March 26, 2008
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -
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The Cal State Northridge softball team (11-15) embarks upon the Big West Conference portion of its 2008 schedule this weekend with a three-game series in Stockton, Calif., against the Pacific Tigers. The Matadors own a 19-18 record in the all-time series against the Tigers, having won two of three games last season.
For the Matadors, junior Amanda Peek now checks in at fourth in the NCAA Division I in both batting average (.479) and on-base percentage (.563) and leads the league in both categories. She also ranks 44th in Division I in slugging percentage (.740), which is the third-highest figure in the Big West Conference. For the season, Peek leads the team with 35 hits and 54 total bases and has a career-high two triples.
Another Matador pounding opposing pitchers is junior Micah Putnam. The second baseman is hitting .328 on the season, over 100 points higher than her career average at the start of the year. She also has four doubles and nine walks, giving her a .416 on-base percentage, the 10th-best figure in the conference.
In all, the Matadors are hitting .268 as a team, which ranks 98th in Division I and third in the Big West Conference. The team also sports a cumulative .346 on-base percentage, which ranks fifth in the league.
In the circle, senior Mercedes Lovato has paced Northridge all season, recording nine of the team's 11 victories. Lovato is third in the Big West Conference with a .236 batting average against and has 103 strikeouts, the fourth-most in the league and a new career high.
Joining Lovato in the circle has been sophomore Amanda Pitzenberger, who holds a 2-4 record after picking up the win in game two of a doubleheader against Cal St. Bakersfield on Mar. 22. Pitzenberger ranks 10th in the Big West in ERA at a team-best 3.16 and her .256 batting average against is also the 10th-best figure in the league.
As a team, Northridge owns a .247 batting average against, the third-best in the Big West Conference, and has surrendered only 164 hits, the fewest in the league. The team also carries a 1.34 WHIP into the series against Pacific, the fourth-best figure among Big West competitors.
First up for the Matadors on the Big West ledger is Pacific, who plays California in a single game Wednesday before hosting the Matadors on Saturday and Sunday. The Tigers are currently 18-18 on the season, one year after finishing 36-24 and earning an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Both Northridge and Pacific finished their conference season with identical 9-9 records, but Northridge finished higher in the standings due to tiebreakers. A CSUN alum, Brian Kolze is in his 16th year as the head coach of the Tigers and has a 494-386- 1 record in his 15+ seasons.
Casey Goldsand currently leads the team with a .363 batting average and also has a team-high 37 hits and six stolen bases. Britt Hendrickson is the other Tiger hitting over.300, posting a .314 clip before Wednesday's game with Cal. Nicole Matson has already hit six home runs on the season, driving in 20 RBIs. Kelle Wilson leads the Big West Conference with 32 RBIs and has five home runs and seven doubles on the season. Alyce Jorgensen has also fared well at the plate, hitting four home runs with 18 RBIs. As a team, Pacific hits .270 and has a .348 on-base percentage.
In the circle, Chelsea Engle is Pacific's top pitcher again, posting a 12-7 record entering Wednesday's contest against Cal. In 124.1 innings of work, Engle sports a 2.20 ERA with 118 strikeouts and a 1.34 WHIP. Both Heidi Helberg and Jorgensen have three wins on the season in 47 innings of work. Pacific has walked a league-high 128 hitters this season, an average of 3.5 free passes per game. The Tigers' team WHIP stands at 1.59, the third-highest in the Big West Conference.
On defense, Pacific currently holds a .947 fielding percentage, having committed 54 errors. Matson leads the team with 15 miscues in the field, while Jorgensen and Wilson have nine and eight errors, respectively.
The Matadors host their conference home opener on April 5, when they welcome the 49ers of Long Beach State for a three-game series. The teams will play a doubleheader at Matador Diamond on April 5 starting at noon before a single game on Sunday, April 5, also starting at noon.
