Fresno State Athletics
No. 24 Bulldogs to compete in final tournament
3/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By: Kimberly Fisher
kimfisher@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
San Diego Classic II
Friday, March 18
Game 1: Long Beach (2:30 p.m.)
Game 2: BYU (4:30 p.m.)
Saturday, March 19
Game 3: Ohio State (9:00 a.m.)
Game 4: Princeton (11:30 a.m.)
Sunday, March 20
Game 5: San Diego (11:30 a.m.)
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ON DECK
The twenty-fourth ranked Fresno State softball team wraps up tournament play at the San Diego Classic II on March 18-20 as Long Beach State, BYU, Ohio State, Princeton and San Diego are on deck during the three-day stretch.
"We get to play another weekend full of teams that are receiving votes and some elite programs," head coach Trisha Ford said. "These teams are very competitive which gets us ready for conference, because no matter how the teams in the league are doing right now, when it comes to conference-play it's an entirely new slate. We're competing in one of the toughest tournament schedules in the nation and I think it's good for us to play at that level."
The San Diego Classic II will feature 16 teams, playing in 39 games and is hosted by San Diego State and Sportsplex USA Santee, an off-campus site which comprises three fields conveniently located next to each other.
The Bulldogs are 15-6-1 overall, 9-5-1 in neutral site contests and 6-1 in home games coming off a split record during last week's Fresno State Classic. The squad topped Weber State before falling to No. 7/8/ Washington on Saturday.
Ford has put on the annual Fresno State Classic since her arrival in 2013 and has since logged a winning record of 10-5 over the past four seasons. In addition to last week's 1-1 mark, the team went 4-1 a year ago, 3-2 in 2014, 2-1 in 2013 and has been washed out five times.
NATIONAL RUN
As of Tuesday, March 15, Fresno State was positioned No. 24 in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball listings. The University of Central Florida dropped out of the NFCA poll this week while Oregon State moved into the 25 spot. New to ASA/USA standings is Nebraska taking the place of Texas at No. 25. Records reflect games played through March 13, 2016.
The Bulldogs have now been ranked in both major top 25 polls for five consecutive weeks after returning to the national scene for the first time since 2011 on Feb. 16. The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is voted on by coaching representatives of 10 Division I Conferences in the 15 ASA/USA Softball Regions as well as members of the national and local media who consistently cover Division I Softball across the country.
There is just one Division I squad in the nation with a perfect record, one with a lone blemish and 12 with three or fewer loses in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association top 25 heading into the sixth week of tournament play.
INSIDE BULLDOG SOFTBALL
Ford is in her fourth season at the helm of the Fresno State softball program and is joined by assistant coaches Sara Pickering (4th year) and Carly Wynn (4th year), volunteer assistant coach Jeff Harger (1st year), student manager Andrew Rich (1st year) and director of operations Taylor Green (1st year).
This year's non-conference tournament slate includes 13 teams that competed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. So far this season, Fresno State has faced Regional contestants Utah (W, 2-0), Kansas (W, 5-3), Northwestern (W, 6-4 and 7-1), Cal State Northridge (W, 3-1), Baylor (L, 5-4), California (W, 7-0), Weber State (W, 2-0) and Washington (L, 12-3), Super Regional advancer Oklahoma (L, 3-2) and World Series qualifiers Oregon (L, 9-0) and Tennessee (W, 7-3). Six Fresno State opponents – No. 6 Oregon, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 16 Baylor, No. 20 Washington and No. 21 California – were ranked in the Top 25 USA Today/NFCA Preseason Coaches Poll.
In addition to capturing the best start to a season (10-0) in Mountain West softball history, the No. 24 Bulldogs' early-season test is highlighted with notable wins over then-ranked No. 8 Tennessee (7-3) and No. 23 Utah (2-0).
The team will make its way back to Fullerton, Calif., for a single non-conference matchup with Cal State Fullerton on March 22 prior to opening the regular season.
