Softball Returns To Amy S. Harrison Field For BWC Series Against Pacific

Friday, April 6

Riverside, CA

3:00 pm

UC Riverside

Pacific

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Softball Returns To Amy S. Harrison Field For BWC Series Against Pacific

4/3/2012 11:04:00 AM | Softball

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Riverside—The UC Riverside softball team returns to the friendly confines of Amy S. Harrison Field this weekend to host the Pacific Tigers in a Big West Conference series. On Friday, the teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm, and will conclude the series on Saturday with a single contest at noon.

The Highlanders most recently dropped their league-opening series at UC Davis, falling two games to one.

UCR boasts a 16-6 record at Amy S. Harrison Field this season, but has struggled against Pacific winning just six of 30 contests in the program's Division I history.

The Tigers, who won the 2011 Big West title and were tabbed to repeat this season, are 21-13 overall in 2012, but dropped their conference-opening series to Cal State Northridge, 2-1, over the weekend.

Highlanders vs Pacific Game Capsule

UC Riverside

Pacific

2012
Stats,
Record

18-17, 1-2

21-13, 1-2

Schedule

Roster

Conference

Big West

Current Streak

L 1

Last Box
Score

L, 9-1 at
UC Davis

L, 5-4 vs
Cal State Northridge

Next
Opponent

4/14 vs
UC Santa Barbara

4/11 vs
Santa Clara

Top
Hitter

Alexis
Pickett
Junior
.344 BA

Megan
Hom
Junior
.420 BA

Top
Pitcher

Jordyn
McDonald
Senior
3.67 ERA

Tori
Shepard
Sophomore
2.33 ERA

D1 Record
Against

6-24
Results

D1 Current
Streak Against

L 4

Projected Highlander Lineup
(By Position)
Pos	#	Name	Yr	B/T	Avg	OBP	SLG	H	RBI
C	6	Alexis Pickett	Jr.	L/R	.344	.423	.422	31	17
1B	13	Jessica Vasser	Jr.	L/L	.326	.483	.453	28	13
2B	9	Brittany Keeney	Sr.	R/R	.343	.404	.475	34	12
3B	12	Kaylie Atkinson	Fr.	R/R	.274	.354	.417	23	15
SS	8	Yesenia Duenas	Fr.	R/R	.300	.407	.320	15	4
RF	19	Dionne Anderson	So.	L/R	.242	.312	.303	24	12
CF	4	Kayla White	Jr.	R/R	.330	.379	.625	37	32
LF	7	Ariel Shore	Jr.	L/R	.294	.345	.373	30	12
DP	17	Jojo Mendoza	Sr.	R/R	.167	.231	.167	4	3

GAME NOTES
GONE STREAKING
After dropping nine of their first 10 games, the Highlanders then won 16 of 22.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
The Highlanders won 13 games last season, but have already won 18 games in 2012.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD
UCR is 18-17 in 2012, and should they maintain that winning percentage, it would be the highest in the program's Division I history.

Best Winning Percentage (UCR DI)
2012	.514
2006	.449
2010	.407

YEAR OF THE PITCHER
Jordyn McDonald is 8-9 in the pitchers circle this season for the Highlanders, while Taylor Alvarez boasts a 6-4 record. The eight wins by McDonald are just outside the top-5 for most wins in UCR's Division I single-season history, while Alvarez's six wins are one away from breaking into the top-10. Marissa Alvidrez currently owns the record with 15 wins set during the 2010 season.

OFF THE CHARTS
UC Riverside's 16 runs against Eastern Kentucky on March 7 are the most in the Division I history of the program for a single-game total. The previous high was 15, set at Utah State on May 3, 2003.

HOME RUN QUEENS
The Highlanders hit three home runs in each game of their doubleheader on March 7. The three homers are tied for third in a single-game in UCR D-I history.

UC Riverside also had 14 home runs in 32 non-league games in 2012, compared to just two homers in the team's 23 non-conference games a year ago.

CONFERENCE DIVAS
The Highlanders are ranked among the top-three in the Big West Conference in nearly all statistical categories, and lead the league in triples, stolen bases and steal attempts. On the national scene, UC Riverside is ranked 16th in triples per game, and 32nd in stolen bases per game.

UC Riverside Individual National Rankings
Kayla White	Triples	7th
Kayla White	Triples Per Game	15th
Jessica Vasser	Sac Flies	17th
Ariel Shore	Triples	27th
Jessica Vasser	Walks	34th
Kayla White	Runs Batted In	48th

SHOWING NO MERCY
UCR has eight-run, mercy-ruled five opponents so far in 2012—UIC on Feb. 24, South Dakota on Feb. 26, Portland State on Mar. 4, Eastern Kentucky on Mar. 7, and UC Davis on Apr. 1. It is the most since the 2007 squad also mercy ruled five opponents.

ALL-BIG WEST
The UC Riverside softball team placed three players on the 2011 All-Big West Team. Kayla White was named to the first team—just the third Highlanders player in the program's Division I history to gain a spot on the league's top squad—while Kameryn Hebenton and Brittany Keeney were named to the All-Big West Second Team.

COACHING CHANGES
UC Riverside will have two new faces in the dugout this season, as Michell Vlahos joins the Highlanders as an assistant coach, and former player Kameryn Hebenton joins the staff as a volunteer coach.