Sacramento State is coming off a week in which it split a doubleheader with 13th-ranked Stanford before opening PCSC play by sweeping four games from Saint Mary’s. This Wednesday’s doubleheader against Cal will end a season-long eight-game homestand as the team is 10-5 at Shea Stadium this year.

The Hornets’ winning streak is the second longest of the season as the team won a program record 10-straight from Feb. 9-26. Through the first week of the conference season, Sacramento State sits alone atop the PCSC standings with a 4-0 record. This week’s opponent (Portland State) won three of four games from San Diego last week and is currently in second place in the conference standings.

Sacramento State’s record of 25-15 is the team’s best mark through 40 games since the 1995 squad was 31-9. One major reason for the team’s success has been the offensive production of senior Jillian Bivert and sophomore Erin Coyne. Both have 27 RBIs, accounting for 45.8 percent of the team’s total offense (118 RBIs). The Sacramento State Div. I single-season record for RBIs is 29, set by Terrie Cissna in 1992. Coincidentally, Cissna was named second team All-America that season. With 54 combined RBIs, Bivert and Coyne have already become the Hornets most prolific tandem, surpassing the mark of 53, set in 2000 by Bivert (25) and Patty Villa (28).

After the Hornets’ games against Cal on Wednesday, the team has just four home dates remaining on the schedule comprising of conference doubleheaders against Loyola Marymount (April 18-19) and San Diego (May 3-4). Sacramento State has won seven of its last eight games inside Shea Stadium.

Head Coach Kathy Strahan

Sacramento State 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 549-525-3 career record in 19-plus years. Currently in her 11th season with the Hornets, Strahan has a 302-280-2 record while guiding Sacramento State to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances (1993, 1995). The NCAA Regional appearance in 1993 marked the first postseason bid for any program in Sacramento State Div. I history to an NCAA Championship event. 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 549 victories are good for 29th all-time on the NCAA list among active head coaches with at least five years of Div. I experience. In addition, 13 members of the 2003 Hornet squad have 3.0 grade point averages or better.

Bivert Sets Career RBI Record

Not only is senior Jillian Bivert two RBIs shy of the Sacramento State Div. I single-season record (page 1), she also became the program’s career leader in that category over the weekend. The Woodland, Calif., native had a career-high five RBIs Sunday against Saint Mary’s, pushing her career total to 85. That broke the former record of 82, set by Kim Meyer (1991-94). Bivert has finished at least second in RBIs among team leaders during her first three seasons (25 as a freshman, 20 as a sophomore and 13 as a junior).

Her 27 RBIs are not only tied for the team lead (Erin Coyne), but also a career high and lead the PCSC. Bivert, who is hitting .386 with runners in scoring position and .355 with runners on base, had a streak of five-consecutive games with an RBI earlier in the season.

Making Their Pitch

Sophomore Brianne Ferguson and junior Nicole Deatherage continue to be a formidable 1-2 punch for the Hornets. The duo has started 24 of the team’s 30 games this year and each has cracked the 10-win mark (Deatherage is 11-6 and Ferguson is 10-7). Deatherage went 3-0 last week, including a victory over Stanford and a one-hit shutout of Saint Mary’s on Sunday. Deatherage’s win total is the second-best mark in the league and she is just one win shy of cracking the Sacramento State single-season top 10 for wins.

Ferguson has the team’s best ERA (1.85) and has gone the distance in each of her last seven starts. The Ceres, Calif., native threw a four-hit shutout against Saint Mary’s on Sunday and has allowed opponents just a .241 batting average. The transfer from San Jose State also has three saves, which ties her for the most in Sacramento State Div. I single-season history. Amy Barker had three saves in 2000.

Walter’s Incredible Week

Junior Amy Walter had arguably her best stretch of the season this past week. In six games, the shortstop hit .583 (7-12) with four runs, four walks, four sacrifices, two doubles, a triple, one stolen base and four RBIs. Walter reached base safely in all but one game while tallying a .688 on-base percentage and a .917 slugging percentage.

The Watsonville, Calif., native had the game-winning RBI against Stanford and added another game-winning RBI against Saint Mary’s. Her four sacrifices during the week pushed her season total to a program-record 23. During the week, she also hit 1.000 (5-5) with runners in scoring position, 1.000 (4-4) with two outs and .833 (5-6) with runners on base. She has now hit safely in seven of her last nine games while improving her season batting average to a season-high .303.

Team/Player Notables

Junior Amanda Moreland currently has a career-high five-game hitting streak and is batting .400 (6-15) over that span...Wednesday’s victory over Stanford marked the first time the Hornets had won when trailing after five innings (1-13)...the Hornets’ 10 runs against Saint Mary’s were a season high...freshman Lindy Winkler, who leads the team with a .338 batting average, is just four runs shy of the Sacramento State Div. I single-season record of 35, set in 1992 by Angela Jeter...Amy Walter’s triple on Saturday brought the Hornets’ season total to 16 triples, a new program record...including a steal of home Sunday by Amber Dragomir, the Hornets have been successful in nine of their last 10 stolen base attempts...freshman Whitnie Darvell has walked four times in her last 11 plate appearances. She now has a .382 on-base percentage despite hitting .250 for the season.