CSUN Travels for Big West Series at UC Riverside

CSUN Notes

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- The CSUN softball team (27-20, 7-5 Big West) travels to UC Riverside for its final Big West Conference road series this weekend as the Matadors and Highlanders will meet for three games with the league standings firmly at stake. On Saturday, April 30 the teams will play a doubleheader and then a single game on Sunday, May 1 with both days slated for a 1 p.m. start. There will be live stats for all three contests and fans are encouraged to check with the CSUN Softball program's official Twitter handle (@CSUNSoftball) for updates throughout the weekend.

Last week, CSUN won its third-straight Big West series by taking two out of three games at Cal Poly. Daphne Pofek tossed all 20 innings in the circle for the Matadors, going 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA and a .197 opponent batting average as she won both games of a doubleheader and then dropped a tough 1-0 decision in the series finale. She continues to excel against Big West opposition, carrying a 7-1 mark with a 1.35 ERA and a .203 opponent batting average in 57 innings of work.

Offensively, Katie Hooper batted .714 for the series and also drew three walks over the series. Taylor Glover blasted her fourth home run of the season and Ariana Wassmer (.400), Savannah Horvath (.333) and Mackenzie Babbitt (.300) all had strong weekends as the Matadors won a Big West series in San Luis Obispo for just the second time since the 2004 season.

This weekend will be a stern test for the Matadors as they travel to the Inland Empire for three games with the UC Riverside Highlanders. Both teams enter the weekend at 7-5 in Big West play and 5.5 games behind Cal State Fullerton for first place in the conference. The Highlanders are 21-5-1 at home this season, although CSUN holds an 86-11 mark in the all-time series and has won the last nine contests between the two clubs.

At the plate, the Highlanders are batting .313 as a team with 62 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs and 75 stolen bases. Madeline Richard leads the conference with a .477 batting average and has 33 stolen bases and six doubles on the season. Jenna Curtan is batting .373 and is tied with Natalie Sanchez for the team lead with 11 doubles. In 12 Big West games, UCR is batting .301 with 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 14 stolen bases.

In the circle, Tayler Misfeldt is 20-10 on the year with a 3.03 ERA and 110 Ks in 177.2 innings of work. She has seen the majority of innings in league play, sporting a 5-5 record with a 2.40 ERA and 38 Ks in 55.1 innings of work. Anessa Cepeda has started three games against league opponents and is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA and a .213 opponent batting average in those contests. Opponents have totaled 42 doubles, eight triples and 20 home runs off UCR pitching this season.

Next week, the Matadors welcome No. 25 Cal State Fullerton to the San Fernando Valley for a three-game Big West Conference series at Matador Diamond. The games with the Titans (May 6-7) start a six-game homestand as CSUN closes out its 2016 regular season with a three-game Big West Conference series with UC Davis (May 13-14). During the series with the Aggies, CSUN will honor its four-member senior class: Madalyne Handy, Allison Lacey, Maylynn Mitchell and Ariana Wassmer for their contributions to CSUN both on the field and in the classroom.

CSUN Team Notes

Taylor Glover batted an even .500 (56-112) in 35 Non-Conference Games in the 2016 season
Mackenzie Babbitt set new career highs with three runs scored and two hits at CSU Bakersfield on Mar. 29
With 33 career stolen bases, sophomore Savannah Horvath already ranks eighth in program history
The Matadors lead the Big West in home runs (36) and stolen base attempts (93) as of April 18
Savannah Horvath ranks second in the Big West Conference with a career-high 10 home runs
Taylor Troost recorded a six-inning no-hitter against Idaho State on Mar. 18
Since the start of the 2014 season, the Matadors have totaled 37 triples, led by 14 from Taylor Glover
The Matadors have five players with at least 24 RBIs this season: Taylor Glover, Savannah Horvath, Karlie Habitz, Ariana Wassmer and Katie Hooper
Junior Daphne Pofek leads the Matadors with a 2.89 ERA for the season, a figure that represents a new career best
In 2016, the Matadors have produced 74 multi-hit games and 46 multi-RBI games
Karlie Habitz has thrown out nine base runners caught stealing, tying for the most in the Big West Conference
In 2016, the Matadors have stolen 76 bases to rank second in the Big West as of April 25
In its 47 games in 2016, CSUN has executed 28 sac bunts and 10 sac flies
The Matadors have totaled 59 doubles in the 2016 season, ranking third in the Big West as of April 25

CSUN Travels for Big West Series at UC Riverside

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Players Mentioned

Mackenzie Babbitt

Taylor Glover

Karlie Habitz

Madalyne Handy

Katie Hooper

Savannah Horvath

Allison Lacey

Maylynn Mitchell

Daphne Pofek

Taylor Troost

Ariana Wassmer