Bulldogs begin seven-game road trip with MW series at Utah State

Friday, April 7

Logan, Utah

12 p.m. PT

Fresno State

Utah State

Bulldogs begin seven-game road trip with MW series at Utah State

4/5/2017 1:59:00 PM | Softball

Fresno State Game Notes (PDF)MW Weekly Release (PDF)MW Standings and Stats (PDF)

Fresno State Softball takes on the first-place Aggies before a four-game nonconference slate

By: Jason Kelm / Communications Assistant

Fresno State (24-13, 5-4 MW) at Utah State (23-8, 6-3 MW)
Logan, Utah – Johnson Field

Game 38: Friday, April 7 – Noon PT
  - TV: Mountain West Network
- Radio: None
- Live Stats: Click Here

Game 39: Friday, April 7 – 3 p.m. PT
  - TV: Mountain West Network
- Radio: None
- Live Stats: Click Here

Game 40: Sunday, April 9 – 11 a.m. PT
  - TV: Mountain West Network
- Radio: None
- Live Stats: Click Here

Series history: Fresno State leads 40-12
Last year: Fresno State swept series (12-11, 3-2, 2-1)
Last Utah State series win: 1992 (won 3 of 4)
Last Utah State win: Utah State 4, Fresno State 3 (4/11/15 – Logan, Utah)

BULLDOGS BEGIN SEVEN-GAME ROAD TRIP WITH MW SERIES AT UTAH STATE
The second-place Fresno State softball team travels to Logan, Utah this weekend to take on the first-place Aggies of Utah State at Johnson Field as the Bulldogs begin a seven-game road trip. The 'Dogs will compete in their second Mountain West road series of the season before embarking on a four-game nonconference slate.

Fresno State, who owns the all-time series 40-12 and has won 27 of the last 28 games between the teams, has not lost a series to the Aggies since 1992. The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 17 MW series, most recently falling to Nevada in two of three games.

Last season, the 'Dogs swept Utah State in Fresno by scores of 12-11, 3-2 and 2-1.

BULLDOG BITES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND
• Fresno State has a MW-best RPI of 40. The MW has six teams in the top 100 RPI.
• Fresno State has a MW-best 24 wins.
• Fresno State leads the all-time series against Utah State 40-12.
• Fresno State has won 27 of the last 28 games between the teams and has not lost a series against Utah State since 1992, when the Aggies took three of four games.
• Fresno State has won its MW series against San Diego State and Boise State, and dropped its series against Nevada.
• Fresno State has won 16 of its last 17 MW series.
• Fresno State leads the MW in runs scored (223), RBIs (206), home runs (30), triples (13) and walks (136). In MW games only, the Bulldogs lead in on-base percentage (.429), home runs (10), triples (3) and walks (43).
• Fresno State pitchers rank second in the MW in ERA (3.20) and third in strikeouts (176). In MW games only, the Bulldogs lead in ERA (2.52) and rank second in strikeouts (47).
• Fresno State senior Kierra Willis, who has reached base safely in the last 16 games, now owns Fresno State's all-time walks record. She has 28 this season and 118 in her career. This year, she leads the MW in walks and ranks second in triples (4). In MW games only, she leads in on-base percentage (.647) and walks (11), ranks fourth in batting average (.478) and fifth in slugging percentage (.739).
• Fresno State sophomore Morgan Howe has the third-best batting average (.446) and on-base percentage (.527) in the MW.
• Fresno State sophomore Vanessa Hernandez ranks fourth in the MW in RBIs (32) and second in doubles (9). In MW games only, she shares the home run (3) and RBI (11) leads, ranks second in walks (8) and has the third-best slugging percentage (.810).
• Fresno State junior utility Savannah McHellon ranks second in the MW in RBIs (35) and third in home runs (8). In MW games only, she shares the home run lead (3) and is third in RBIs (10).
• Fresno State sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung shares the MW lead with 15 wins and ranks third in strikeouts (110). In MW games only, she leads in wins (4) and ranks second in ERA (1.60).
• In MW games only, senior Lindsey Willmon ranks second in runs scored (9) and third in RBIs (10).
• Fresno State is 12-11 vs. top 100 RPI teams and is 12-2 vs. teams below 100.
• Fresno State is 2-1 in true road games this season.
• Fresno State is 13-1 when scoring in the first inning.
• Fresno State is 12-2 when the Bulldogs score first.
• Fresno State is 17-2 when scoring five runs or more.
• Fresno State has not lost more than two games in a row this season.