Mountain West play will get underway on the road against Boise State starting March 29, followed by a home series against San Diego State (April 1-3). Additional home conference battles include Utah State (April 15-17), Colorado State (April 22-24) and UNLV (May 12-14), with road games against New Mexico (April 8-10), San Jose State (April 29-May 1) and Nevada (May 6-8).
LONG BEACH STATE
Led by three-time Big West Coach of the Year, Kim Sowder (9th year), Long Beach State is 15-9 overall, 4-1 at home, 1-0 visiting and 10-8 during neutral site contests. Sowder, a 1998 Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, has won over 60 percent of her games as the 49ers' head coach while leading LBSU to five NCAA Regional appearances and a trio of conference championships (2008, 2012, and 2014).
Fresno State is 34-19 all-time with the 49ers, despite dropping the last six consecutive contests including an 8-0 loss during the most recent meeting in 2015. The two teams squared off as conference competitors in the Big West every year starting in 1985 until 1992 and have since not met in only 9-of-23 combined seasons.
Last year, LBSU went 28-24 and 15-6 to take second in the Big West. The squad returned eight starters including a veteran pitcher and welcomed nine newcomers. The most recent postseason appearance for Beach was the 2014 NCAA Regional round with five all-time trips to the Women's College World Series, 22 NCAA Regional appearances and eight league titles.
BYU
Brigham Young University owns a 14-10 overall record, with seven of their losses coming on the road. The Cougars have previously faced Mountain West rivals San Jose State (W, 8-0), Boise State (W, 8-0) and Colorado State (L, 10-6).
BYU have gone up against seven ranked opponents during the non-conference tournament schedule including No. 8/9 Tennessee, No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 10 UCLA, No. 12 Missouri, No. 15 Arizona (twice), No. 10 James Madison and No. 13/14 Oklahoma on two occasions. Eight of their 10 losses are credited to a top 25 team with a notable win over then-ranked No. 15 Arizona, 4-2 during the Wildcat Invitational on March 3.
The Bulldogs are 9-4 all-time since 2000 including a 7-2 home record and one victory in three neutral site games. The last meeting came during day two of the 2015 NCAA Eugene Regional as Fresno State capped its season after being edged 8-7 by the Cougars.
Fresno State was up 6-5 after five inning of play at Howe Field in Eugene, Ore., prior to BYU adding three runs and halting the ‘Dogs 2015 season on an 8-7 final score.
Headed by Gordon Eakin (14th season), the Cougars have won two consecutive West Coast Conference (WCC) Championships, five Mountain West titles, a 2012 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship in 2013.
BYU made its first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2010, followed by 11-straight NCAA tournament appearances including a 1-2 record in 2015 and a 15-22 (.405) mark since 2005.
OHIO STATE
Ohio State is spending its 2016 Spring Break out west as they competed at the Louisville Slugger Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., and will continue with five contests this week in San Diego, Calif. At 11-6 overall, the Buckeyes have won six of their last nine contests while competing on the road during all 17 games.
Fresno State is 6-7 all-time since the series began in 1993. The two squads have squared off for the last two consecutive years with the ‘Dogs most recent victory coming at home in 2014.
Ohio State is receiving votes in the USA Today/USA Softball Top 25 poll for the fifth straight week and is coming off a 2-2 mark at the Arizona State Tournament after facing No. 8 James Madison (L, 7-4), Georgetown (W, 8-4), No. 23 Nebraska (L, 5-4) and host No. 21 Arizona State (W, 11-5).
Prior to the weekend tournament, OSU will serve as the visiting team versus San Diego State on Wednesday afternoon and additionally faces Mountain West opponent, San Jose State (March 18) before taking on the No. 24 Bulldogs.
The Buckeyes are led by fourth-year head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly whose teams have won 94 games in her first three seasons, including seven over teams ranked in the top 25.
