Sacramento State lost three of four games last weekend at home to Loyola Marymount. After winning the first four games of the conference season against Saint Mary’s, the Hornets have lost five of eight games and are currently tied for third in the PCSC standings with Portland State. Loyola Marymount holds the top spot with a 9-3 record while Santa Clara is in second place with a 6-2 record. Santa Clara has a busy week as it travels to Stanford for a doubleheader on Tuesday (April 22) before playing two more on the road against Saint Mary’s on Thursday (April 24). Santa Clara and Saint Mary’s scheduled four-game series was rained out earlier this year as the two teams will finish the four-game series with a doubleheader next Tuesday, April 29.

With eight games remaining on the conference schedule, the Hornets have some work to do if they want to finish atop the PCSC standings. Sacramento State and Loyola Marymount were selected in the preseason coaches’ poll as co-favorites to win the PCSC. Portland State was selected to finish third while Santa Clara was picked fourth.

Over the Hornets’ last 34 games, the team has compiled a 15-19 record after beginning the year with a 13-3 mark, including a program-record 10-game winning streak. The team has sustained four losing streaks of at least three games during the 34-game stretch and is averaging 1.4 errors per game over that span. Also during that stretch, the pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.77, 41 points higher than the overall season ERA of 2.36. Offensively over the last 34 games, the Hornets have just 35 two-out RBIs and are hitting .232 with two outs, .263 with runners on base and .261 with runners in scoring position.

This year’s Hornet squad still has a chance to at least match its best conference finish since joining the Div. I ranks in 1990. The 1993 squad recorded the best finish with a second-place ranking in the Western Athletic Conference. The Hornets were independent from 1990-92, before joining the WAC (1993-96) and eventually the Big West Conference (1997-02). The Hornets have fared well this year despite entering the season with 14 newcomers, the most in head coach Kathy Strahan’s 11-year tenure with the program.

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 552-532-3 career record in 19-plus years. Currently in her 11th season with the Hornets, Strahan has a 305-287-2 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 552 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.

Moreland On The Offensive

Over the past three weeks, junior Amanda Moreland has been the Hornets’ best hitter, and currently leads the team with a .375 batting average against PCSC competition. Including a career-high six-game hitting streak that was snapped on Saturday against Loyola Marymount, Moreland has hit safely in 11 of her last 13 games. Over that span, she is hitting .375 (15-40), including four multiple-hit games.

The transfer from American River Junior College is hitting a team-best .413 with two outs and is fourth on the squad with 10 multiple-hit games. The Hornets are 22-13 when Moreland starts as the designated player and her .328 batting average with runners on base ranks as the third-best mark on the team.

Walter Lost For The Season

In what could very well be the biggest blow of the year for the Hornets, junior Amy Walter was lost for the season two weeks ago against Portland State when she injured her knee running the bases. Walter ranks among team leaders in numerous offensive categories including first in sacrifices (27), tied for first in walks (16), second in on-base percentage (.389), tied for second in stolen bases (six) and runs (23), and fourth in slugging percentage (.373).

Prior to the injury, she had started every game at shortstop and was the team’s No. 2 hitter in the lineup. Despite missing the past six games, her 16 walks still ties her for the fourth-best mark in the PCSC while her on-base percentage ranks fifth in the conference. The 27 sacrifices shattered the previous Sacramento State single-season record of 15. She was hitting .556 against left-handers, .323 with runners in scoring position and .318 with two outs. The transfer from San Jose State was named PCSC Player of the Week on April 8.

Winkler Continues To Rake

Freshman Lindy Winkler continues to be the most consistent Hornet this year with the bat. The San Andreas, Calif., native had her career-high tying seven-game hitting streak snapped on Saturday, and has now hit safely in a team-best 34 games this season. She is one of two Hornets (Erin Coyne) to start all 50 games and leads the team in numerous offensive categories including batting average (.339), hits (61), stolen bases (seven), slugging percentage (.439), at-bats (180), triples (seven), total bases (79), runs (36), multiple-hit games (21) and average with runners on base (.358).

She has already snapped two Sacramento State Div. I single-season records and is quickly approaching three others. Her seven triples broke the old record of six, and her 36 runs snapped the previous record of 35. She is still within reach of the following Hornet Div. I records: stolen bases (11 by three players), hits (68 by Terrie Cissna in 1992) and at-bats (191 by Kelly Wilkins in 1992).

Team/Player Notables

Senior Jillian Bivert (32) and sophomore Erin Coyne (31) are first and second, respectively, in the PCSC in RBIs. Both of those marks already eclipsed the previous school single-season record of 29...Bivert has 10 RBIs over her last 12 games...junior Nicole Deatherage, who leads the Hornet pitching staff with 13 wins, is also getting it done offensively. She currently leads the PCSC in on-base percentage (.423) and has been hit by a pitch a conference-best 10 times...junior Amber Dragomir is hitting .364 (8-22) since assuming the No. 2 spot in the lineup six games ago...Hornet pinch hitters are a combined 0-for-12 this year...in 16 pinch-running appearances, Stephanie Lockhart has scored eight times...Hornet starting third basemen are hitting a combined .160 (13-81).