Saturday, April 10
Fullerton, CA
12:00 PM
UC Riverside
at
Cal State Fullerton
Photo by: Bobby R. Hester, (c) 2010
Clash With The Titans Up Next For Highlanders Softball
4/6/2010 8:56:36 AM | Softball
After opening league play last weekend with a Division I program best 2-1 start, the UC Riverside softball team continues Big West play with a three-game series at Cal State Fullerton. The Highlanders open with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday, Apr. 10 and conclude with a single game on Sunday, Apr. 11 at 12:00 pm.
GAME NOTES
SHUTOUT AND SHUT DOWN
UC Riverside shutout Cal Poly 10-0 on Apr. 9 to open Big West play—the largest shutout in conference play recorded in the Highlanders Division I history.
CONFERENCE STARTS
The Highlanders' 2-1 start in Big West Conference play is their best-ever start in the Division I history of the program.
POUNDING OUT THE HITS
UC Riverside pounded out 16 hits against Cal Poly on Apr. 9, tying the school record for most hits in a game in its DI history.
BREAKING IN THE MUSTANGS
The Highlanders series win over Cal Poly to open Big West play is their first series win against the Mustangs since they took two games in the 2003 season.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside softball player Marissa Alvidrez earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors on Apr. 5 after going 2-0 with a 0.0 ERA. The senior from Bakersfield, CA pitched two consecutive shutouts for the Highlanders in their conference-opening series at 2009 defending league champion Cal Poly.
Alvidrez pitched all seven innings and allowed just two hits in UCR's 10-0 win in game one, and followed that up by scattering four hits in seven innings for a 5-0 victory to conclude the series. She also pitched three innings of relief in UCR's 3-2 loss to the Mustangs in the second game of the set.
WINNING ON THE MOUND
Alvidrez has 12 wins to her credit in the circle for the Highlanders in the 2010 season. Last year, she totaled seven wins, and had four in 2008. Alvidrez has also been the winning pitcher in 12 of the team's 17 victories so far this season, and she is one win away from tying the record for single-season wins in UCR's DI history.
Most Wins, UCR D1 Single-Season
CONFERENCE LEADERS
As a team, the Highlanders are leading the Big West Conference in runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, at-bats, stolen bases, and steal attempts. Individually, Brittany Keeney paces the league with 26 RBI, Alexis Pickett leads with nine doubles, Shore is tops with 18 stolen bases, and Alvidrez leads in innings pitched and wins.
GONE STREAKING
UCR won five straight games from Mar. 14-23—the longest such streak of the season, and the longest in the Highlanders Division I history.
BLEEDING CRIMSON
The Highlanders defeated the Harvard Crimson 11-1 in five innings on Mar. 14 for their first win in five since a 14-6 defeat of Longwood on Mar. 13, 2009. The 11 runs scored is the most runs UCR has scored all season and the most since they scored 14 against Longwood in 2009.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Freshman Ariel Shore currently paces the Big West Conference with 18 stolen bases and is second with 19 attempts. Her 18 stolen bases are first in UCR Division I history for most single-season stolen bases, and places her fifth all-time in single-season stolen bases. She already ranks seventh all-time on the career charts and third in the Division I career record books.
DID U C L A LOSE?
The Highlanders upset the No. 5 team in the nation on March 3 with their 3-2 victory over UCLA. That win marked the first victory over a ranked opponent in the program's Division I history.
GETTING IT DONE FROM THE CIRCLE AND THE BOX
Marissa Alvidrez pitched a complete game and picked up the win for the Highlanders in their 3-2 upset of #5 UCLA on Mar. 3. She also drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third inning to lift UCR to victory.
EXTRA INNINGS
The Highlanders are 1-1 on the year in games that have gone into extra frames, as they defeated UTSA 7-6 in eight innings on Feb. 26 but fell to Northern Illinois 8-7 in eight innings on Mar. 14. Last season, UCR went 4-2 in games that went past seven innings.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside utility player Brittany Keeney earned her first-ever Big West Conference Softball Player of the Week award as announced on Monday, Feb. 15 by the Big West office. Keeney helped the Highlanders to a 2-2 opening weekend with wins against Boise State and San Diego.
For the week she batted .500 and posted a .857 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. She totaled one run, seven hits, 11 RBI, one walk, two doubles, and one home run for the week, while committing zero errors in the field.
RECORD SETTERS
Last season UC Riverside won its sixth conference game of the year on April 19, 2009 against UC Davis, and with that win, the Highlanders set a new school mark for most conference victories. With five Big West wins in 2008, UCR tied the previous school record for conference wins in a season originally set back in 2002. The Highlanders finished the 2009 season with seven Big West wins.
UCR Top 3 Big West Winning Percentages
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Highlanders play 17 games in 2010 against teams that reached the 2009 NCAA Tournament, with seven of those teams currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest national polls.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
UCR brought in six freshmen and one junior college transfer to compliment the 13 returners from a year ago. Four of those freshmen, Coco Villamor, Alexis Pickett, Kayla White, and Ariel Shore, are regular starters in the Highlanders lineup.
