WEEK 8: vs. SJSU / at SDSU
Tickets: Link
Watch: Mountain West Network
Listen: KRDU 1140 & Varsity App
Live Stats:BulldogsLive.com
Twitter (X):@FresnoStateSB
SCHEDULE
Thursday, March 27 - 6 p.m.
Friday, March 28 - 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 - Noon
Wednesday, April 2 - Noon / 2:30 p.m.
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State softball team will host San Jose State March 27-29 before going on the road to face San Diego State in a doubleheader on April 2.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State is 21-10 this season and 5-1 in MW play.
Fresno State has won 12 out of its last 13 games.
Fresno State won its first two conference series against Boise State and UNLV.
Fresno State is currently tied for first in the MW standings with SDSU.
Fresno State's pitching ranks No. 2 in the MW with an average ERA of 2.65.
Fresno State offense ranks No. 4 in batting average at .310.
Three Bulldogs are batting above .300 this season.
Kennedy Bunker ranks No. 5 in the MW in batting average at .419.
Pitchers Serayah Neiss and Key-Annah Campbell-Pu'a both own a 2.17 ERA.
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll.
This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.
Neiss was named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection.
Neiss posted a 2.58 ERA over 152 innings last season, recording 105 strikeouts.
She also set a program record with five saves in a single season.
Fresno State returns 18 players, including seven starters.
Fresno State bolstered its roster with 12 newcomers, including three Division I transfers.
OPPONENT OFF THE BAT
SJSU is 14-16 (3-3 MW) this season and 1-4 on the road.
SJSU is currently in fourth place in the MW standings.
SJSU is coming off a series win over Colorado State, taking the first two games before falling in the third game.
Fresno State swept the doubleheader against SJSU last season, but SJSU has won three out of the last five games between the teams.
Six Spartans are batting above .300 on the season.
Pitcher Mia Reynolds leads the Spartans in the circle with a 3.45 ERA and a 8-10 record.
SDSU is 21-10 (5-1 MW) this season, and 8-2 at home.
SDSU is currently tied for first in the MW standings with Fresno State.
SDSU is coming off a series sweep over New Mexico.
SDSU has won six out of its last seven games.
Four Aztecs are batting over .300 on the season.
Pitcher Ava Schaffel leads the team with a 0.91 ERA.
LAST WEEK
Fresno State took the series win over UNLV, winning the first two games of the season before falling in game three.
The Bulldogs swept their midweek doubleheader against Santa Clara, winning the first game 8-4 before taking the second 5-3 in extra innings.
BIG BAT BUNKER
Junior Kennedy Bunker leads the team with 39 hits and a .419 batting average, paired with 26 RBIs.
Bunker has 13 games with multiple hits and seven games with multiple RBIs.
KEEPING FAITH
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Faith Jordan, who pitched only 19.0 innings in 2024, has become a key part of the bullpen, having logged 87.0 innings this season.
She owns a 2.62 ERA and a 4-3 record.
INFIELD SHIFT
There was very little change in the infield personnel last season, with first base, second base, and shortstop remaining unchanged throughout the year.
However, following the departure of Sophia Medellin, who started all 52 games at first base, and Bella Rocco, who appeared in 35 games with 27 starts at third base, along with the addition of transfer Marissa Montelongo, there will be new faces around the diamond this season.
Emma Martinez, who started every game at second base in 2024, has moved to shortstop in the offseason, while Montelongo will take over at second base. Lauren Almeida, who started at shortstop in 2024, shifted to third base.
First base saw an open competition during the offseason, and Madison Rey, who did not appear in the infield last season, made her first career start on opening day.
After the first four games of the season, Almeida and Rey swapped positions. Almeida has been at first and Rey has been at third since.
OUTFIELD SHUFFLE
Fresno State is on the search for the right combination of outfielders this season.
While the outfield saw frequent rotation throughout 2024, left field had been solidified for the past four seasons, with Keahilele Mattson starting all 203 games of her career in that position.
The only remaining true outfield starter was Natalie Elias, who started 49 games in the outfield last season.
In addition, four returners brought experience to the outfield: Taryn Irigoyen, Alyssa Rebolledo, Kealani Nitta, and Alyssa Orr.
Fresno State has had eleven different outfield combinations in its starting lineup this season.
1ST IN OUR HEARTS, 2ND IN THE PRESEASON POLL
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's nine head coaches.
This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.