ABOUT THE AGGIES (23-8, 6-3 MW)
Utah State is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Steve Johnson and comes into the game with an RPI of 76. Last weekend, the Aggies took two of three from Boise State and share first place in the MW with New Mexico.

As a team, Utah State ranks 12th in the nation with a .334 batting average and has a MW-best 2.40 ERA. Offensively, the Aggies have a stacked lineup that includes Riley Plogger (.435 BA, 4 HR, 28 RBI) and Victoria Saucedo (.382 BA, 8 HR, 24 RBI) leading the way. The pitching staff is led by Kellie White (12-3, 1.92 ERA) and April Brown (9-2, 1.93 ERA).

LEADING THE WAY IN MOUNTAIN WEST PLAY
Through the first three MW series of the season, the Bulldogs' roles are beginning to be seen.

Senior Kierra Willis and sophomore Morgan Howe have been a consistent factor as far as being able to get on base. Willis leads the MW with a .647 on-base percentage and Howe's sits at .559. They have a combined 24 hits, 17 walks and 14 runs scored through nine MW games so far.

Senior Lindsey Willmon (2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R), junior Savannah McHellon (3 HR, 10 RBI) and sophomore Vanessa Hernandez (3 HR, 11 RBI) have provided needed power and ability to drive in runs. The three combine for 31 of the team's 53 RBIs through nine MW games.

Sophomore Kamalani Dung (4-3, 2.23 ERA) continues to lead the Bulldogs in the circle, recording 36 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched in MW play. She has appeared in seven of the nine games and has thrown five complete games, including a shutout.

WILLIS, WILLMON AND RIVERS CLIMBING THE RECORD BOOK
Willis, who took over the top spot in Fresno State's all-time walks list with 118 in her career, also ranks fifth in triples (17) and slugging percentage (.566), and eighth in home runs (22).

Willmon currently has the third-best career slugging percentage (.587) in Fresno State history and senior Malia Rivers ranks fouth in stolen bases (39).

2017 BULLDOG RANKINGS (USA Today/NFCA)
Preseason – #24
Feb. 14 - #21
Feb. 21 - RV
Feb. 28 - NR
March 7 - NR
March 14 - RV
March 21 - RV
March 28 - NR
April 4 - NR

2017 FRESNO STATE
RPI RANKINGS
March 20 - 30
March 27 - 33
April 3 - 40

MOUNTAIN WEST RPI RANKINGS (4/3/17)
40 - Fresno State
61 - San Diego State
76 - Utah State
79 - San Jose State
88 - Boise State
90 - Colorado State
102 - Nevada
121 - UNLV
135 - New Mexico

2017 BULLDOGS IN NONCONFERENCE (19-9)
A-Sun - 1-1
Big 12 - 0-1
Big Sky - 2-0
Big Ten - 4-2
Big West - 5-1
Pac-12 - 3-2
SEC - 0-1
WAC - 1-0
WCC - 3-1

2017 BULLDOGS VS RANKED TEAMS
#9 Oregon (L, 4-1 – 2/10/17)
#12 Minnesota (L, 9-2 – 2/24/17)
#8 Washington (L, 5-1 – 3/4/17)
#25 BYU (W, 6-1 – 3/10/17)
#25 BYU (L, 8-6 – 3/11/17)

BULLDOGS DROP MW SERIES TO NEVADA
Fresno State defeated Nevada with a convincing 9-1 victory in six innings last Friday, but fell 8-4 on Saturday and 7-4 on Sunday. Willmon hit a walk-off three-run home run on Friday and McHellon hit her own three-run home run in the game and added a solo shot on Saturday. Willis became Fresno State's all-time walks leader in the series.

