Matadors Return Home for Big West Battle Against the UC Davis Aggies

GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif -- CSUN Softball (15-17, 8-3 Big West) will return home this weekend to take on the UC Davis Aggies (11-24, 5-7 Big West) for a Big West series at Matador Diamond. These two squads will face off in a doubleheader on Friday. First pitch for game one is scheduled at 1:00 p.m. First pitch for game two is tentatively scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Finally these two teams will close out with one game on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The first game of the doubleheader will be livestreamed on ESPN+. For other two games, live stats will be available at Gomatadors.com

FOR STARTERS
CSUN enters this weekend second overall in the Big West standings at 8-3. The Matadors are one-half game back of UC Santa Barbara for that first overall spot. CSUN has yet to lose a Big West series so far this season. The Matadors swept Cal Poly, and took two out of three from Long Beach State and UC Riverside. Also, they split a shortened series with Hawai'i on March 15.

UC Davis enters this weekend with a 5-7 record in Big West play, however it has lost five consecutive Big West games. The Aggies got swept by Long Beach State and took one game in a three-game series with the Rainbow Wahine. The only series that UC Davis has won has been when the Aggies swept Cal Poly March 15-16.

LAST TIME IN THE BATTER'S BOX
CSUN took care of business by winning their series against UC Riverside this past weekend. The Matadors swept the doubleheader on Friday before losing the final game of the series in walk-off fashion on Saturday. In the doubleheader, the Matadors won 6-4 in game one on the heels of three home runs. CSUN then took game two in a pitcher's duel, 2-1. Tiara Westbrook, Jadyn Nielsen, and Reagan Jackson all notched homers in game one. In game two, pitcher Isabella Alonso shut down the Highlanders' offense, allowing only one run on three hits.

In game three, it was once again a pitcher's duel that went to the 11th inning. However, CSUN couldn't come away with the third game when it fell 3-2.

This past Tuesday, CSUN took on No.7 UCLA in Westwood. The Matadors fell to the Bruins 10-2 in five innings. Westbrook had a two-run home run that accounted for the Matador runs.

LEADING THE BIG WEST IN PITCHING - YOUR CSUN MATADORS
In Big West play, CSUN is leading the conference in pitching statistics. The Matadors are number one in ERA in Big West games with a 2.22 mark. CSUN has allowed the fewest runs (33) and struck out 38 in 82 innings. CSUN has also allowed the second fewest hits with 79.

TIARA WESTBROOK - THE TRANSFER THAT BRINGS THE FIRE
Westbrook transferred to CSUN from Oregon State this past season and has already had an immediate impact on this Matador lineup. Earlier this season she had a superb performance in the Mary Nutter Classic. Westbrook took Big West Player of the Week honors for her contributions. She batted .588 with a .882 slugging percentage. Overall, Westbrook is leading the team in home runs with four, including one at UCLA this past week. She is leading the team in RBI's with 24, and leading the team in total bases with 51.

KYLIE GALINDO FOR MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Galindo is currently on a tear at the plate this season. Last year, her junior year, Galindo batted .226 as the primary catcher. She has obliterated that mark so far this year, hitting .439 to lead the team. She has 25 hits, 11 runs batted in and one home run. The senior from Rancho Cucamonga is coming off a series against Long Beach State where she batted .700 with nine total bases against some of the best pitchers in the Big West.

CARRANCO THE CAPTAIN IN THE CIRCLE
Carranco has been one of CSUN's top pitchers seemingly since she first put on the uniform her freshman year in 2023. She has had impressive numbers during her first two seasons, and her junior year is no different. The junior from Clovis is 8-6 with a 2.72 ERA (good enough for second in the Big West) against some very strong opponents. She has 21 complete games so far this season while tallying 73 strikeouts in the process. She already has 110 innings pitched in 17 appearances. Carranco was a Preseason All Big-West Team honoree and she is proving to be worthy of that accolade so far.

SCOUTING UC DAVIS
The Aggies are middle of the pack in batting as far as Big West statistics go. In Big West play, UCD is batting .267 with 140 total bases. The Aggies are far and away the best triples hitting team in the conference with nine three-baggers. They have 89 hits in Big West play. UC Davis has four players batting over .300, led by Rylee Reeves who is hitting .354 with an .884 OPS. She has 12 RBIs and 35 total bases.

UC Davis's strength however, comes in the circle. The Aggies are second in the Big West in ERA (CSUN is first) with a 2.51 clip. Ashley Sawai is sixth in the Big West with a 1.85 ERA with three wins and four losses. Caroline Grimes is 12th in the Big West with a 3.05 ERA.

UC Davis' best offensive outing in the season came against Hawai'i on March 22. The Aggies scored 12 runs in a win against the Rainbow Wahine.

Series History:
CSUN is 40-26 all-time against UC Davis. The Aggies swept CSUN in 2024 so the Matadors are looking for a little revenge. The last time CSUN was victorious over UC Davis was April 14, 2023. The Matadors won 3-1 at home that day to take the series.

Matadors Return Home for Big West Battle Against the UC Davis Aggies

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Players Mentioned

Isabella Alonso

Jadyn Nielsen

Tiara Westbrook