Games 42-44
UC Davis vs. Cal State Fullerton
Dates: Friday April 15 & Saturday, April 16
Times: 5 p.m. & 12 p.m./2 p.m. (DH)
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
Venue: Anderson Family Field
TV: ESPN3 (Saturday's Games)
Talent: Trent Schlom (PxP) and Jen Schroeder (Analyst)
Live Stats: FullertonTitans.com
Video: FullertonTitans.com
Audio: FullertonTitans.com
Series Record: Cal State Fullerton leads 19-11
Tickets: FullertonTitans.com/Tickets
A LOOK AT THE WEEK
Cal State Fullerton returns home to Anderson Family Field after a three-game sweep at Cal Poly. The Titans kick off another three-game series at home against the Aggies of UC Davis on Friday, April 15 at 5 p.m. Fullerton and Davis conclude the series Saturday, April 16 in a doubleheader that begins at 12 noon.
Saturday's doubleheader will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Trent Schlom and Jen Schroeder will be on the call.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
Cal State Fullerton students receive free admission to Titan home games with their Titan I.D. card. For all pricing and additional ticket information, please click HERE.
FOLLOW THE TITANS
Fans can keep up with the latest in Cal State Fullerton athletics by following us on Facebook (FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) and Instagram (FullertonTitans). In addition, the softball team has established its own official Facebook (csufsoftball), Twitter (@CSUFSoftball) and Instagram (csufsoftball) accounts.
KEEP UP WITH TITAN SOFTBALL
Live stats will be provided for all games this week. To access live stats for the games, log onto www.FullertonTitans.com and go to the softball schedule, then click live stats.
WATCH THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton home softball contests will be broadcast live over the Internet at FullertonTitans.com. The Titans also offer live streaming video for home softball contests over the Internet courtesy of Big West.TV. Fans can catch all the exclusive action from the comfort of their home computers. To access the links, click on the audio or live video link on the schedule page.
Saturday's doubleheader will be televised live on ESPN3 with Trent Schlom and Jen Schroeder on the call.
TITANS VS. AGGIES
The match up between Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis is one that dates back to 2005 when the Aggies transistioned from Division II to Division I. Since 2005, the Titans and Aggies have faced off 30 times and Cal State Fullerton leads the all-time series 19-11.
A year ago, the Titans took two out of three games from the Aggies in Davis, Calif., moving their record to 14-4 when playing UC Davis on the road. Both teams seem to have better luck when playing each other on the road as the Aggies hold the edge in the series against the Titans 7-5 when playing in Fullerton, Calif.
LAST TIME OUT
The Cal State Fullerton softball team won its sixth straight game, a 2-1 victory at Cal Poly, to remain undefeated in Big West Conference action. The Titans picked up the win with the help of 5.0 strong innings from senior left-hander Desiree Ybarra.
Ybarra picked up her 10th win of the year and helped the Titans improve to 31-10 overall and 6-0 in league play. The Mustangs, meanwhile, fell to 16-17 on the year and 0-6 in conference action.
The Titans scored two runs in the first inning and that was all they would need as Ybarra would allow just one run in her outing.
Cal State Fullerton got things going as Missy Taukeiaho drew a one-out walk and moved to third base on a double down the leftfield line by Sarah Moore. With runners at second and third, the Mustangs' starter Stephanie Heyward (0-4) threw a wild pitch that would score Taukeiaho and advance Moore to third.
With Moore at third, Cal Poly committed an error that allowed the senior designated player to come home and score the second run of the inning.
The Titans held a 2-0 lead until the third inning when a pair of singles and a sac bunt got the Mustangs on the board.
With a 2-1 lead, Ybarra was on point as she did not allow another run to score. She pitched 5.0 innings and allowed just one run on four hits. She walked one and fanned three before making way for freshman right-hander Sydney Golden who shut down the Mustangs for the final two innings of action.
Golden pitched 2.0 innings of work and allowed just one walk while striking out two en route to collecting her first save of the year.
