Bulldogs to open 2023 MW Championship on Thursday

Thursday, May 11

San Diego, Calif.

10 a.m. PT

Fresno State

San Jose State

Photo by: Josie Robles

Bulldogs to open 2023 MW Championship on Thursday

5/10/2023 5:00:00 PM | Softball

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of Strategic Communications

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW:
FIRST ROUND (Single Elimination): No. 5 seed Fresno State vs. No. 4 seed San Jose State (May 11, 2023 – 10 a.m. PT)
-- Winner advances to double elimination portion of 2023 MW Championship and will face No. 1 seed Boise State on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT --
LOCATION: San Diego, Calif. (SDSU Softball Stadium)
TV/WEB: Mountain West Network (David Gentile/Tammy Blackburn [All Games]
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network – 1130 AM (Matt Norville) [All Games]

FIRST PITCH

The No. 5-seeded Fresno State softball team begins play in the 2023 Mountain West Softball Championship in a win-or-go-home neutral site game against No. 4 seed San Jose State on Thursday at 10 a.m. PT. The winner advances to play 2023 MW regular season champion Boise State at 4 p.m. PT later in the day when the tournament shifts to a double-elimination regional-like format.
Fresno State (23-30, 10-12 Mountain West) is making its first-ever appearance in a MW Tournament as this is the first time since 2006 that the conference is using a postseason tournament to award the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Earlier this season, Fresno State lost its two games played against SJSU - both coming in a doubleheader at Margie Wright Diamond (5-3 in nine innings in game one and then 2-1 in game two). During those two games, Fresno State freshman second baseman Emma Martinez batted .571 (4-for-7) with a triple, run scored and a .857 slugging percentage.
Last weekend, Fresno State senior Vanessa M. Hernandez punched the Bulldogs' ticket to the 2023 MW Championship with a walk-off RBI sacrifice bunt in the ninth inning of the regular season finale to beat Boise State 2-1 in eight innings on Senior Day. Fresno State's pitchers also limited Boise State, who had entered the series averaging more than seven runs per game, to just eight total runs (2.7 runs per game).
26 of Fresno State's 53 regular season games in 2023 were decided by two or fewer runs, including 19 by a single run.

DENBY, MATTSON EARN MOUNTAIN WEST HONORS

Fresno State senior shortstop Alesia Denby was named the 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, the conference office announced on Wednesday.
Denby led the MW with 56 assists in the field and had 21 putouts. The native of Murrieta, California, is the first MW Defensive Player of the Year from Fresno State since 2016 (Paige Gumz) and fourth all-time.
Denby was also named First Team All-MW for the second straight season and junior Keahilele Mattson also collected First Team All-MW honors for the second time in her career.

BULLDOG BONES

Fresno State's Keahilele Mattson leads the team with a .359 batting average and a .431 on-base percentage as a starter in all 53 games.
Fresno State's Alesia Denby is batting .313 and has 10 home runs, 31 RBIs, 11 doubles and five triples entering the week.
Fresno State's Juliana Wilson sports a .290 batting average and has homered eight times this season.
Fresno State freshmen Emma Martinez (.290) and Kennedy Bunker (.263) have earned key roles in the Bulldogs' lineup at second base and catcher, respectively.
Four Bulldogs – Mattson, Denby, Bunker and Bella Rocco – enter the week having played and started in all 53 of Fresno State's games this season.

IN THE CIRCLE

In 2023, Fresno State has mostly pitched by committee, but got three impressive complete games from its staff in the Bulldogs' home sweep of New Mexico (March 31-April 2).
Taylor Gilmore leads the squad with a 3.30 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 45 appearances (15 starts) and 131.1 innings of work.
Shelbi Denman is 8-4 on the season with a 4.15 ERA in 32 appearances (12 starts).
Freshman pitcher Serayah Neiss has recorded 91 strikeouts over the course of 106.2 innings of work in 35 appearances (21 starts) during her first collegiate season.
Hannah Ortega owns a 4.97 ERA in 31.0 innings over 18 appearances (three starts).

BULLDOGS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
The Fresno State softball team was picked to tie for fifth in the 2023 Mountain West softball regular season, as voted by the League's nine head coaches, and finished conference play in fifth place. Boise State was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2023 MW softball regular season title and went on to win the regular season crown. Boise State tallied 61 points and five of the nine first-place votes. San Diego State was a tight second place with 60 points and the remaining four first-place votes. UNLV was voted third with 48 points, Colorado State in fourth with 36 points, Fresno State, Nevada, and San José State all tied for fifth with 25 points each, New Mexico in eighth with 23 points and to round out the MW preseason poll was Utah State in ninth with 21 points.

"Fresno State Athletics - Elevate: Imagine the Possibilities" – The Elevate Campaign provides a visionary roadmap to enhance and construct a series of athletic facilities to help further position Fresno State Athletics for sustained competitive success nationally, while also further serving as a source of pride and economic growth throughout California's Central Valley. For more information, visit GoBulldogs.com/elevate or call the Bulldog Foundation offices at 559-278-7160.