 overall record, Minnesota has gone undefeated in three of their four tournaments this season in addition to sweeping a double-header against Stetson. Offensively, Hannah Granger leads the team posting a .508 batting average with 30 hits this season including three doubles, five home runs and 24 runs. The `Dogs hold a perfect all-time record (11-0) against Minnesota with the last meeting being in 1998.
Cal Poly (13-15)
Cal Poly enters the tournament with an 11-14 mark this season and a three-game winning streak over San Diego, Sacramento State and Bryant at the Mustang Classic last weekend. The Mustangs are led by sophomore outfielder Courtney Tyler with a .344 batting average and 22 hits in her 64 at-bats while ranking fourth among Big West players in on-base percentage. The team is made up of 15 players in which seven are freshmen, five sophomores and only one senior, ranking as one of the youngest Division I softball programs. The `Dogs hold a 38-12 all-time record over Cal Poly in the 50 games played against the Mustangs.
Mountain West Standings
After being favored in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, Fresno State has fallen out of the number one spot for the first week this season. San Diego State currently leads the conference with a record of 15-8 and San Jose State sits one place above Fresno State in the number two spot with a record of 16-9 this season. The Bulldogs (15-9) have a current winning percentage of .625 with the Aztecs at .652.
Bulldog Talent Honored
On Feb. 28, the Bulldog softball program retired former Bulldog All-American and Olympic Gold Medalist Laura Berg's No. 44 jersey during the first annual Fresno State Louisville Slugger Bash. The ceremony was held at Margie Wright Diamond prior to the `Dogs matchup with Oregon State, in which Berg has entered her third season at the helm of the Beavers' softball program. Not only was Berg a four-time All-American at Fresno State, but a world-class athlete as a three-time USA Softball Olympic Gold Medalist. The Bulldog outfielder guided Fresno State to its first NCAA Division I national title in 1998 and ended her collegiate career leading the WAC in triples, runs, hits, at-bats, games played and total bases.
The first night of the Fresno State Kick-Off (Feb. 13) served as not only the 2015 home opener, but a memorable night for former Bulldog pitcher Wende Ward who was only the second female Fresno State student-athlete to have a jersey number retired. Ward's No. 19 was honored on Friday, Feb. 13 prior to the `Dogs 6 p.m., game as she threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and a banner commemorating her success as a Bulldog was proudly hung on the stadium press box.
Rewriting the Record Book
Fresno State softball found success in four of five games at the Mary Nutter Classic, as well as set new records for the program. Against Stanford on Saturday, Feb. 21, the `Dogs recorded back-to-back-to-back home runs from Kierra Willis, Paige Gumz and Alyssa Villalpando. This accomplishment marked the first time the `Dogs cleared the fence three consecutive times, the last time three homers were hit in same inning being against Iowa on February 23, 2013.
In the same night, senior Brenna Moss broke the record for the most career stolen bases after tying the record in the first inning against the Cardinal. Prior to this season, Moss sat in second with 79, behind 2011 all-time school career record holder Haley Gilleland (86). Moss is ranked 18th nationally in stolen bases after tallying 11 her freshman year (2012), 34 as a sophomore (2013), 34 again her junior year (2014) and eight after the first three weeks of the 2015 season.
Clinching Weekly Honors
After an exceptional weekend at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, the Fresno State softball team picked up several weekly accolades on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to commemorate their earl success in the 2015 season. College Sports Madness named Alyssa Villalpando Madness Mountain West Softball Player of the Week and after being awarded the Sysco Student-Athlete of the Week, sophomore Kierra Willis was selected as the Mountain West Softball Player of the Week. Both Villalpando and Willis led the team to a 4-1 record at the Mary Nutter Classic. Junior pitcher Jill Compton was named Sysco Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday, Feb. 9 after helping Fresno State to a 4-1 mark at the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
Tune In
Don't miss any Bulldog softball action this year! Fans that are unable to make the game can tune into 790 AM The Deuce, the official home of Fresno State softball, with ESPN2 host Christian Lukens. The Mountain West Network also streams home games live at www.themw.com, or visit gobulldogs.com to follow the Bulldogs on GameTracker.
Fresno State Picked First in Preseason Poll
The Mountain West released the 2015 Preseason Poll on Tuesday Feb. 3 announcing Fresno State as the preseason favorite to win the MW regular season title. The annual preseason poll is voted on by the league's nine head coaches. The Bulldogs acquired 63 votes, including seven first-place votes, placing the `Dogs nine points higher than runner-up, San Diego State (54), who received one first-place vote. UNLV was tabbed to finished third with 44 points and the final first-place vote, placing the Rebels ahead of Colorado State (43) by only one point. San Jose State (34), Boise State (33), Nevada (26), Utah State (18) and New Mexico (9) rounded out the preseason poll.
