California State University at Northridge
Arkansas
Second Weekend of 2017 Sends CSUN To Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic
2/16/2017 10:00:00 AM | Softball
Matadors Travel to Palm Springs for Five Games
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- The CSUN softball team (1-4) continues the non-conference portion of its schedule this weekend with six games at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, CA. At Big League Dream Sports Park, the Matadors will face Arkansas and No. 23 Kentucky out of the Southeastern Conference, No. 7 Oregon and No. 8 Washington from the Pac-12 and a pair of California rivals in Saint Mary's and LMU. Any live stats or other multimedia services available for the contests will be available on the softball schedule page of GoMatadors.com.Â
Last week, CSUN had a tough start to the 2017 season at the Hillenbrand Invitational. The Matadors faced five 2016 NCAA Tournament teams in Tucson, AZ and rallied for a 7-5 victory over Northwestern in the weekend finale. Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth, freshman Jessica Alexander smashed the first home run of her career, Taylor Glover added a two-run single and Katie Hooper drew a bases-loaded walk to put CSUN ahead 6-4. Taylor Nate then scored an insurance run in the sixth before Daphne Pofek slammed the door on a Wildcat comeback with five innings of one-run relief work.Â
This weekend, CSUN gets a crack at several prominent programs. The Matadors are scheduled to face three nationally ranked teams, weather permitting, and eight of their first 11 scheduled games will have been against 2016 NCAA Tournament Teams.Â
Coming out west from the powerful SEC, Arkansas is 4-0 on the season and No. 23 Kentucky is 3-2 and coming off a sensational 2016 season. The Matadors also gets a crack at two Pac-12 programs as No. 7 Oregon and No. 8 Washington continue its chase for a Pac-12 and National Championship.Â
Finally, Saint Mary's went 2-4 at the Kajikawa Classic last weekend in Tempe, AZ, defeating UT-Arlington and UTEP and LMU is 2-3 on the season, having defeated North Dakota State and Utah State in Fullerton last weekend. Local rivals, CSUN has not faced LMU at a neutral site since the 2003 season.
Sin City Sensation
- Junior Savannah Horvath was a terror at the plate and on the basepaths throughout her sophomore season.Â
- Collected a home run, double, triple, two runs and an RBI at Hillenbrand Invitational
- Batted .320 with 47 runs, 11 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs, 34 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 2016
- Named First Team All-Big West for the second-straight season in 2016
- Hit .328 with one double, three triples, five home runs, 16 RBIs and eight stolen base vs. Big West foes
- Earned First Team All-Big West and Second Team All-NFCA West Region honors in 2015
- Batted .326 with 31 runs, a team-high 15 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 2015
- Named USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honors on April 28, 2015 after play at LBSU series
Hooper Drives the Boat Chief
- Senior Katie Hooper looks to wrap up her career with a flourish.Â
- Collected three hits, one run, one double, two walks and one RBI at Hillenbrand Invitational
- Batted .263 with 21 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 31 RBIs in 2016
- Earned Honorable Mention All-Big West Honors as a junior; she also earned award as a freshman
- Has 37 career doubles, the second-most in program history; fifth in RBIs (124) and tied for seventh in HRs (24)
- Fourth Matador in program history to be named Big West Field Player of the Year (2015)
- Earned First Team All-Big West and Third Team All-NFCA West Region honors in 2015
- Sported a .392 batting average with 35 runs, 12 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 56 RBIs in 2015
- Tied a program record with seven RBIs and two home runs in a win at Grand Canyon on Feb. 20, 2015
CSUN's Lethal WeaponÂ
- Senior Taylor Glover was named to USA Softball College National Player of the Year Top 50 "Watch List."
- Hit .333 with five singles, one run, two RBIs and three stolen bases at Hillenbrand Invitational
- Batted .429 with 39 runs, 31 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, 11 doubles, three triples and four home runs in 2016
- Named 2016 NFCA Third Team All-American, first Matador to receive award since 2004
- Named Big West Player of the Week on Feb. 22 after batting .632 in five games in Las Vegas.
- Finished 2015 with a .382 batting average with 49 runs, 11 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 29 RBIs and 28 steals
- Earned First Team All-Big West and Third Team All-NFCA West Region honors in 2015
- Her 28 steals in 2015 set a CSUN Division I record; ranks third in school history with 69 career steals
- Named to 2014 First Team All-Big West, First Team NFCA All-West Region and to Big West All-Freshman Team
Picture Pofek
- Senior Daphne Pofek has been sensational since the start of Big West play.
- Earned win over Northwestern with five innings of one-run work in relief
- Named 2016 First Team All-Big West and Third Team NFCA All-West Region
- Sported a 19-8 record with a 2.78 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 173.2 innings of work as a junior
- Finished 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA and 52 Ks in 104.2 innings vs. Big West foes
- Went 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA and nine Ks in 21 innings as CSUN swept series at UC Riverside
- Struck out a career-high 10 batters in 2016 season opener against Creighton
- Sported a 2-1 record with 4.55 ERA, two saves and a .259 opponent batting average in 20 innings in 2015
- Finished 2014 at 5-7 with a 3.54 ERA, two saves and 44 Ks in 106.2 innings of work
