THE SCHEDULE
Games 47 & 48
vs. Cal State San Bernardino (25-23, 17-14 CCAA)
Saturday, April 25 • 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Triton Softball Field • La Jolla
Live Stats • Live Video/Audio
Games 49 & 50
vs. Cal State San Bernardino
Sunday, April 26 • 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Triton Softball Field • La Jolla
Live Stats
The UC San Diego softball team saw its postseason hopes disappear after they split a series to California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opponent Cal State East Bay last weekend. This is the first year since 2010 that the Tritons missed the CCAA Championship. The split kept the Tritons in seventh place in the CCAA standings, putting them just out of reach of making it to the CCAA Championship. UCSD will play host to fourth-place Cal State San Bernardino this weekend. The Tritons play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and two more on Sunday with an 1 p.m. start time on Senior Day at Triton Softball Field. The Tritons are 24-22 overall and hold a 14-18 mark in conference. The Coyotes are 25-23 on the season with a 17-14 league record.
GOING LIVE
Saturday's doubleheader will feature a live online video stream with audio commentary provided by local sports radio personality Jordan Carruth. The audio/video is free, but does require registration and a login. Live stats are available for all games. Follow the play-by-play action by clicking here. Fans can access live coverage for home and away dates from the UCSD schedule page.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the start of Sunday's doubleheader, UCSD will recognize two outstanding seniors as they make their final appearance at Triton Softball Field. Right handed-pitcher Mo Omori and utility player Lauren Irish will be honored in front of the home crowd.
FREE POSTERS
Don't miss your chance to grab your team poster of the UCSD softball team this weekend at the press box. The free poster is sponsored by UCSD Dining Services and Pepsi.
FREE SUNGLASSES
Thanks to Toyota, UCSD Athletics and Triton Softball will be giving away free sunglasses at Saturday's game to the first 250 fans!
GERCKENS EARNS 600TH WIN
Triton head coach Patti Gerckens, in her 23rd season in charge, earned her milestone 600th career win with a doubleheader sweep against San Francisco State on Friday, Feb. 13. UCSD won the opener, 4-1, and the Tritons' 5-3 victory in game two helped Gerckens accomplish the feat. Already the winningest head coach in program history, Gerckens has led the Tritons to 10 NCAA postseason berths, six CCAA Championship appearances, one CCAA Championship title in 2012 and a national championship in 2011.
2015 CCAA STANDINGS
UCSD began conference play with a four-game series sweep over SF State at Triton Softball Field, then traveled to Turlock where it took three of four against Cal State Stanislaus. The Tritons hit a rough patch in conference play as they lost their first series taking just one of four from No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay in Seaside, dropped three of four at home against Sonoma State, and got swept in Carson by Cal State Dominguez Hills. UCSD turned things around as it took three of four on the road against Chico State, but were then swept against by No. 13 Humboldt State at Triton Softball Field. Most recently the Tritons split a road series against Cal State East Bay. UCSD's 14-18 record puts them in seventh place in the CCAA standings. CSUMB sits in first place with a league record of 25-7 and Humboldt State is close behind at 24-8.
1. Cal State Monterey Bay; 25-7, 41-9
2. Humboldt State; 24-8, 38-12
3. Sonoma State; 21-10, 35-16
4. Cal State San Bernardino; 17-14, 25-23
5. Chico State; 17-15, 24-18
6. Cal State Dominguez Hills; 16-16, 23-25
7. UC San Diego; 14-18, 24-22
8. Cal State East Bay; 13-19, 25-22
T-9. Cal State Stanislaus; 6-26, 14-32
T-9. San Francisco State; 6-26, 11-37
ASHLEY CHESTNUT HITS FIRST CAREER HOME RUN
Ashley Chestnut recorded her first career home run in game one on Friday in big way. The sophomore, who came in to pinch hit with two outs and bases loaded, hit a grand slam in the top of the fifth to give UCSD a 10-0 lead against Cal State East Bay. Chestnut is the second Triton to hit a grand slam this season and the second to record their first home run in such way. Freshman Kendall Woken recorded her first home run with a grand slam on Feb. 21 in game one against Cal State Stanislaus.
EDWARDS TOSSES ONE-HITTER
Junior left-handed pitcher Alexis Edwards threw her first complete game one-hit shutout on April 17 against Cal State East Bay. Edwards allowed four Pioneers to reach bases giving up three walks and a hit. While CSUEB broke up the no-hitter early in the game with a single from Marisa Lerma down the third base line in the second inning, Edwards remained composed to complete the shutout. Friday was Edwards' second complete game shutout of the season. Her first came in game two on Feb. 20 against Cal State Stanislaus, in which she game up three hits en route to a 5-0 victory. Junior right-handed pitcher Hannah Duarte has recorded two one-hit shutouts this season. The first came on Feb. 14 against San Francisco State and her most recent came on March 28 against Notre Dame de Namur. Duarte has recorded four complete game shutouts this season.
WALK THIS WAY
Lead off hitter McKenna Clewett has amassed 17 walks so far this season, which leads the Tritons. Clewett's 17 walks also set a career-high for the junior shortstop. Her previous record was 10, which she set last year. Additionally, Clewett leads the team in OBP (.428), SLG (.500), runs (22), hits (42), home runs (4) and total bases (66).
SAVING THE DAY
Senior pitcher Mo Omori has accumulated four saves through 21 appearances, putting her in a four-way tie for first place on UCSD's single-season list. Omori is on pace for five saves this season, which would not only set a new single-season record, but would put her in a tie for third place behind assistant coach Camille Gaito's first place all-time record of nine and Melissa Ward's second place record of eight.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Four Tritons sport a perfect fielding percentage in 2015: Ashley Chestnut, Taylor Abeyta, Mo Omori and Emily Sklencar. Combined, the four have made 265 putouts and account for 23 assists.