BULLDOGS OUTLAST PACIFIC, 5-4
McHellon hit a three-run home run in the first inning and earned her fifth victory in the circle, while sophomore Kamalani Dung closed out the last two innings to notch her second save of the year on March 29.

The Bulldogs saw five different players get a hit and score a run, while the team walked seven times.

FRESNO STATE TAKES SECOND MW SERIES, DEFEATS BOISE STATE
The Bulldogs won a MW series with Friday and Saturday wins for the second time of the season after defeating Boise State 9-0 in five innings on March 24 and 8-2 on March 25. Fresno State couldn't complete the sweep, falling 2-1 in nine innings on March 26.

Over the three-game span, the Bulldogs were walked 24 times, while the Broncos took only three free passes. Fresno State had three home runs, including two grand slams (McHellon and Hernandez) and an inside-the-park home run. Pitching was a highlight for the 'Dogs, allowing only two earned runs and 12 hits over 21 innings and striking out 17.

On March 24, the Bulldogs hit grand slams in the first and second innings, the first time in program history that Fresno State has hit grand slams in consecutive innings.

BULLDOGS RALLY TO DEFEAT BAKERSFIELD, 13-11
Fresno State was down by seven in the first inning and came back to defeat the Roadrunners on March 21, using four pitchers and needing a grand slam from Howe in the process. Senior Malia Rivers had a career-high four hits in the game while junior transfer Sarah Santana earned the victory in her first appearance of the season.

BULLDOGS WIN FIRST MW SERIES OF THE SEASON
Fresno State defeated San Diego State in two out of three games in its first MW series of the year March 17-19. The Bulldogs recorded double-digit hits in each game.

On March 17, Fresno State won 10-7, hitting four home runs in the process. On March 18, the Bulldogs won 7-6 in a back-and-forth game that saw three lead changes. On March 19, Fresno State fell 6-3 while the Bulldogs sent three pitchers into the circle.

The Bulldogs and Aztecs were picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the MW Preseason Coaches' Poll.

FRESNO STATE INVITATIONAL
Fresno State went 4-1 in the Fresno State Invitational March 10-12 with wins against No. 25 BYU (6-1), Oregon State (4-1, 6-2) and Sacramento State (5-2). The Bulldogs fell to No. 25 BYU 8-6 in eight innings.

Over the weekend, McHellon went 2-0 with a 0.91 ERA and notched her first save of the season. She struck out five batters in her three appearances while allowing eight hits and three walks in 15.1 innings. At the plate, McHellon had four hits, including a double, and drove in five runs.

Willis hit her second and third home runs of the season and drove in five runs as well. Hernandez knocked her second ball over the fence and notched four RBIs, while Rivers had a team-high seven hits over the five games, recording five runs and five RBIs.

JUDI GARMAN CLASSIC
Fresno State went 3-2 at the Judi Garman Classic March 2-4 with wins against Long Beach State (4-2), Iowa (11-7) and Indiana (4-3). The Bulldogs fell to No. 8 Washington (5-1) and Northwestern (5-3).

Over the weekend, Dung went 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA and picked up her first save of the season. She struck out a season-high 10 batters against LBSU on March 2 and notched her career-high ninth victory against Indiana on March 3.

The Bulldogs' extra-inning game against LBSU was their third of the season and in their victory over Iowa, scored in double digits for the fifth time this year.

Against Northwestern, freshman Schuylar Broussard hit her first collegiate home run, while sophomore Vanessa Hernandez knocked her first one out this year. Junior Savannah McHellon's home run against Washington was the only hit for the Bulldogs in the competition.

BULLDOG CLASSIC
Fresno State went 4-2 in the Bulldog Classic Feb. 23-26 with wins against Cal Poly (3-2), UC Davis (3-0, 7-3) and Idaho State (11-6). The Bulldogs fell to now-No. 10 and undefeated Minnesota (9-2) and Cal Poly (2-0).

