SOFTBALL OPENS PCSC PLAY THIS WEEKEND AT SAINT MARY’S
3/29/2012
Shortstop Jessica Abelia has committed just one error in 75 total chances (.987 fielding percentage)
Sacramento State (17-10) begins the Pacific Coast Softball Conference portion of the schedule this weekend when the team travels to Moraga for a four-game series against Saint Mary’s (11-16). The Hornets and Gaels will play doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday at noon.
Despite Wednesday’s loss to top-ranked Cal, the Hornets are entering PCSC play in good form, having won 10 of their last 12 games. That included a nine-game winning streak that stretched from March 4-18. The winning streak matched the program’s second longest since joining the Div. I ranks in 1990.
The conference schedule features 20 games, with four-game sets against Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, Cal State Bakersfield and San Diego. The Hornets will play Santa Clara (April 6-7) and Cal State Bakersfield (April 21-22) at home while the other three series will take place on the road.
Sacramento State is 109-67 all-time in PCSC play since the league’s inception in 2003. The Hornets have never finished with a record below the .500 mark in conference play. In addition, the team has finished no worse than second place in the league standings six of the last seven seasons, including a league crown and NCAA Regional appearance in 2008.
This year will mark the Hornets’ last in the PCSC as the softball program will join the Big Sky Conference in 2013.
AGAINST SAINT MARY’S
Saturday-Sunday, March 31-April 1, doubleheaders both days begin at noon
Cottrell Field - Moraga, Calif.
Series Record With the Gaels - Hornets Lead, 57-11
Last Year Against SMC - Split a 4-game series in Sacramento
Coverage: Live Stats
IN PCSC PLAY -- Sacramento State enters conference play as the third winningest program in PCSC history. Since conference play began in 2003, the Hornets are 109-67, good for a .619 winning percentage. That winning percentage trails only Loyola Marymount (119-60, .665) and Portland State (116-60, .659)
PCSC OPENERS -- Sacramento State is 5-4 in its first conference game of the season since joining the league in 2003. In addition, the Hornets are a combined 23-12 in their opening weekend of PCSC play (Sacramento State saw one of its four games at Portland State canceled to rain in 2007).
10-2 OVER THE LAST 12 GAMES -- Sacramento State is 10-2 over its last 12 games, and when looking at the statistics, its easy to see why the team has been successful over that span. During the 12-game stretch, the team is batting .282 with 16 doubles, six home runs, 47 RBIs and a .360 on-base percentage. In addition, the team’s pitching staff has a 2.15 ERA and has issued just 27 walks in 78.0 innings. The Hornets are 12-for-13 in stolen base attempts while the opposition is just 5-for-9 in stolen base opportunities.
1-RUN GAMES -- After beginning the season 2-4 in one-run games, Sacramento State has won each of its last five one-run nail biters. In fact, four of the team’s last six wins have come by a single run.
PROWESS IN THE FIELD -- Sacramento State’s fielding percentage of .977 is tied for the 10th best mark in the nation. Amazingly, the Hornets’ starting infield of third baseman Emily McCormick (0), shortstop Jessica Abelia (1), second baseman Devin Caldwell (3) and first baseman Alyssa Nakken (2) have combined for just six errors all season. The four have combined for a lofty .986 fielding percentage (283 putouts, 142 assists, 6 errors). Abelia, despite playing arguably the toughest position to avoid errors (shortstop), has just one error in 75 total chances.
SCORING FIRST -- The Hornets are 15-4 when scoring first, and 2-6 when the opposition scores the game’s first run. That includes a 15-0 record when leading after four innings and 0-7 when trailing after the fourth inning.
CRUSHING IN THE THIRD -- Of Sacramento State’s 119 runs this year, 26 percent of those tallies have come in the third inning (31 runs). The team is averaging more than one run in the third fames (1.1) of games this year. In fact, the Hornets tend to deliver most of their punishment to the opposition in each of the three middle innings, scoring 31 times in the third, 20 in the fourth and 20 in the fifth innings.
TURNING TWO -- Sacramento State’s defense has recorded 13 doubles plays this season, or an average of 0.48 doubles plays per game. That ranks as the 13th best mark in the nation. The Hornets have turned seven ground balls into double plays, and opponents have lined or flied out into six others.