PRINCETON
Saturday's contest between Fresno State and Princeton will mark just the third all-time meeting. The ‘Dogs fell 1-0 during the 2004 NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., and later run-ruled the Tigers 10-0 at home in 2010.
Princeton softball's spring trip began with three games over the weekend at the Long Beach State Tournament, continued by contests in Los Angeles before heading south to San Diego for the weekend. The team is currently riding a four-game losing streak approaching a midweek doubleheader with Loyola Marymount after Tuesday's 5-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton.
Of the eight-team Ivy League, Princeton is currently second in the South Division behind Penn while ahead of Columbia and Cornell, with a 3-10 overall mark in the 2016 campaign. Two of the Tigers three victories came over South Dakota State (2-0, 4-2) during opening weekend at the UT Arlington Tournament, prior to a 12-1 run-rule triumph over Hampton (Feb. 28).
The group is headed by fourth-year Lisa (Sweeney) Van Ackeren, who became the program's all-time winningest first-year coach in 2013 (27-19).
SAN DIEGO
The Toreros host Yale Wednesday afternoon and then take on Weber State and Seattle on Friday, face Harvard on Saturday and will wrap up the tournament Sunday with games against Fresno State and Cal Poly.
San Diego (9-15) enters the week leading the West Coast Conference (WCC) in stolen bases (24) and fielding percentage (.964). The team is coming off a 1-3 mark at the Matador Classic in Northridge, Calif., with its lone victory over Toledo, 5-2.
USD returned 13 letterwinners from last year's 29-23 team and has eight newcomers this season, including seven freshman and one transfer. The Toreros were picked to finish fourth in the six-team WCC preseason Coaches poll behind last year's champion BYU, Pacific and LMU.
The Bulldogs own a 3-2 all-time record over USD after competing five times in the past 10 years. The two programs have met for a neutral site contest in all but one matchup, following an 8-0 decision in Fresno State's favor as the home team in 2006.
Head Coach Melissa McElvain led the 2015 squad to 29-23 record, the most wins of any Torero team under her 15-year tenure and last week's walk-off win over Pittsburgh gave McElvain 300 victories for her career as USD's all-time leader in wins. USD finished second in the WCC during the 2015 campaign, earning their fourth second-place finish in the past five seasons.
QUICK HITS
The No. 24 Bulldogs produced what was the best start to a season (10-0) in conference history and rode a 10-game streak for the first time since the 1997 season and the fifth time in program history (1982, 1989, 1991, 1997). Fresno State's longest winning stretch to open a season came in 1982 as the ‘Dogs went 17-0 before suffering their first loss.
The ‘Dogs were only Mountain West program to open the season with a defeat over a top 25 team while unranked, as San Diego State is the only league competitor to collect a victory over a ranked opponent – No. 22 Cal (2-1) on Feb. 20 and No. 11 Texas A&M (10-5) on March 4.
This is the fifth time the `Dogs have been ranked during Ford's four-year Bulldog tenure after receiving votes to be placed in the top 25 on six occasions during last year's 40-win season. Following opening weekend, Fresno State has secured a spot in the respective major polls at No. 22/24, No. 20, No. 21/22, No. 22/24 and is currently No. 24 in both.
22 games into the non-conference tournament slate, the Bulldogs have faced nine individual student-athletes who were placed on the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List" – Annie Aldrete (California, catcher), Shelby Friudenberg (Baylor, infield), Rainey Gaffin (Tennessee, utility), Cheridan Hawkins (Oregon, pitcher), Jazmyn Jackson (California, outfield), Jenna Lilley (Oregon, infield), Erin Miller (Oklahoma, outfield), Paige Parker (Oklahoma, pitcher), Ali Aguilar (Washington, infield) – and will take on Missy Taukeiaho (Cal State Fullerton, infield) prior to the regular season.