COACHING CHANGES
During the off-season, UC Riverside Head Coach Connie Miner announced two additions to the coaching staff for the 2010 season. Former Utah State head coach Candi Letts joined the Highlanders staff as first assistant, while former Long Beach State undergraduate assistant coach Franny Morlet was hired as the second assistant.
ALL-BIG WEST
The UC Riverside softball team placed two players on the 2009 All-Big West Honorable Mention Team. Alvidrez was named as a designated player, while Keeney was named as an outfielder.
With this award, Alvidrez earned her third Honorable Mention accolade of her career and fifth All-Conference award overall. The Bakersfield, CA native was named to the First-Team and Second-Team for two different positions in 2008, and named to the Honorable Mention Team in 2007 as both the designated and utility player. The junior batted .247 during the 2009 campaign, leading the team with six home runs and a .452 slugging percentage.
Keeney earned her first Big West All-Conference award, one of just six freshmen in the Big West to earn a spot on the All-Conference Teams. The Canyon Lake, CA native was one of just four UCR softball players to play in and start every contest on the year, while leading the team in hits (42) and total bases (62) and finishing second on the squad in triples, home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, runs, and RBI.
| Highlanders at Cal State Fullerton Game Capsule | |||||||||
| UC Riverside |
Cal State Fullerton |
||||||||
| 2009 Record & stats |
18-32 |
30-21 |
|||||||
| 2010 Record & stats |
17-19, 2-1 |
8-27, 3-0 |
|||||||
| 2010 Schedule |
2010 Schedule |
||||||||
| 2010 Roster |
2010 Roster |
||||||||
| Conference | Big West | ||||||||
| Current Streak | W 1 |
W 3 |
|||||||
| Last Box Score |
W, 5-0 at Cal Poly | W, 5-3 vs. UCSB |
|||||||
| Next Opponent | 4/17 vs. UCSB | 4/17 at Cal Poly |
|||||||
| Top Hitter |  Shore Freshman .316 avg. |
 Cervantes Junior .360 avg. |
|||||||
| Top Pitcher |  Alvidrez Senior 3.46 ERA |
Cervantes Junior 5.28 ERA |
|||||||
| D1 Record Against | 3-21 |
||||||||
| D1 Current Streak Against | W 1 |
||||||||
| Projected Highlanders Lineup | |||||||||
| (By Position) | |||||||||
| Pos | # | Name | Yr | B/T | Avg | OBP | SLG | H | RBI |
| C | 6 |
Alexis Pickett |
Fr |
L/R |
.282 |
.370 | .451 |
20 | 12 |
| 1B | 9 |
Brittany Keeney |
So |
R/R | .272 | .333 | .476 | 28 | 26 |
| 2B | 8 |
Taylor Thomas |
Jr |
R/R |
.294 |
.376 |
.392 |
30 | 20 |
| SS | 1 |
Kameryn Hebenton |
Jr |
R/R |
.255 |
.328 |
.309 |
28 |
9 |
| 3B | 11 |
Brooke Hebenton |
Jr |
R/R |
.187 |
.271 |
.280 |
14 |
9 |
| LF | 5 |
Alexis Villamor |
Fr |
R/R |
.296 | .315 | .352 | 21 | 10 |
| CF | 4 |
Kayla White |
Fr |
R/R |
.194 | .244 | .278 | 14 | 3 |
| RF | 7 |
Ariel Shore | Fr |
R/R |
.316 |
.374 |
.327 |
31 |
2 |
| DP | 12 | Marissa Alvidrez | Sr | R/R | .286 |
.388 |
.429 |
24 |
15 |
GAME NOTES
SHUTOUT AND SHUT DOWN
UC Riverside shutout Cal Poly 10-0 on Apr. 9 to open Big West play—the largest shutout in conference play recorded in the Highlanders Division I history.
CONFERENCE STARTS
The Highlanders' 2-1 start in Big West Conference play is their best-ever start in the Division I history of the program.
POUNDING OUT THE HITS
UC Riverside pounded out 16 hits against Cal Poly on Apr. 9, tying the school record for most hits in a game in its DI history.
BREAKING IN THE MUSTANGS
The Highlanders series win over Cal Poly to open Big West play is their first series win against the Mustangs since they took two games in the 2003 season.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside softball player Marissa Alvidrez earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors on Apr. 5 after going 2-0 with a 0.0 ERA. The senior from Bakersfield, CA pitched two consecutive shutouts for the Highlanders in their conference-opening series at 2009 defending league champion Cal Poly.
Alvidrez pitched all seven innings and allowed just two hits in UCR's 10-0 win in game one, and followed that up by scattering four hits in seven innings for a 5-0 victory to conclude the series. She also pitched three innings of relief in UCR's 3-2 loss to the Mustangs in the second game of the set.
