May 19, 2008

2008 Matador Softball Year in Review in Photos

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Highlighted by four selections to the All-Big West Team and a 12-9 record in Big West Conference play, the Cal State Northridge softball team's 2008 season featured a challenging slate of contests and outstanding performances. After finishing the season 23-24 and with seven starters returning on offense, expectations will once again be high for the Matadors and head coach Barbara Jordan when the 2009 season arrives.

The Matadors wracked up impressive victories throughout the season, including victories over Saint Mary's, Texas State and Centenary in the non-conference season. Against Big West opponents, the Matadors picked up series victories over UC Santa Barbara, Pacific, UC Riverside and UC Davis. CSUN also picked up a win over Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly and was one of only three teams in the conference to not get swept in a league series.

In reviewing the Matadors' 2008 campaign, it would be remiss to start anywhere but with the exploits of junior Amanda Peek. A career .385 hitter, Peek put together one of the finest seasons in Northridge softball history in 2008. Overall, Peek hit .415, the sixth-highest total for a single season in school history and second in the Big West, and led the league in on-base percentage with a .553 clip.

Combining that with her .699 slugging percentage, which also finished second in the conference, gave Peek a 1.252 OPS, another category in which she led the Big West Conference. In fact, the .553 on-base percentage finished 10th among all Division I players, while the .415 batting average finished 32nd and the .699 slugging percentage checked in at 51st among all D-I softball players.

Additionally, Peek hit eight home runs in 2008, bringing her career total to 34, third in Northridge and Big West Conference history. She also led the team in hits (51), runs (29) and RBIs (28) for the third-straight season. Peek also set a new school record with 37 walks in the Matadors' 47 games, good for 0.8 walks per game, the 10th-best figure among all Division I players. For her accomplishments at the plate, Peek earned All-Big West Second Team honors and could still receive All-American consideration.

As impressive as Peek was at the plate, graduating senior Mercedes Lovato was equally successful for the Matadors from the pitching circle. Finishing the season at 19-14, Lovato won the most games by a Matador pitcher since 2001. She also posted a 10-5 record against Big West opponents and was one of only two players in the league to pick up a win against every Big West Conference team.

In addition to the 19-14 record, Lovato led the team with a 2.87 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 189.0 innings of work. She limited opponents to a .245 batting average in 2008 and tossed two no-hitters, blanking San Jose State on Feb. 17 and North Dakota on Mar. 7, to become the first Matador to post two individual no-hitters in a season since 1999.

Lovato's 19 wins ranked 51st among all Division I players and second among all Big West pitchers. For her efforts, Lovato earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team.

Sophomore Jaclyn Rymer earned All-Big West First Team honors for her play at first base in 2008, hitting .273 overall, but raising her average to .298 against Big West Conference opponents. She posted a .989 fielding percentage, committing only three errors in a team-high 282 chances.

Rymer also set new career highs with her 20 runs scored and her team-leading 10 stolen bases. Finally, she struck out only eight times in 2008, making her the 69th-toughest player to strike out among all Division I players.

The fourth Matador to earn conference honors in 2008 was sophomore right fielder Alexandria Alvarado, who hit .289 overall for the season and led the Matadors with 12 doubles, eight of which came against Big West opponents.

Alvarado also was a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base opportunities and set new career highs with 23 runs scored, 37 hits and 17 RBIs. She was second among all Big West Conference outfielders with the 12 doubles and Alvarado received All-Big West Honorable Mention honors from the Big West Conference coaches.

Another Matador posting an impressive season in 2008 was junior second baseman Micah Putnam , who led all Big West second basemen with seven doubles, four home runs and a .974 fielding percentage. She also hit .279 for the season, 55 points higher than her career average entering the season.

Putnam was also one of four Big West Conference players to hit two home runs in a game this season, blasting a pair against Pacific during the conference-opening series against the Tigers. She also set new career highs with her 23 runs, 36 hits, seven doubles and four home runs. Putnam also finished 2008 with 11 sacrifice bunts, the third-straight year that she has reached double figures in the statistic.

Among other Northridge standouts at the dish in 2008 were graduating senior Jackie Duree, freshman Tracy Allen and sophomores Christina Saenz and Lauren Olivas. In her final season with Northridge, Duree hit .273 and had a career-high 33 hits and five doubles. In her four-year career, Duree committed only three errors in the field, finishing with a .986 career fielding percentage.

Allen enjoyed a successful rookie season for the Matadors, hitting three home runs on the season and finishing with 20 runs, 24 hits and 11 RBIs. Olivas hit .273 against Big West opponents in her second season with Northridge and committed only one error in the field. Saenz finished her second season with 15 RBIs, including a career-high five against Cal Poly, to give her 41 for her career through just two seasons.

Along with Lovato, sophomore Amanda Pitzenberger and senior Samantha Schroeder enjoyed success in the pitching circle in 2008. Pitzenberger finished 3-6 overall, but led the Big West Conference with three saves, all of which came in Big West games. She also posted a 3.15 ERA and her 14 walks issued were the fewest among all Big West pitchers. Schroeder finished 1-4 overall with a 4.57 ERA and held opponents to a .245 average with runners in scoring position.

Despite losing Duree, Lovato and Schroeder to graduation, the 2009 rendition of the Matadors will look to get back to the NCAA Tournament and continue to uphold the storied tradition of the Cal State Northridge Softball program.