Heyward suffered the loss after tossing 3.2 innings of work and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with four walks. Lindsey Chalmers pitched the final 3.1 innings and allowed just two hits.
Cal State Fullerton's leadoff hitter, Samantha Vandiver, was the only Titan to record a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 on the day. Taukeiaho was 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored, while Moore was 1-for-4 with a run.
100 AND COUNTING
Head coach Kelly Ford recorded her 100th win at the helm of the Cal State Fullerton softball program against Santa Clara on Feb. 19. Ford now owns 126 victories and looks to finish off the weekend with 129.
HOT START
The Titans opened Big West Conference play with a 6-0 record marking their best start to league action since 2007 when Cal State Fullerton went 7-0. In that year, the Titans finished league play with a 13-5 record and made it all the way to the NCAA Super Regionals.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Desiree Ybarra has set the tone in the circle for the Titans' pitching staff as the senior left-hander owns a 1.84 ERA in 25 appearances with 16 starts. The Riverside, Calif., native has collected 10 wins, eight complete games, three shutouts, one save and 95 strike outs this season. Additionally, she has allowed just 44 walks and 88 hits in 106.1 innings of work.
Ybarra is second in the Big West in ERA (1.84) and third in opponent batting average (.223).
GOOD AS GOLD
Freshman right-hander Sydney Golden boasts an 12-3 record on the year to rank third in the Big West in wins. She has pitched five complete games and one shutout in 20 appearances. The Riverside, Calif., native owns a 1.96 ERA, which also ranks third in the conference.
WALK THIS WAY
Missy Taukeiaho is leading the Titans in walks this season as she has drawn 27 bases on balls which lead both Cal State Fullerton and the Big West Conference. She is tops in the conference by six and leading the Titans by seven.
STREAKING
Sophomore Samantha Vandiver has collected a base hit in every game dating back to March 17. Since then, the outfielder from Huntington Beach, Calif., has put together a 13-game hitting streak - the longest such streak of the season. In the process, Vandiver has also racked up an 18-game reached base streak. She is familiar with streaks as she set a program record 24-game hitting streak as a freshman in 2015.
STOP! THIEF!
Cal State Fullerton has a trio of runners who have been hot on the base paths and posting double figures in stolen bases. Ariana Williams leads the squad with 15 stolen bases in 17 attempts and Courtney Rodriguez is second on the team with 14 steals in 17 attempts. Following close behind is Delynn Rippy with 10 steals on 12 attempts. The trio account for 39 of the Titans' 64 stolen bases (just over 60 percent).
LEADING THE CONFERENCE
In addition to leading the conference in the Big West standings with a perfect 6-0 record, the Titans have done a solid job offensively this season as they are leading the Big West Conference in six offensive categories. Cal State Fullerton sits atop the league in runs scored (216), RBIs (177), doubles (60), triples (9), walks (138) and sacrifice flies (13). However, the Titans have also seen strong pitching this season as well. CSF leads the Big West in ERA (2.23), opponent batting average (.234), wins (31), fewest runs allowed (110), fewest earned runs allowed (84), fewest doubles allowed (33), fewest home runs allowed (14). In the field, the Titans' catchers have thrown out a league-leading 10 runners attempting to steal.
HOME RUN TERRITORY
The Titans have launched 15 long balls on the year and 11 of them have come from the bat of Alexis Gonzalez and Missy Taukeiaho. Gonzalez leads Cal State Fullerton with six, while Taukeiaho has contributed five. Melissa Sechrest has belted two, while Desiree Ybarra and Sarah Moore have each recorded one apiece.
IN GRAND FASHION
Senior third baseman Missy Taukeiaho belted a grand slam - her first of the season - against UC Riverside on Sunday. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native stepped to the plate with bases loaded, two outs and drilled a 3-2 pitch over the left-centerfield wall to give the Titans a 9-2 lead over the Highlanders. Cal State Fullerton would go on to win 12-2 in five innings and Taukeiaho would be named Big West Conference Player of the Week for her efforts.