Upper-Class Pitching Staff
The Bulldogs return the four-person junior pitching class consisting of Jill Compton, Hannah Harris, Taylor Langdon and Kiley Shae Aldridge. As the teams right-handed ace, Compton picked up NFCA All-Region second-team honors last season after she led the conference in lowest opposing average and strikeouts looking with an ERA of 2.17. Harris was a All-MW second-team selection and enjoyed a top 10 conference ranking in fewest home runs allowed, ERA and fewest walks last season. Langdon topped the MW conference last year in saves and recorded a season- high of four strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Aldridge, a redshirt junior, logged one of the team's most impressive efforts last spring in her start against No. 6 Washington, earning her Pitcher of the Week honors.
Bulldog Seniority
Two of the top projected returnees in 2015 are junior Jill Compton, a two-time Mountain West choice, and Brenna Moss, who was also a repeated All-MW pick and named MW Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. Also returning to the diamond are seniors Kelly Megee, Michelle Solomon and Taylor Green. The junior class welcomes back Taylor Langdon, Bria Kennedy, Kiley Shae Aldridge, Whitney Smith, Hannah Harris and Paige Gumz. The 2015 sophomore class includes Kierra Willis and Christina Rodriguez.
Freshman Class
Wearing a Bulldog jersey for the first time will be freshmen infielders Wendy Cardinali (Valencia High School), Chase LeeHong (Santa Catalina High School), Vanessa Hernandez (Hesperia High School) and Katie Castellon (St. Mary's High School) along with outfielder Brooke Coates (Exeter High School).
Prominent Transfers
The 2015 squad is also composed of several transfers including Malia Rivers (University of Georgia), Alyssa Villalpando (University of Hawai'i) and junior college transfer Victoria Trevino. Trevino was a four-year all-league shortstop for Lemoore High School before attending West Hills College and transferring to Fresno State. Rivers joins the squad as a sophomore transfer from Georgia where she served as an infielder and posted an overall batting average of .667, helping the Bulldogs to an SEC Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Super Regional appearance. Villalpando, a junior utility player from El Monte, Calif., made her transition to Fresno State after playing two seasons for Hawai'i as a catcher, infielder and designated player who helped the Rainbow Wahine to the 2013 NCAA Tournament Regional Final.
Fierce Competition
The Bulldog softball team has spent a significant amount of time preparing for what is said to be the toughest schedule yet under Ford's helm. Following the Fresno State Kick-Off, the Bulldogs made their way to Cathedral City for the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 20-22) where the `Dogs will face Texas, Ohio State, Stanford, Oklahoma State and LMU. The CSUF Judi Garman Classic will serve as one of the most challenging weekends for the `Dogs as they kick off the tournament facing the University of Iowa. On March 7, Fresno State will take on the 2014 defending national champions, Florida Gators, followed by three separate face offs with 2014 WCWS participants, Oregon, Baylor and Arizona to end the Judi Garman Classic on March 8.
2015 Home Game Slate
Highlighting the Bulldogs 2015 non-conference slate are three tournaments hosted at Margie Wright Diamond. Bulldog softball fans can catch the team in action for the first time in the spring as the team host UC Davis, Sacramento State, Cal, Santa Clara and UC Riverside for the Fresno State Kick-Off (Feb. 13-15). Following the kick-off, the `Dogs will hold the first annual FS Louisville Slugger Bash (Feb. 27- Mar. 1) where they welcome Saint Mary's, Oregon State, UC Santa Barbara and Rutgers. The Fresno State Classic (March 12-15) will end the Bulldogs 24-game non-conference slate after taking on Providence, Pacific, Montana, Minnesota and Cal Poly for the third and final 2015 tournament hosted at Margie Wright Diamond. Of the eight conference series, the `Dogs will host San Jose State, New Mexico, Boise State and Nevada this season.
On the Road Again
The Bulldogs non-conference schedule continues with a three-day road trip to Cathedral City for the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 20-22). The `Dogs will open the month of March by making their way to Fullerton, Calif., for the CSUF Judi Garman Classic and are slated to open conference play on in Fort Collins, Colo. for a three-day MW series against Colorado State. Additional road trips this season include visiting San Diego State, Utah State, UNLV and Stockton, Calif., for a single-game matchup with Pacific.
