Big West Release
FULLERTON, Calif. - Led by 2014 Big West Player of the Year and third team All-American Missy Taukeiaho, the Cal State Fullerton softball team was picked to finish second in the Big West Conference in 2015 as selected by the eight head coaches in the annual preseason poll Tuesday.
Led in the dugout by third-year head coach Kelly Ford, Cal State Fullerton received three first-place votes and 56 points overall. Long Beach State is the favorite to repeat as Big West Softball champions in 2015 as the 49ers secured four first-place votes and 59 points for the top nod this season. Cal Poly garnered the remaining first-place vote and collected 50 points for third place.
In her second season at the helm in 2014, Ford and the Titans jumped out to a 6-0 record, chalking up the best start for the program since the 2000 squad reeled off 11 straight wins before suffering a loss. Tallying an overall record of 33-21-1, the Titans reached the 33-win mark for the first time since 2007 and will look to build on that in 2015. Fullerton finished fourth in the Big West standings with a 13-11 record.
The Titans won seven of their final 10 games, improving in 10 offensive categories from the previous season including batting avg. (.300), runs (303), hits (431), doubles (70), home runs (57), RBIs (253), total bases (690), slugging pct. (.479), walks (170) and on-base pct. (.385). The orange and navy carded its first .300 team batting average since 2000.
Taukeiaho capped off a stellar season with her selection as a 2014 NFCA Division I Third Team All-American while being the 21st Titan to claim All-American honors since the program joined the Big West in 1986, and the first since Kiki Munoz captured second team honors in 2008. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native was a menace to opposing pitchers from the leadoff spot as she hammered a conference-leading 19 home runs. The performance placed her at No. 2 in Big West single-season history, trailing only former CSF slugger Stephenie Little, who owns the record with 23 round trippers in 1999. The third baseman also set a Big West single-season record with 62 runs scored, and landed at No. 6 in RBI (51) and No. 9 in average (.429). A transfer from the University of Washington, she produced 21 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games.
Along with Taukeiaho, key returners include junior Samantha Galarza and the lone senior on the squad, Eliza Crawford.
In 2014, Galarza was one of two players to start all 55 games totaling 54 hits, five home runs, 24 runs scored and 29 RBIs. Recognized as a member of the All-Big West Second Team, she batted a clip of .329, collecting 75 total bases, six doubles, three stolen bags and a slugging percentage of (.457).
Coming in the clutch with five game-winning RBIs last season, Crawford launched a career-high 12 home runs en route to 36 RBIs, 82 total bases and 23 walks. Batting from the left-side, she posted an on-base percentage of .422 and a slugging percentage of (.607). Receiving a nod as an All-Big West Honorable Mention honoree, the Lakewood, Calif., native concluded the year in the conference's top-five in home runs, sacrifice flies (3), and slugging percentage. The first baseman also became the first Titan since 1996 to post a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 (minimum of 100 chances), refusing to surrender an error in 176 chances.
In the circle, sophomore left-hander Christina Washington returns after being selected on the conference's inaugural All-Freshman Team, pioneering the pitching staff with a 12-6 record and team-best 3.56 ERA. The Inglewood, Calif., native fanned 55 batters over 131 and 2/3 innings.
Cal State Fullerton opens its season on Friday, Feb. 6 hosting the So Cal Collegiate Tournament at Anderson Family Field and will face Purdue at 4 p.m. before welcoming Idaho State at 6 p.m. in day one of the three-day event.
2015 BIG WEST CONFERENCE SOFTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Long Beach State (4) - 59
2. Cal State Fullerton (3) - 56
3. Cal Poly (1) - 50
4. UC Santa Barbara - 40
5. Hawai'i - 31
6. CSUN - 24
7. UC Davis - 17
8. UC Riverside – 11
() First-place votes
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