DOUBLE VISION
This season, the Titans' defense has turned 12 double plays. Three of those came in Fullerton's 10-0 win over Santa Clara, while two came in a mid-week contest versus Princeton. Their 12 DP's rank second in the Big West Conference.
MONTHLY SUCCESS
During the month of March, Cal State Fullerton boasted a record of 16-4 which is an .800 winning percentage. Three of the Titans' four losses came to nationally-ranked opponents.
Now that April has begun, the Titans have continued their tear as they are a perfect 6-0 this month.
PERFECTION IN THE FIELD
Senior first baseman Melissa Sechrest is about as sure-handed as an infielder can be, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage over her 34 games on the diamond. The ball has certainly found her as she has 237 total chances, resulting in 223 putouts and 14 assists. She has also helped turn 10 of the Titans' 12 double plays on the year.
THE EARLY BIRD GETS THE WORM
Cal State Fullerton has made the most of scoring early in games. When the Titans score first, they are 27-2 on the year. Additionally, Fullerton is 16-1 when it scores in the first inning. CSF has scored the majority of its runs in the first this season, plating 48 in the opening frame, while limiting their opponents to just 15.
THE POINT OF NO RETURN
After 41 games played, Cal State Fullerton is undefeated when leading after the fifth inning. The Titans have won 21 of their 31 victories holding onto a lead after the fifth inning.
RETURN OF THE ALL-AMERICAN
Three-time All-American Missy Taukeiaho was selected as one of 50 student-athletes on the "Watch List" for the 2016 USA Collegiate Softball Player of the Year award. The is the second straight year she has been selected to the "Watch List."
This season the senior third baseman has scored 35 runs, drove in 25, roped 18 doubles, ripped one triple and belted five homers, while drawing 23 walks on the season. Her 18 doubles and 27 walks lead both Cal State Fullerton and the Big West Conference.
GET 'EM ON, GET 'EM OVER, GET 'EM IN
The Titans are hitting .517 (355-for-687) when successfully advancing runners on the base paths. Leading the way offensively in this situation is Alexis Gonzalez who is 42-for-67 (.627). Additionally Cal State Fullerton is batting .457 (59-for-129) with a runner at third with less than two outs. Again, Gonzalez has been most effective in this situation as she boasts a .667 batting average (8-for-12) with a runner at third and less than two outs.
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
The Titans have had their most success when playing on Sunday as the squad is undefeated when playing on that day of the week. Cal State Fullerton owns a 9-0 record when taking the field on a Sunday.
DOUBLE DOUBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE
Missy Taukeiaho leads both Cal State Fullerton and the Big West Conference with 18 doubles on the year. Taukeiaho roped three doubles in one game earlier this season against UT-San Antonio in the season opener on Feb. 12. Behind Taukeiaho with 12 doubles is Sarah Moore. As a team, the Titans have recorded 60 doubles which leads the Big West Conference.
BWC STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
Cal State Fullerton ranks in the top three in each statistical category (pitching, hitting and fielding) in the Big West Conference. The Titans lead the league in earned run average with a 2.23 team ERA and are second in fielding percentage with a .968 mark. Fullerton rounds out the top three statistical categories with a .308 batting average which is good for third in the league.
UNDEFEATED WHEN...
This season, the Titans are undefeated in several situations. The breakdown is as follows:
In road games (6-0)
In two-run games (7-0)
When scoring 10+ runs (3-0)
When leading after the fifth inning (21-0)
In the month of April (6-0)
When playing on Sunday (9-0)
NO RELATION
The Titans have a pair of Ybarra's on the team in senior left-handed pitcher Desiree Ybarra and sophomore infielder Bryanna Ybarra. Desiree sports jersey No. 15, while Bryanna wears No. 16. With the same last name and consecutive jersey numbers, you'd think the pair are sisters - they're not.
ON DECK
Cal State Fullerton takes a break from conference action on Tuesday, April 19 when it hosts San Diego at 5 p.m., before traveling to Hawai'i to resume league play on Friday, April 22 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 23 in a doubleheader that starts at 2 p.m.
