CSUN Travels To GCU Purple Classic This Weekend

Softball Notebook

NORTHRIDGE, Calif.-- CSUN returns to the diamond this week as the Matadors head to the Grand Canyon Purple Classic.

The Matadors will play Drake twice (Friday, 11 a.m./Saturday, 9 a.m.) and Utah State twice (Friday, 1:30 p.m., Saturday, 11:30 a.m.) as well as the host, Grand Canyon, on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Live stats will be available for all games with Sunday's game against GCU being streamed on the WAC Digital Network. All links will be available on GoMatadors.com.

Drake went 2-3 last weekend at Stanford's tournament last weekend. The Bulldogs begin this week with a 5-5 record. Macy Johnson is the team's leading hitter (.433). Emily Valtman paces the team in home runs (2) and has 11 RBI to go along with a .409 batting average. Sarah Maddox's 13 RBI are a team-high.

Nicole Timmons is 4-1 with a 0.78 ERA. Her two shutouts are the fourth-most in Division I to begin this week. She has struck out 33 in 27 innings while only walking seven. This will be the second and third times that CSUN and DU are playing softball. The Matadors lead the all-time series 1-0.

Utah State went undefeated (5-0) at the Golden State Classic last weekend. The Aggies defeated Big West clubs Hawai'i and UC Davis along the way as USU outscored their opponents 37-14. The Aggies are 6-4 as the week gets underway.

Kapri Toone no-hit San Diego last Saturday. She has two shutouts on the year and is 25th in Division I in earned run average this week at 0.42. She is 2-0 with a save. Maziee MacFarlane is hitting a team-best .419. Three players have hit two home runs including Gabriella Jimenez who also has a team-high 10 RBI. A former WAC and Big West foe, CSUN is playing Utah State for the 55th and 56th times. The Matadors have won six in a row and lead the all-time series 35-21.

Grand Canyon was 1-4 at Baylor's Getterman Classic last week to fall to 2-9 on the season. Mickey Covarrubio's .394 batting average is Grand Canyon's best. She has hit one home run and driven in three runs. Olivia Zufelt is the GCU leader in home runs (2) and RBI (8).

Four 'Lopes have pitched at least 10 innings this season. Syndie Sahhar has not walked a batter in 12.1 innings of work. This is the eighth time that CSUN and GCU are playing softball with the Matadors leading the all-time series 5-2.

Through two weeks of play, the Matadors lead the Big West with a 7-3 record. CSUN is off to its best start since 2015 when the Matadors were 8-2 after two weeks of action.

Kira Cauley and Megan Stevens both had a strong weekend during CSUN's 4-1 stay at the Libby Matson Classic Feb. 14-16. Cauley went 10-of-20 at the plate to hit .500 for the tournament. She drove in four runs, scored three runs, and hit two doubles. Stevens also hit .500 during the tournament (6-of-12). She drove in seven runs. Stevens posted a .917 slugging percentage four of her six hits were for extra bases (3 doubles, 1 triple).

~#UniteTheValley~

CSUN Travels To GCU Purple Classic This Weekend

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Players Mentioned

Kira Cauley

Megan Stevens