SHUT IT DOWN
The Tritons are second in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with nine shutouts this season. After recording four shutouts in the month of February, the Tritons added two more in the final weekend of March. UCSD then opened April with back-to-back shutouts against Chico State. The Tritons' most recent shutout came this past weekend in the series opener against Cal State East Bay. Left handed-pitcher Alexis Edwards tossed a one-hit shutout while Ashley Chestnut hit a grand slam as UCSD mercy ruled CSUEB, 10-0, in five innings.
DEVOTO NAMED CCAA PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore utility Bianca Devoto was named California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Softball Player of the Week for the week of March 30-April 5. The Livermore product led the Tritons as they took three of four from Chico State on the road. Devoto's bat was crucial in the series, hitting .625 (5-for-8) with two doubles, four RBI and three walks. Of Devoto's three games, she drove in the winning run in two. In Friday's opener, her pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the eighth forced in the lone run of a 1-0 shutout. Devoto's most impressive effort came in Saturday's first game. She had an RBI double in the first, before once again accounting for the game-winner.
OMORI AND SANDERS EARN WEEKLY HONORS
Senior pitcher Mo Omori and freshman catcher Lauren Sanders were named CCAA Softball Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, for the week of Feb. 2-8. Omori shined in the circle in UCSD's opening week, making five appearances in six games with two starts. In Omori's 16 innings, she has given up just two runs, only one of which was earned, while striking out seven batters. With her performance in the first week, Omori picked up two wins of the season with an ERA of 0.44. Sanders was also a huge part in UCSD's 5-1. In the second game of the series against SMU, Sanders led off the second inning by hitting the first home run of 2015 on a deep shot over the center field fence, putting UCSD up 1-0. She came up big again for the Tritons in the sixth with her second homer of the night to give the Tritons the 3-2 victory. Sanders went 6-for-11 against the Saints with three RBI, two home runs and a walk. The Tritons picked up three player of the week honors in 2014 and Edwards was UCSD's only pitcher of the week honoree last season.
WHO'S BACK, WHO'S NOT SNAPSHOT
UCSD is coming off a 34-18 overall season while finishing third in the CCAA with a 20-10 mark. The Tritons made their eighth DII NCAA postseason appearance, where they were eliminated from West Regional after losses to Dixie State, 5-3, and Central Washington, 10-1. Head coach Patti Gerckens, going into her 23rd season leading the Tritons, welcomes back the seven players, including Daktronics All-West Region Second Team selection and All-CCAA First Team honoree Alexis Edwards and All-CCAA Second Team member McKenna Clewett. Edwards compiled a 19-10 record and a 2.12 ERA in 168.1 innings last year while leading the Tritons in ERA (2.12), opposing batting average (.230), wins (19), innings pitched (168.1), strikeouts (80) and appearances (32). Clewett finished the 2014 season hitting .372, good for second on the team and scored 27 runs, hit one home run and tallied 25 RBI in 52 games.
HEAD COACH PATTI GERCKENS
Patti Gerckens is in her 23rd season in charge at UCSD. The winningest head coach in program history, Gerckens has led the Tritons to four straight NCAA postseason berths, beginning with back-to-back school-record 45-win seasons and appearances in the Division II championship game, the first of which brought UCSD its first softball title in 2011. The Tritons finished as national runners-up in her milestone 20th campaign in 2012. Gerckens has amassed an overall record of 617-521 (.542), with eight straight 30-win seasons among 10 total. Gerckens has led UCSD softball to 10 NCAA postseason appearances, with eight at the Division II level. UCSD is 21-16 (.568) in the NCAA Division II Championship. Since taking over the team in 1993, 26 of Gerckens' players have combined for 50 All-West Region selections. Thirty-four of her players have earned All-CCAA honors since 2001. She has also coached four All-Americans. Two of her players have earned CCAA Freshman of the Year honors and two Tritons have won CCAA Player or Pitcher of the Year during her tenure. A native of Old Tappan, N.J., Gerckens graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. She was a four-year starter at second base for the Tar Heels and also played for the New Jersey Blue Jays of the Amateur Softball Association for nine years, winning a championship in 1992.
ABOUT THE COYOTES
Cal State San Bernardino is lead by shortstop Nicole Nobbe. The senior leads the conference in runs (50), total bases (136), OBP (.600), AVG (.493) and SLG (.932). Additionally, Nobbe is second in the CCAA in home runs (14) and walks (34). The standout leads the Coyotes in all but one hitting category (triples), while only striking out four times this season. CSUSB's pitching staff is lead by Cassandra Williams who sports a 3.24 ERA with a 14-11 record. She has recorded 183 strikeouts in 175.0 innings pitched with 76 walks. The Coyotes come to La Jolla in fourth-place in the CCAA standings with a mark of 17-14. However, Chico State and Cal State Dominguez Hills sit right behind CSUSB in the standings with league records of 17-15 and 16-16, respectively.
SERIES HISTORY
UCSD holds a 56-42 all-time series record against Cal State San Bernardino. The Tritons swept the Coyotes in last year's series at San Bernardino. UCSD took the series with scores of 8-3, 15-10, 2-1 and 13-4.
GEAR HERE
UCSD Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online to provide a web-based, on-demand option for UCSD apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours. Visit the site at UCSDTritonsGear.com.
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