Individual Preseason Honors
College Sports Madness released its 2015 Preseason All-Conference Softball Teams on Monday, Feb. 2, in which four Bulldogs were honored. The staff at College Sports Madness tabbed senior Brenna Moss the Field Player of the Year and junior Jill Compton Pitcher of the Year with the expectation of making a significant impact on the `Dogs season in the Mountain West. Both Moss and Compton were placed on the All-Mountain West first-team while junior pitcher Hannah Harris and sophomore outfielder Kierra Willis represented the `Dogs on the second-team.
Classroom Achievements
The Fresno State softball team takes pride in the hard work dedicated on the field as well as in the classroom and reaffirmed its commitment to academic success by enjoying five 2014 NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards, three Mountain West Scholar-Athlete laurels, six MW All-Academic honors and a Capital One Academic All-District accolade.
2014 Season in Review
The `Dogs are coming off a second-place (15-9) finish in Mountain West play and a 31-21 overall mark behind the 2014 top conference champion, San Diego State (40-19, 16-8 MW). Lost to graduation were five senior Bulldogs, including four position starters, and nine overall letterwinners.
Season Tickets
Fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets starting at $65 for general admission ($39 for youth/seniors). Season ticket holders also have the option to reserve both upper ($78) and lower ($130) reserved seating as they cheer on the Bulldogs this year. To purchase season tickets contact the Bulldog Ticket Office, call 559-278-3647, or log on to www.gobulldogs.com
Postseason
NCAA regionals is set to begin on May 2 and is constructed of 32 programs which receive an automatic bid, while the remaining 32 teams are selected on an at-large basis to make up a 64-team playing field. Regionals will last until May 17 and NCAA Super Regionals are slated for May 21-24 at eight selected campus sites. A best-of-three tournament format will determine who advances to the 34th annual NCAA Division I Softball Championship (May 28- June 3), held for the 25th time at the Oklahoma City/ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
2015 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
•2014 National Champion (1 team, 1 game) - Florida
•2014 World Series Returnees (2 teams, 2 games) - Baylor, Oregon
•2014 Super Regional Returnees (2 teams, 2 games) - Arizona, Minnesota
•2014 NCAA Regional Finalist (1 team, 1 game) - Texas
•2014 NCAA Tournament Advances (2 teams, 4 games) - Fordham, San Diego State (3x)
•2014 Non-Tournament Qualifiers (28 teams, 44 games) - Boise State (3x), California, Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, Colorado State (3x), Iowa, Loyola Marymount, Montana, Nevada (3x), New Mexico (3x), Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon State, Pacific (2x), Portland State, Providence, Rutgers, San Diego, San Jose State (3x), Santa Clara (2x), Stanford, St. Mary's, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV (3x), Utah State (3x)
2014 MW STANDINGS
1. San Diego State 16-8-0
2. Fresno State 15-9-0
3. UNLV 15-9-0
4. Boise State 14-10-0
5. San José State 13-11-0
6. Colorado State 13-11-0
7. Nevada 9-15-0
8. New Mexico 7-17-0
9. Utah State 6-18-0
2014 ALL-MW First Team
Tara Glover**- Boise State
Rebecca Patton- Boise State
Chelsea O'Connor- Colorado State
Jill Compton*- Fresno State
Brenna Moss*- Fresno State
Brandi Heimburg- New Mexico
Willow Kalinen- New Mexico
Jaylene Ignacio- San Diego State
Patrice Jackson**- San Diego State
Danielle O'Toole*- San Diego State
Erin Rodriguez- San José State
Garie Blando- UNLV
Sam Juarez- UNLV
Stefany Valentino**- UNLV
Victoria Saucedo- Utah State
2014 ALL-MW Second Team
Jordan Kreiger- Boise State
Haley Hutton- Colorado State
Holly Reinke- Colorado State
Stesha Brazil- Fresno State
Hannah Harris- Fresno State
Kierra Willis- Fresno State
. Karlyn Jones- Nevada
Megan Sweet- Nevada
Naomi Tellez- New Mexico
Dominique Dinner- San Diego State
Katie Mathis- San Diego State
Jessica Garcia- San José State
Jessie HUfstetler- San José State
Emily Haslinger*- UNLV
Pauline Monreal- UNLV
**=three-time honoree
*=two-time honoree
"Be Bold!" - The official home of the Fresno State Softball is 790 AM ESPN2 The Deuce. For ticket information contact the Bulldog Ticket Office at 559-278-3647 or log on to www.gobulldogs.com.
