A Brief Preview

The Sacramento State softball team embarks on its final week

of the 2001 season as the Hornets host third-ranked Stanford for a

doubleheader on Wednesday, May 2, at 2 p.m., before travelling to

Long Beach State for a three-game Big West Conference series. The

Hornets and 49ers play a doubleheader on Saturday, May 5, at 1 p.m.

and a single game Sunday, May 6, at 1 p.m. Sacramento State enters

the week with a 17-32 overall record and 5-13 mark in the Big West

after dropping two of three games at home to Cal Poly last week.

The Hornets are a season-worst 15 games under .500 and have

lost 11 of their last 14 games. Even if Sacramento State were to win

its final five games this week, the team would still be assured of

its worst season in the Div. I era (1990-pres.). One major reason for

the team's lack of success has been its inability to hit in the

clutch. The Hornets, who are currently sixth in the Big West

standings, are hitting .192 with two outs, .206 with the bases

loaded, .233 with runners on base and .237 with runners in scoring

position.

Stanford will enter Wednesday's game with a 44-9-1 overall

record and a No. 3 ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 poll. The

Cardinal have dropped their last three games including a pair to UCLA

over the weekend. Stanford swept a doubleheader from the Hornets last

season. Over the last two years, Sacramento State has won two of the

five games between the teams.

Long Beach State will enter the weekend series with a 20-28 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the Big West after winning one of three games at 18th-ranked Pacific last week. The 49ers, who are on the verge of their first losing season in 17 years, have lost nine of their last 12 games. Long Beach State is currently fourth in the conference standings, seven games back of first-place Cal State Fullerton (16-2). The 49ers have won five of the last six meetings with the Hornets including two of three in Sacramento last year.

Meet the Coaches

Hornet head coach Kathy Strahan, who has spent time as head

coach with Cal State Dominguez Hills (1984-85), San Jose State

(1986-92) and Sacramento State (1993-pres.), has posted a 506-472-3

career record in 17 years. During her eight seasons with the Hornets,

Strahan has a 259-227-2 record while guiding Sacramento State to a

pair of NCAA Regional appearances in 1993 and 1995. The Michigan

State graduate has also been named Western Athletic Conference Coach

of the Year in 1993 and co-Big West Conference Coach of the Year

while at San Jose State in 1989.

Strahan's 506 victories is good for 29th all-time on the NCAA

list among active head coaches with at least five years of Div. I

experience.

Stanford is coached by John Rittman who has posted a 200-93-1

record in five years with the Cardinal.

Long Beach State is led by Pete Manarino who has a 654-414-2

record in 18 seasons with the 49ers.

Look at the Hornets

Rough Times

Even if the Hornets were to win their final five games this

season, they would still finish with the worst record in their Div. I

history (1990-pres.). With a 17-32 record, the best the Hornets could

finish is 10 games under .500. The current Hornet low mark at the

Div. I level is five games under .500, held by the 1991 (28-33), 1994

(25-30-1) and 2000 (25-30) squads. Coincidentally, those teams are

the only three to finish below .500 in the Div. I era. Overall, the

Hornets are 354-315-2 since joining the Div. I ranks.

The Hornets' 5-13 mark in the Big West also threatens to be

the team's worst record since joining the conference prior to the

1997 season. Sacramento State's worst record in the conference came

last season (7-17).

Dragomir Looks For The School Record

With 11 stolen bases this year, freshman Amber Dragomir needs

just one more swipe to break the Div. I single-season school record.

She is currently tied for the record with former Hornets Angela Jeter

and Maureen Whitney. Dragomir has been successful on 11-of-13

attempts and currently leads the team with 25 runs scored.

Sacramento State's team total of 40 stolen bases is already

the third most in Div. I history (1990-pres.) as the team needs just

three more to move into the second slot. The record of 51 was set by

the 1993 squad.

Comebacks Have Been Scarce

Thus far, Sacramento State is 0-21 in games when it is

trailing after five innings. The sixth inning has been unkind to the

team as opponents have outscored the Hornets, 43-10. In the sixth and

seventh innings combined, Sacramento State has been outscored, 60-22.

Pitching Staff Getting No Help

Although the Hornet pitching staff combined to allow just one

earned run in the series against Cal Poly last weekend, the team

still dropped two of three games to the Mustangs. Sacramento State's

defense committed seven errors over the three games, allowing seven

unearned runs to score.

This has become a common trend this season. Of the staff's

191 runs allowed, 58 (30 percent) have been unearned.

The pitching corps has allowed one earned run or less in 15

of the last 22 games, but the team is just 8-7 over those 15

contests. Sacramento State's defense, which currently has a .951

fielding percentage (tied for second worst in the Big West), has

committed at least two errors in 27 of 49 games this season.

Problems At Home

The Hornets are currently 3-14 at home this season and have

lost 14 of their last 16 games.

Part of the reason for the lack of success is due in large

part to the strength of schedule this year. Of the Hornets' 17 games

at home, 12 have come against ranked opponents (two games against

fourth-ranked Cal and 15th-ranked Iowa, three vs. ninth-ranked Cal

State Fullerton, two vs. 16th-ranked Oregon State and three vs.

25th-ranked Cal State Northridge).

The team has recorded just two losing records at home since

joining the Div. I ranks in 1990 (the 1994 squad finished 13-14-1 and

the 1990 team finished 12-13). Overall in the Div. I era, the Hornets

are 181-105-2 (.635) at home.

Among Big West Leaders

Sacramento State is fourth in the eight-team Big West

Conference in hitting (.233), tied for sixth in fielding percentage

(.951) and seventh in pitching (2.77). Amber Dragomir is tied for

fifth in stolen basses (11) and tied for ninth in runs scored (25).

Freshman Nicole Deatherage is sixth in batters struck out looking

(28), seventh in innings pitched (140.2) and tied for eighth in

starts (20). Junior Lori Meixner is tied for second in assists (142)

and senior Patty Villa (despite missing the last six games) is tied

for first in the conference in throwing out runners trying to steal

bases (14).

Hornet Notables

Sophomore Jillian Bivert is the only Hornet hitting above

.300 overall (.303) and with runners on base (.307)...Bivert also

leads the team in multiple-hit games (16) and multiple-RBI games

(four)...Strahan has used 13 different players in the seventh spot of

the lineup this season...besides a 12-hit game against Utah State on

April 13, the Hornets' nine hits Saturday against Cal Poly were the

most hits by the squad in the last 15 contests...Lori Meixner's

two-run homer Sunday against Cal Poly was her first home run of the

season...Gina Steenburgen's three-hit shutout on Saturday was the

10th blanking the team has recorded this season...Hornet pitchers

have thrown 39 complete games this year.