Feb. 26, 2013
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2013 UCLA Softball Media Guide
Bid on UCLA Pink Helmets and Signed Jerseys Through March 1 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, February 26
2 p.m. - Cal State Fullerton at #12/#10 UCLA
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates | Audio
Friday, March 1
2 p.m. - #12/#10 UCLA vs. Fresno State (at San Diego State)
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates
Saturday, March 2
11:30 a.m. - #12/#10 UCLA vs. Boise State (at San Diego)
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates
4:30 p.m. - #12/#10 UCLA at San Diego
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates
Sunday, March 3
11:30 a.m. - #12/#10 UCLA vs. New Mexico (at San Diego State)
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates
2 p.m. - #12/#10 UCLA at San Diego State
Online Coverage: Gametracker | Live Updates
#10 UCLA HOSTS FULLERTON, TRAVELS TO SAN DIEGO
The 10th-ranked Bruins host Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday in a 2 p.m. matinee at Easton Stadium before heading south for the San Diego Classic I. UCLA will face Fresno State at SDSU on Friday at 2 p.m., Boise State (11:30 a.m.) and San Diego (4:30 p.m.) at USD on Saturday and New Mexico (11:30 a.m.) and San Diego State (2 p.m.) at SDSU on Sunday. Gametracker will be available for all games at UCLABruins.com, as well as live audio on Tuesday. In addition, live updates will be available at twitter.com/uclasoftball.
ON DECK
The Bruins play six times again next week, traveling to Cal State Northridge for a 2 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 6 before heading to the Long Beach State Invitational at Lakewood's Mayfair Park. UCLA will take on Virginia Tech (4:30 p.m.) and Long Beach State (7 p.m.) on Friday, March 8, South Alabama (2 p.m.) on Saturday, March 9 and UNLV (9 a.m.) and Charleston Southern (1:30 p.m.) on Sunday, March 10.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
The Bruins continue to rise in both national polls, moving from 13th to 10th in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and from 16th to 12th in the latest USA Today/NFCA rankings. The Bruins' total was 114 points higher in the USA Softball poll to get them into the Top 10, however they still rank one slot below a Tennessee team they beat last weekend. UCLA also gained 135 points in this week's NFCA poll, however it is still five spots below Tennessee and one under LSU, both of which lost to the Bruins last week. The Bruins received 28 points and were ranked seventh in the preseason Pac-12 Coaches poll.
BRUINS ON THE WEB
Gametracker will be available for all six games this week at UCLABruins.com, as well as live audio for Tuesday's contest. In addition, in-game updates will be available via twitter.com/uclasoftball.
SCOUTING THE CAL STATE FULLERTON TITANS
Cal State Fullerton holds a 5-8 record, posting a sweep at home against #7 Missouri last Saturday, winning game one 5-4 before losing the nightcap 7-0. Last Thursday, the Titans also beat Loyola Marymount, while falling to Tennessee, at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Fullerton is hitting .218 as a team, with six homers and 11 stolen bases, averaging 2.8 runs per game. Three players are batting over .300, led by junior Ariel Tsuchiyama, who is first on the squad with a .400 average and nine RBI. Sophomore Desiree Ybarra is second with a .320 average, a homer and five RBI, while junior Leesa Harris is third with a .313 average, two RBI and a team-best three steals. In the circle, Ybarra has a 1.98 ERA, a 1-3 record and 14 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings, however freshman Jasmine Antunez has seen the most action, posting a 3-4 mark, a 2.66 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. Kelly Ford is in her first season as Fullerton's head coach. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Titans 39-32-1 and have won four straight, including an 11-2, five-inning victory in Lakewood on March 12, 2011 in the last meeting.
SCOUTING THE FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS
Fresno State brings a 10-8 mark into this weekend's action and will play BYU right before taking on UCLA on Friday. The Bulldogs went 3-2 last weekend at the Santa Clara Tournament, beating the host team, Cal State Northridge and Saint Mary's, while falling to San Jose State and Idaho State. The Bulldogs are hitting .268 as a team with seven homers and 27 stolen bases, averaging 4.0 runs per game. Three players are hitting over .300, led by junior Brooke Ortiz, who is batting .361 and is second with seven stolen bases. Sophomore Brenna Moss is second with a .338 average and first with 12 steals, five triples and 10 RBI (tied), while freshman Paige Gumz is third with a .333 average and seven RBI. In the circle, three pitchers have started at least three games, as freshman Taylor Langdon holds the lowest ERA at 2.15 to go with nine strikeouts in 26 innings. Freshman Jillian Compton is 5-5 with a 3.05 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings. Trisha Ford is in her first season at Fresno State. The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Bulldogs 43-11, but Fresno State won last year's matchup, a 6-3 triumph at the Cathedral City Classic on Feb. 25.