AMONG THE NATION'S ELITE
According to the latest NCAA Statistics (Sunday, March 13), Fresno State is only four double plays (13) shy of the national leader with 17 and is positioned in the top 50 within two categories – No. 43 home runs (21) and moved up to No. 43 in winning percentage (.705). The Bulldogs are among 54 Division I programs with six or fewer loses including Mountain West foe Nevada (14-3). National leader Florida (22-0) is the lone program to remain untouched, while No. 5 Louisiana-Lafayette trails with a 19-1 mark.
Individually, freshman Dominique Jackson secured the team's highest ranking this week at No. 46 in home runs (6) while also sited No. 59 in home runs per game (0.29). In addition, three Bulldogs placed top 100 in the NCAA individual statistics including righty Jill Compton (No. 79, 1.79 ERA), Whitney Smith (No. 48, 0.27 sacrifice hits per game) and Kierra Willis (No. 76, 15 walks).
The final 2015 NCAA Women's Softball RPI (June 10) reaped Fresno State (No. 45) and San Diego State (No. 38) as the lone pair of MW programs in the top 50. The NCAA will announce the first 2016 RPI ranking on Monday, March 21, nearly six weeks into season.
BULLDOG STANDOUTS
Fresno State is currently being led at the plate by senior Paige Gumz who has served as the Bulldog's starting catcher in all 184 contests behind the dish during her four-year collegiate career. Gumz has gone 20-for-61 and is hitting .328 over a five-week span, coming off a team-leading .500 average, 1.250 slugging percentage, five total bases, two RBI's and a pair of walks during the Fresno State Classic.
Recent additional offensive contributors include junior Malia Rivers, senior Alyssa Villalpando and freshman Dominique Jackson. Rivers has a team second-best .306 batting average (22-for-72) and a commanding five stolen bases while starting all but one game at second base this season. Villalpando is hitting .303 with 13 singles, two doubles, a pair of triples and three home runs while pacing the squad with 16 RBI's. Jackson has a team-leading .627 slugging percentage with 37 total bases and 12 RBI's on six home runs two doubles and nine singles during her rookie season.
As one of the team's top reserve power-hitters freshman Morgan Howe has appeared in all but one game as a pinch hitter, designated player or in right field. Howe has a runner-up three doubles with eight RBI's and is one of nine Bulldogs trailing eight member of the starting lineup in average (.231) as the team currently sports a .270 average.
Senior pitching ace Jill Compton is a MW leader in wins (8), innings pitched (74.1), ERA (1.79) and compiled strikeouts (56). Last week, fellow senior Hannah Harris tossed seven innings at the ‘Dogs home tournament and had a weekend-high five strikeouts, a perfect ERA (0.00) and a shutout over Weber State during what was her first complete game of the year.
EXCEEDING OPPONENTS
The Bulldogs pace the league in walks (81) and home runs (21) and are charted within the top three in total bases (245), plate appearances (669) and runs batted in (90). Fresno State is additionally the lone MW program that hasn't grounded into a double play this season. From the rubber, the Bulldogs have stuck out a conference-leading 92 batters (29 looking) with 14 total wins and are second in ERA (3.03), opposing batting average (.272), saves (2) and innings pitched (145.2).
Respectively, Whitney Smith (six sacrifice bunts), Dominique Jackson (six home runs), Jill Compton (1.79 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 74.1 innings pitched, 8 wins, 11 game starts) and catcher Paige Gumz (six caught stealing) top the league. Among conference competitors, two Bulldogs have individually tallied a game-high including Villalpando (five RBI's vs. Sacramento State and Oregon State), and Bria Kennedy (10 total bases and two home runs vs. Cal State Northridge).
MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS
The league's top three – Nevada, Fresno State, San Diego State - remained the same, while UNLV moved into the four spot ahead of New Mexico following a four-game sweep. The initial five programs in this week's standings account for a double-digit win figure approaching week six of non-conference action.
Eight-of-nine Mountain West softball head coaches tabbed Fresno State to repeat as league champions in the 2016 preseason poll. Led by Ford, the reigning MW Coach of the Year, the Bulldogs received a league-leading 64 total points, marking the second consecutive season the `Dogs have been picked to win the MW regular season title. Fresno State was picked second place in 2014 and third in 2013, as a new league member.
