CSUN Softball Concludes Regular Season with Trip to Long Beach State

LONG BEACH, Calif. --- The CSUN softball team concludes its regular season with a trip to Long Beach State to take on the Beach in a three game series with postseason implications on the line. If the Matadors win all three games of the series and Cal State Bakersfield wins exactly two games against UC San Diego, then CSUN will clinch the last spot in the 2026 Big West Championship. The two teams will open up the series with a night game on Friday at 6:00 p.m. The regular season will then conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. All games will be streamed live on ESPN+.

FOR STARTERS
CSUN enters this weekend with a 13-30 overall record and 8-16 in Big West play. CSUN is currently tied for seventh place in the conference with eight wins. The current Big West leader in wins is Cal State Fullerton, which is 22-2 in Big West play.

LAST TIME OUT
CSUN won one game out of three in its final homestand of the 2026. The Matadors won the last game of the series, earning a 6-3 against the UC San Diego Tritons on senior day. In that game, seniors Raegan Jackson and Madison Okano led the way with two RBIs each. Senior Malia Williams pitched a complete game and got the victory. It was Wiliams' sixth win of the season. Savannah Simons had two hits in the game as well.

HELP, THERE IS A KILA ON THE LOOSE
2026 is proving to be a redemption year for senior Mackenzie Kila. After not playing in any games in 2025, Kila has been a spark for this year's Matador squad. The Hawai'i native's contributions were on full display against her hometown team in the Rainbow Wahine. Her two RBIs against Hawai'i earned her a spot in the lineup.

Jodie Cox commented on Kila's performance during that series: "I just want to say that Kila earned that opportunity, it wasn't just given to her. As a staff, we needed a spark. She earned that opportunity and she seized the moment, that's just who Kila is."

Since the Hawai'i series, Kila has had multiple two-RBI games and in the last series against UC Davis. She had a career high three hits in the first game of the series, and has 18 hits on the season.

SENIOR MALIA WILLIAMS IS THE ANCHOR IN THE CIRCLE
Malia Williams has been solid in the circle this season for the Matadors. She is currently fourth in the Big West in innings pitched at 111. She is 13th in the Big West in strikeouts at 41. She started in 24 games and completed eight of them. She was on the mound for both games of a doubleheader sweep against UC Davis earlier this season, and went toe-to-toe with UCSB, pitching two complete games against the defending champions. The senior is also 15th in the Big West in ERA at 4.67

RAEGAN TAKING ON HER ROLE AS THE LEADER
Raegan Jackson is one of the longest tenured Matadors on the team. She is a certified leader with her presence but also her play as well. After being named a 2025 All-Big West Honorable Mention, she has not lost a beat in her senior season in 2026. Three weeks ago at UC Davis, Jackson slugged two home runs over the left field wall which came in pivotal moments against the Aggies. She also made a couple of diving defensive plays that kept the Aggie outbursts at bay. She has 35 hits in 41 games played. She leads the team in doubles with seven, and leads the team in RBIs with 21. She is also 14-14 on stolen base attempts.

SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE
The Beach enter this weekend with a 27-20 overall record and own a 15-9 record in Big West play. They have been under .500 at home with a record of 8-11.

Offensively, Long Beach State is hitting .308 with a consistent lineup providing solid offense for the Beach. Six regulars are hitting over .300, led by Lina Apodaca at .392. She is joined by Priscilla Iniguez, Nina Sepulveda, Avery Weisbrook, Elissa Guerrero and Brooklyn Lee. Apodaca is leading the Big West in both hits and doubles this season, while Weisbrook is hitting .371.

Overall, LBSU is third in the Big West in hits this season with 380. The Beach make a lot of contact, they are first in the Big West in doubles with 82, and are also second in the conference in walks with 138.

In the circle, Long Beach State is led by former Matador Isabella Alonso. Alonso has a 2.91 ERA, good enough for fourth in the Big West. Second in command is Jailynn Banda, who is 17th in the Big West with a 5.07 ERA.

SERIES HISTORY
LBSU currently leads 76-56 all-time. In the last series between the two teams, CSUN took two out of three at Matador Diamond in 2025.

CSUN Softball Concludes Regular Season with Trip to Long Beach State

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Players Mentioned

Isabella Alonso

Raegan Jackson

Mackenzie Kila

Madison Okano

Savannah Simons

Malia Williams

California State University Northridge Athletics