CSUN Heads To Las Vegas For Marucci Classic This Weekend

Softball Notebook

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.—The CSUN softball team travels to the Marucci Desert Classic, hosted by UNLV, this weekend. The Matadors open the tournament Friday at 11:15 a.m. against Bradley in a game that will be played in Henderson, Nev. At Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

Bradley went 3-2 to open the season last weekend at the Louisville Petersons Hotel Invitational. The Braves defeated Saint Louis, Miami (Ohio), and Western Illinois while losing twice to No. 4 Washington.

Laura Peterson, a 2017 third-team NFCA All-Region selection, led the team hititng last weekend by batting at a .400 clip. She also posted four runs batted in. The Matadors swept a doubleheader from Bradley on Feb. 23, 2001 in Los Angeles in the only previous meeting between the two schools.

Friday's play will conclude at 6 p.m. when CSUN takes on the University of South Dakota. The game will be played at Eller Media Stadium on the UNLV campus. The Coyotes (pronounced Ki-Yotes) went 0-6 last week at Arizona State's Kajikawa Classic. USD second baseman Alyssa Fernandez was named Summit League Player of the Week Feb. 11.

Fernandez hit .375 with four home runs and a team-high eight RBIs in six games at the Kajikawa Classic. She also drew six walks for an on-base percentage of .545. This is the first meeting between CSUN and South Dakota in softball.

Day two of the tournament for the Matadors will begin on Saturday at 11:15 a.m. against FIU. The Panthers posted a 2-4 record at their own FIU Felsberg Invitational. Shannon Saile was named the first Conference USA Pitcher of the Week. Saile struck out 15 in the season opener against St. John's last Friday and struck 15 out again against South Carolina, a 2017 NCAA Tournament participant on Saturday. In three complete games and 22 innings, Saile was 2-1, struck out 40 and allowed only 11 hits. Opponents hit .143. This is the first time that CSUN and FIU are playing softball against one another.

Saturday concludes against Idaho State at 3:45 p.m. Idaho State opens the 2018 season this weekend at the Marucci Classic. Junior Haley Harrison was named 2017 Big Sky Conference Co-Newcomer of the Year after hitting .346 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. She was also named honorable mention All-Conference. Idaho State was picked fourth in the preseason Big Sky Conference coaches poll. This is the fourth time the Matadors and the Bengels are playing softball. CSUN leads the all-time series 2-1. Both of Saturday's games will be played at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park.

The tournament concludes Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m. against the University of New Mexico at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park. New Mexico went 1-4 at the Kajikawa Classic last week. All four Lobo losses were to nationally ranked opponents. Chelsea Johnson hit .333 during the weekend for the tops offensive UNM performance. The Matadors lead the all-time series against the Lobos 22-5.

CSUN began 2018 by going 1-4 at the Kajiwaka Classic. The lone win of the weekend came against Stanford when the Matadors defeated Stanford 9-8. Savannah Horvath hit .538 for the weekend (7-of-13). She hit three home runs and drove in seven runs. The 5-6 shortstop scored five runs and tallied a 1.462 slugging percentage.

~www.GoMatadors.com~

CSUN Heads To Las Vegas For Marucci Classic This Weekend

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Players Mentioned

Savannah Horvath