SCOUTING THE BOISE STATE BRONCOS
Boise State (7-7) posted a 3-1 record at last week's UC Riverside Tournament, beating Weber State and the host team, while splitting a pair with San Diego. The Broncos will face BYU and Long Beach State on Friday before their encounter with the Bruins on Saturday. Boise is hitting .267 as a team with eight homers and 12 steals, averaging 4.3 runs per game. Five players are hitting over .300, led by senior Holly Bourke, who is batting .385 with six RBI and four steals. Freshman Sarah Barnes is second at .344 with two homers and eight RBI, while junior Devon Bridges is third at .340 with a team-leading three homers and 16 RBI. In the circle, three pitchers have started at least three games. Junior Rebecca Patton has the best line with a 5-2 mark, a 3.53 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings. Erin Thorpe is in her fifth year at Boise State and has a record of 125-109. The Bruins and the Broncos met for the first time ever last year in San Diego on Feb. 17, with UCLA posting a 4-1 victory.
SCOUTING THE SAN DIEGO TOREROS
The co-host of this weekend's tournament brings a 6-6 mark into the San Diego Classic I and will play three times before facing the Bruins on Saturday. USD went 3-2 last weekend at the UC Riverside Tournament, splitting a pair of games with the host team and Boise State, while also beating Weber State. The Toreros are hitting .264 as a team with three homers and five stolen bases, averaging 2.9 runs per game. Three players are hitting over .300, led by senior Lauren Tomey, who is batting .400 with three RBI. Junior Dana Prelsnik (.371) and sophomore Caitlin Rooney (.324) are also above .300. In the circle, juniors Cassidy Coleman and Jenny Lahitte have split the 12 starts. Coleman is 3-3 with a 1.64 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings, while Lahitte is 2-3 with a 2.94 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings. Melissa McElvain is in her 12th year at USD and has a record of 219-329. The Bruins have won all seven matchups with the Toreros, including a 13-0 triumph at USD in the last meeting on March 1, 2009.
SCOUTING THE NEW MEXICO LOBOS
New Mexico (9-9) will play the Bruins in their sixth and final game of the weekend in San Diego. The Lobos went 3-1 last weekend at the Islander Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, beating Southern, Auburn and Kansas, while losing to the host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Lobos are hitting .248 as a team with eight homers and 30 steals. Four players are batting over .300, led by freshman Mariah Rimmer's .400 average, two homers, eight RBI and team-best 14 steals. Junior Chelsea Anaya leads the team with 14 RBI, adding a .377 average and two homers. In the circle, five different hurlers have started a game. Senior Kaela DeBroeck is 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 24 innings, while freshman Lisa Rodrigues is 1-3 with a 3.27 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 33 innings. Erica Beach is in her third year at New Mexico and has a record of 55-60. The Bruins have a 7-1 lead in the all-time series with the Lobos, but New Mexico won the last matchup, a 13-1, five-inning victory on Feb. 10, 2007 in Tempe, Ariz.
SCOUTING THE SAN DIEGO STATE AZTECS
The Aztecs (8-7) will round out their four-game schedule with the Bruins on Sunday afternoon. San Diego State was at the Mary Nutter Classic last weekend, defeating Syracuse and Ohio State, while falling to #7 Missouri, #9 Oregon and Virginia. The Aztecs are hitting .272 as a team with 12 homers and 16 steals, averaging 3.3 runs per game. Four players are hitting over .300, led by senior Kamerin May, who is batting .388 with two homers and nine RBI. Junior Patrice Jackson is second with a .349 average to go with two homers and six RBI, while junior Lorena Bauer is third at .341 with a team-best five homers and 15 RBI. In the circle, freshman Danielle O'Toole is 2-3 with a 1.35 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings, while senior Rebecca Arbino is 6-4 with a 1.56 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 63 innings. Kathy Van Wyk is in her 17th year at San Diego State and has a record of 549-381-1. The Bruins have won 55 straight against the Aztecs and lead the all-time series 62-2. UCLA claimed a 1-0 victory last year at San Diego State on Feb. 9.