WINNING ON THE MOUND
Alvidrez has 12 wins to her credit in the circle for the Highlanders in the 2010 season. Last year, she totaled seven wins, and had four in 2008. Alvidrez has also been the winning pitcher in 12 of the team's 17 victories so far this season, and she is one win away from tying the record for single-season wins in UCR's DI history.
Most Wins, UCR D1 Single-Season
| Player | Year | W | |
| 1. | Stephanie Marshall | 2006 | 13 |
| 2. | Marissa Alvidrez | 2010 | 12 |
| 2. | Christin Songer | 2008 | 10 |
CONFERENCE LEADERS
As a team, the Highlanders are leading the Big West Conference in runs scored, hits, RBI, doubles, at-bats, stolen bases, and steal attempts. Individually, Brittany Keeney paces the league with 26 RBI, Alexis Pickett leads with nine doubles, Shore is tops with 18 stolen bases, and Alvidrez leads in innings pitched and wins.
GONE STREAKING
UCR won five straight games from Mar. 14-23—the longest such streak of the season, and the longest in the Highlanders Division I history.
BLEEDING CRIMSON
The Highlanders defeated the Harvard Crimson 11-1 in five innings on Mar. 14 for their first win in five since a 14-6 defeat of Longwood on Mar. 13, 2009. The 11 runs scored is the most runs UCR has scored all season and the most since they scored 14 against Longwood in 2009.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Freshman Ariel Shore currently paces the Big West Conference with 18 stolen bases and is second with 19 attempts. Her 18 stolen bases are first in UCR Division I history for most single-season stolen bases, and places her fifth all-time in single-season stolen bases. She already ranks seventh all-time on the career charts and third in the Division I career record books.
DID U C L A LOSE?
The Highlanders upset the No. 5 team in the nation on March 3 with their 3-2 victory over UCLA. That win marked the first victory over a ranked opponent in the program's Division I history.
GETTING IT DONE FROM THE CIRCLE AND THE BOX
Marissa Alvidrez pitched a complete game and picked up the win for the Highlanders in their 3-2 upset of #5 UCLA on Mar. 3. She also drove in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third inning to lift UCR to victory.
EXTRA INNINGS
The Highlanders are 1-1 on the year in games that have gone into extra frames, as they defeated UTSA 7-6 in eight innings on Feb. 26 but fell to Northern Illinois 8-7 in eight innings on Mar. 14. Last season, UCR went 4-2 in games that went past seven innings.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside utility player Brittany Keeney earned her first-ever Big West Conference Softball Player of the Week award as announced on Monday, Feb. 15 by the Big West office. Keeney helped the Highlanders to a 2-2 opening weekend with wins against Boise State and San Diego.
For the week she batted .500 and posted a .857 slugging percentage and a .500 on base percentage. She totaled one run, seven hits, 11 RBI, one walk, two doubles, and one home run for the week, while committing zero errors in the field.
RECORD SETTERS
Last season UC Riverside won its sixth conference game of the year on April 19, 2009 against UC Davis, and with that win, the Highlanders set a new school mark for most conference victories. With five Big West wins in 2008, UCR tied the previous school record for conference wins in a season originally set back in 2002. The Highlanders finished the 2009 season with seven Big West wins.
UCR Top 3 Big West Winning Percentages
| W | L | Pct | |
| 2009 | 7 | 14 | .333 |
| 2008 | 5 | 16 | .238 |
| 2002 | 5 | 19 | .208 |
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
The Highlanders play 17 games in 2010 against teams that reached the 2009 NCAA Tournament, with seven of those teams currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest national polls.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
UCR brought in six freshmen and one junior college transfer to compliment the 13 returners from a year ago. Four of those freshmen, Coco Villamor, Alexis Pickett, Kayla White, and Ariel Shore, are regular starters in the Highlanders lineup.
COACHING CHANGES
During the off-season, UC Riverside Head Coach Connie Miner announced two additions to the coaching staff for the 2010 season. Former Utah State head coach Candi Letts joined the Highlanders staff as first assistant, while former Long Beach State undergraduate assistant coach Franny Morlet was hired as the second assistant.
ALL-BIG WEST
The UC Riverside softball team placed two players on the 2009 All-Big West Honorable Mention Team. Alvidrez was named as a designated player, while Keeney was named as an outfielder.
With this award, Alvidrez earned her third Honorable Mention accolade of her career and fifth All-Conference award overall. The Bakersfield, CA native was named to the First-Team and Second-Team for two different positions in 2008, and named to the Honorable Mention Team in 2007 as both the designated and utility player. The junior batted .247 during the 2009 campaign, leading the team with six home runs and a .452 slugging percentage.
Keeney earned her first Big West All-Conference award, one of just six freshmen in the Big West to earn a spot on the All-Conference Teams. The Canyon Lake, CA native was one of just four UCR softball players to play in and start every contest on the year, while leading the team in hits (42) and total bases (62) and finishing second on the squad in triples, home runs, batting average, slugging percentage, runs, and RBI.
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