'Dogs host Fresno State Kickoff Classic

WEEK 2: FRESNO STATE KICKOFF CLASSIC
Feb. 14-17, 2025 • Fresno, Calif. • Margie Wright Diamond

Tickets: Here
Watch: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
Tournament Central: Here
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateSB

SCHEDULE
Friday:    vs LMU, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday:   vs. UCSB, 3 p.m.
Sunday:     vs. Utah, 3 p.m.
Monday:     vs. Utah, 11 a.m.

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State softball team will host the Fresno State Kickoff Classic at Margie Wright Diamond, Feb. 14-17.

The Bulldogs will face LMU, UCSB and Utah over the weekend.

BULLDOG BONES

Fresno State is 1-4 after opening the season at the Stanford Invitational.
Fresno State starts the season with four losses in the first five games for the first time since 2022.
Six players recorded their first career starts and hits as Bulldogs in Harleigh Braswell, Olivia Hill, Marissa Montelongo, Madison Rey, Kiara Sipe and Mallory Vancleave.
Fresno State was outhit 48-20 through five games.
Junior Natalie Elias led the Bulldogs at the plate with five hits.
Sophomore Madison Rey has recorded a hit in three consecutive games.
Junior right-handed pitcher Key-Annah Campbell Pu'a recorded her first start and win as a Bulldog.
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll.
This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.
Junior left-handed pitcher Serayah Neiss was named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection.
Neiss posted a 2.58 ERA over 152 innings last season, recording 105 strikeouts.
She also set a program record with five saves in a single season.
Fresno State returns 18 players, including seven starters.
Fresno State bolstered its roster with 12 newcomers, including three Division I transfers.

OPPONENTS OFF THE BAT

LMU is 1-4 after opening weekend, winning the season opener then dropping four straight.
Fresno State has won three of the last 4 meetings between the teams.
UCSB is 5-1 after opening weekend, riding a five-game winning streak including a run-rule win over Colorado State.
Fresno State has won six of the last seven matchups.
Utah is 3-2 after opening the season at the Kajikawa Classic, bak-to-back games to finish the weekend.
The Bulldogs have won 12 straight games against the Utes.
The squads haven't played each other since 2016.

LAST WEEKEND
Six players recorded their first career starts and hits as Bulldogs in Harleigh Braswell, Olivia Hill, Marissa Montelongo, Madison Rey, Kiara Sipe and Mallory Vancleave.

Rey, who was a pinch runner last season and didn't have an at-bat, started all five games last weekend, recording four hits. She ended the series on a three-game hitting streak and reached base in every game.

Junior right-handed pitcher Key-Annah Campbell Pu'a earned her first start and win as a Bulldog, while freshman right-hander Hannah Duncan made her debut appearance in the circle.

Faith Jordan provided the Bulldogs with strong innings on the circle. In 2024, she pitched a total of 16.2 innings and recorded three strikeouts. Last weekend, she threw 7.2 innings and tallied six strikeouts, including a career-high 3.0 innings pitched and four strikeouts in one outing.

1ST IN OUR HEARTS, 2ND IN THE PRESEASON POLL
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's nine head coaches.

This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.

NEISS EARNS PRESEASON ALL-MW HONORS
Junior left-handed pitcher Serayah Neiss was named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection, the Bulldogs' sole representative on the list.
Neiss posted a 2.58 ERA over 152 innings last season, recording 105 strikeouts. She also set a program record with five saves in a single season.

VETERANS ON DECK
In addition to Serayah Neiss, the team returns 18 players, including seven starters. The returning core is led by catcher Kennedy Bunker and outfielder Natalie Elias.

Bunker started 51 games behind the plate last season, finishing with a .367 batting average. She recorded 55 hits, seven doubles, and four home runs, while posting a .493 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage.
Elias also appeared in 51 games, starting 49. She hit .354 with a .368 on-base percentage, leading the team with 63 hits.

FRESH BATS
Fresno State bolstered its roster with 12 newcomers, including three Division I transfers.

Infielder Marissa Montelongo returns home to the Valley from Saint Mary's for her final season. During the 2024 season, she started all 54 games and finished with a .303 batting average. The All-WCC Second Team selection recorded 46 hits and 19 RBIs, along with a .414 slugging percentage and a .352 on-base percentage. She also added 33 stolen bases.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Harleigh Braswell

Kennedy Bunker

Hannah Duncan

Natalie Elias

Olivia Hill

Faith Jordan

Marissa Montelongo

Serayah Neiss

Madison Rey

Kiara Sipe

Mallory Vancleave