Nevada (14-3)
Fresno State (15-6-1)
San Diego State (13-9)
UNLV (14-10)
New Mexico (11-8)
Utah State (9-10)
Colorado State (9-11)
San Jose State (6-15)
Boise State (6-17)
WEEKLY TRIBUTES
On Feb. 16, ace Jill Compton was pegged the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Pitcher of the Week, College Sports Madness Mountain West Player of the Week and earned conference recognition along with teammate Lindsey Willmon as the Mountain West Player of the Week (Feb. 16).
Career wise, Compton paces the squad with 10 weekly conference accolades over a four-year span. Last season, Whitney Smith (Apr. 28) and Kierra Willis (Feb. 24) were recognized as the MW Player of the Week for their outstanding performance.
ROSTER RUNDOWN
Bearing the loss of five seniors, Ford added five freshmen and two transfers to contribute to the winning tradition set forth by the 16 cultured veterans focused on carrying momentum into the 2016 season. The 23-person roster containing 22 Californians and one Hawai'i native is comprised of five pitchers, one catcher, 10 infielders, six outfielders and one utility player.
Wearing a Bulldog jersey for the first time this season is pitchers Kamalani Dung and Kira McKechnie, outfielders Kaitlyn Jennings and Howe, redshirt freshman Vanessa Hernandez and Jackson as an infielder. The team also welcomed sophomore transfer Claire Stucker (Mississippi State) along with Willmon as a junior from Hawai'i.
For what is the largest senior class during Ford's tenure, Fresno State boasts eight Bulldogs competing in their final collegiate season - Compton, Gumz, Harris, Taylor Langdon, Smith, Villalpando, Bria Kennedy and Victoria Trevino. Fresno State lacks no experience as Willis, Rivers, Willmon and Christina Rodriguez round out the Bulldog upperclassmen, all 12 of which reap postseason familiarity.
COVERAGE
Fresno State Athletics continues striving to meet the needs of Bulldog fans around the county, therefore providing several outlets to follow the Dogs' journey in 2016. Stay up-to-date with the latest news via Twitter (@FresnoStateSB), Facebook (Fresno State Softball), Instagram (@fresnostatesoftball) and Snapchat (FresnoStateSB). A full recap and final results can be found at GoBulldogs.com following each competition.
Come game day, a live stat feed of all home games can be found on StatBroadcast and GameTracker. The Red Wave can watch live on the Mountain West Network or listen on ESPN 790 AM "The Deuce" during select games. Please note, all broadcast schedules are tentative and subject to change.
BUILDING OFF SUCCESS
The Bulldogs returned a deep lineup including seven student-athletes who received postseason accolades last year. After earning their first Mountain West title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2015, Fresno State bid farewell to the 2015 Bulldog of the Year and National Professional Fastpitch draftee, Brenna Moss, and additionally graduated fellow outfield starter Michelle Solomon.
Ford was named the league's Coach of the Year at the season's end while the squad garnished offensive and defensive player of the year laurels, along with a pair of first-team All-MW honorees, five second-team selections and three receiving NFCA All-Region honors.
Coming off the most successful stretch under Ford's direction, the Fresno State softball team opened the 2016 season with depth, experience and a veteran battery looking to make another run at a 40-win season, defend its conference championship and return to postseason play by building on last season's accomplishments.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The 2015 Bulldog softball season featured plenty of offensive fireworks as the squad finished near the top of numerous individual and team categories in the program record book. Last season, five Bulldogs checked into the all-time program record book as a top 10 career leader, including Rivers (T7th - 15 hit streak), Willis (5th - .536 slugging percentage), Compton (7th - 123 appearances, 9th - 546 strikeouts, 10th - 104 games starts, T9th - three saves, 10th - three no-hitters), Harris (T9th - three saves) and Langdon (T4th - five saves).