Over the weekend, Dung went 2-1 with a 0.95 ERA, a .215 opposing batting average and notched 12 strikeouts in 22.0 innings pitched. She came close to a perfect game in Feb. 25's contest against UC Davis, as the first 14 batters were retired and she allowed only two hits with no walks in her fourth shutout of the season.

The Bulldogs' competition on Feb. 23 against Cal Poly went into extra innings and Castellon notched her first walk-off double in the 3-2 victory over eight innings.

Freshman Maddi Hackbarth hit her first collegiate grand slam on Feb. 23 against Idaho State, the first grand slam for a Bulldog since Dominique Jackson on April 30, 2016, and the 10th at home since 1991.

Freshman pitcher Samantha Mejia notched the complete-game victory on Feb. 26 against UC Davis in her first collegiate start. She allowed two earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.

PUERTO VALLARTA COLLEGE CHALLENGE
Fresno State participated in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico Feb. 23-25, going 2-3 in the tournament and landing three players on the all-tournament team: Dung, Rohleder and Willis. The Bulldogs defeated Florida Gulf Coast, 9-0, and Cal State Fullerton, 12-11, while falling to Mississippi State, 4-1, FGCU, 4-3, and Texas Tech, 9-6.

The Bulldogs played in their first extra-innings game of the season against Cal State Fullerton, defeating the Titans on a walk-off double by Hernandez in the eighth.

Dung went 2-2 over the weekend, including her first collegiate no-hitter against FGCU on Feb. 24, and held opponents to a .208 batting average. Dung, who became the 21st Bulldog pitcher to throw a no-hitter and the first since Jill Compton on March 6, 2015, notched the 73rd in program history. She walked three and struck out six in the game.

Rohleder hit .429 (6-for-14) with four RBIs, five runs scored and three walks, while Willis went 5-for-10 (.500) from the plate with seven walks, three runs and an RBI.

ASU KAJIKAWA CLASSIC
Fresno State began its season with a 4-1 record at the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic Feb. 10-12. The Bulldogs shut out Indiana, 2-0, and Purdue, 4-0, and defeated Stanford 24-8. The 'Dogs' first loss came to now-No. 4 Oregon, 4-1.

The Bulldogs broke the program record for RBIs in a game with 23 against Stanford and tied the records for runs (24) and total bases (40). Rohleder had a stellar showing in the game, going 5-for-5 and coming a double short of hitting for the cycle. She also scored five runs and knocked in three.

Dung went 3-0 and recorded the first two shutouts of her career in the tournament, while holding opponents to a .155 batting average and notching 15 strikeouts in 17.0 innings.

McHellon was named Mountain West Player of the Week following the tournament after hitting .615 (8-for-13) with two home runs, eight RBIs and a 1.154 slugging percentage.

COVERAGE
Fresno State Athletics strives to meet the needs of Bulldog fans around the country by providing several outlets to follow the 'Dogs' 2017 journey. Stay up-to-date with the latest news via Twitter (@FresnoStateSB), Facebook (Fresno State Softball), Instagram (@fresnostatesoftball) and Snapchat (FSAthletics). A full recap and final results can be found at GoBulldogs.com following each competition.

Select Bulldog home games will also be broadcast live on 790 AM ESPN2 Radio, as well as streamed live on the Mountain West Network.

MARGIE WRIGHT DIAMOND SEASON TICKETS
Fans can purchase season tickets starting at $65 for general admission ($39 for youth/seniors), along with the option to reserve either upper ($78) or lower ($130) deck seating. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Bulldog Ticket Office, online at GoBulldogs.com or over the phone at 559-278-3647.

MARGIE WRIGHT DIAMOND MINI PLANS
Fans can purchase 6-, 8- and 10-game flex plans beginning at $54, $64 and $70, respectively.

MARGIE WRIGHT DIAMOND SINGLE-GAME TICKETS
Single-game tickets start at $7 for adults and $5 for youth/seniors.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.