Season-wise, Fresno State individually made its way into the top 10 last year in seven separate categories, represented by Willis (T2nd - nine triples, 10th - .667 slugging percentage, 10th - 55 RBI), Kennedy (T8th - 30 walks), Compton (T6th - 47 appearances, 6th - 43 game starts, T10th - two saves), Langdon (T1st - four saves), and Harris (T10th - two saves).
As a team, the 2015 squad exceeded the 1999 record of 191 walks with 201 coming during the 2015 campaign, tied with the most runs scored by both teams during a single-game (28), had a single-game leading four triples vs. Rutgers (Feb. 27) and combined for a high of 55 total bases with Cal (Feb. 15).
Then-senior, Moss, became the career stolen base record holder (104) on Feb. 22 with her 87th stolen base coming against Stanford, following an all-time season high 34 in 2014.
ACADEMIC IMPORTANCE
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 with 20 NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards, 14 Mountain West Scholar-Athlete laurels, 23 MW All-Academic honors and two CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades.
2015 NFCA Scholar-Athletes: Wendy Cardinali, Hannah Harris, Vanessa Hernandez, Taylor Langdon, Chase LeeHong, Victoria Trevino, Kelly Megee, Taylor Green and Kiley Shae Aldridge.
2015 MW Scholar-Athlete (3.5): Wendy Cardinali, Hannah Harris, Chase LeeHong , Victoria Trevino and Kelly Megee.
2015 MW All-Academic (3.0): Kelly Megee, Brenna Moss, Jill Compton, Paige Gumz, Chase LeeHong, Malia Rivers, Christina Rodriguez and Victoria Trevino.
SEASON TICKETS
At the conclusion of 23 games played at Margie Wright Diamond last season, Fresno State claimed the highest attendance figure (24,538) since 2008, averaging 1,067 fans per game. Ford has attracted a consistent crowd of 20,000 or more fans per year during each of her three seasons, but encourages members of the Red Wave to make 2016 the best yet.
Fans can purchase season tickets starting at $65 for general admission ($39 for youth/seniors) with the option to reserve either upper ($78) or lower ($130) deck seating to cheer on the Bulldogs this year. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Bulldog Ticket Office or over the phone at 559-278-3647.
TOP RETURNERS 2015 (GP-GS, Avg., H, R, HR, RBI )
Malia Rivers (Jr., INF) 56-56, .371, 72, 40, 0, 30
Kierra Willis (Jr., OF) 55-55, .364, 59, 43, 8, 55
Whitney Smith (Sr., INF) 56-56, .266, 34, 17, 1, 21
Alyssa Villalpando (Sr., INF) 53-53, .361, 57, 24, 6, 33
Bria Kennedy (Sr., OF) 48-47, .286, 34, 25, 2, 23
Paige Gumz (Sr., C) 56-56, .275, 46, 22, 3, 33
TOP PITCHERS 2015 (GP-GS, W-L, IP, ERA, K, BB)
Jill Compton (Sr., RHP) 47-43, 28-11, 242.1, 2.25, 242, 76
Hannah Harris, (Sr., RHP) 26-12, 9-3, 89.2, 2.26, 40, 10
2016 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
• 2015 NCAA World Series Qualifers (8 teams) - Oregon, Tennessee
• 2015 NCAA Super Regional Qualifiers (16 teams) - Oklahoma
• 2015 NCAA Regional Tournament Qualifiers (64 teams) - Baylor, Utah, Kansas, Northwestern, Cal State Northridge, Cal, Weber State, Washington, BYU, San Diego State
• 2015 Non-Tournament Qualifiers - Indiana, Seattle, Boston College, Sacramento State, UC Riverside, Loyola Marymount, Baylor, Wisconsin, Oregon State, CSU Bakersfield, Long Beach State, Ohio State, Princeton, San Diego, Cal State Fullerton, Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, Colorado State, San Jose State, Nevada, UNLV, Pacific
"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.
