Softball Home Finale Slated For This Weekend; Senior Day Sunday At Noon

Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside softball team has reached the final stretch of the 2012 season, and hosts Cal State Northridge in its home finale this weekend. The Highlanders play a doubleheader against the Matadors beginning at noon on Saturday, and conclude the series with a single game at 12:00 pm on Sunday.

Sunday is also Senior Day, where UC Riverside will honor its seven seniors—Shavon Bates, Jessica Vasser, Casey Suda, Brittany Keeney, Jordyn McDonald, Amy Lwin, and Jojo Mendoza—prior to first pitch.

The Highlanders will also look to get back into the win column after dropping its last four straight games, including getting swept in its most recent league series at Long Beach State.

After winning two of three games to open Big West play, Cal State Northridge has since gone 3-9 against conference foes.

Since 2002, the Matadors own a 28-2 record against the Highlanders, but UC Riverside won the last meeting between the clubs on May 8, 2011, 6-3.

Highlanders vs Cal State Northridge Game Capsules

UC Riverside

Cal State Northridge

2012
Stats,
Record

20-27, 3-12

10-36, 5-10

Schedule

Roster

Conference

Big West

Current Streak

L 4

L 2

Last Box
Score

L, 6-0 at
Long Beach State

L, 11-0 vs
Cal State Fullerton

Next
Opponent

5/11 at
Cal Poly

5/11 vs
UC Santa Barbara

Top
Hitter

Alexis
Pickett
Junior
.341 BA

Madeline
Sale
Sophomore
.283 BA

Top
Pitcher

Jordyn
McDonald
Senior
3.90 ERA

Brianna
Elder
RS Freshman
3.47 ERA

D1 Record
Against

2-28
Results

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	Jr.	L/R	.341	.408	.429	43	21
1B	13	Jessica Vasser	Jr.	L/L	.298	.465	.439	34	20
2B	11	Alaina Thomas	Jr.	L/R	.129	.182	.161	8	2
3B	9	Brittany Keeney	Sr.	R/R	.281	.340	.400	38	13
SS	8	Yesenia Duenas	Fr.	R/R	.250	.355	.263	20	8
RF	19	Dionne Anderson	So.	L/R	.273	.328	.379	36	19
CF	4	Kayla White	Jr.	R/R	.331	.388	.568	49	34
LF	7	Ariel Shore	Jr.	L/R	.303	.349	.359	43	13
DP	1	Halle Luna	Fr.	L/R	.294	.333	.294	10	3

GAME NOTES
RPI
UCR has an RPI of 184 heading into this weekend's series against Cal State Northridge—the highest since the 2009 season. The Highlanders best end-of-season RPI was during that '09 year when it reached 154.

BATTER UP
UCR is batting .274 as a team this year, and should they maintain that, it would be the second-highest single-season average in the team's Division I history. The 2011 squad currently owns the record with a .276 batting average.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
The Highlanders have stolen 67 bases so far in 2012, four more than the program's DI record of 63 set last season.

DONUT HOLE
UC Riverside was held scoreless in consecutive games last weekend against Long Beach State for the first time all year, and for the first time since February 20 and 22 of 2011.

WRONG WAY STREAK REVERSED
UCR lost eight of its first nine games in league play this season before winning two of three against Cal State Fullerton. The series win was just the second in the program's Division I history against the Titans.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
The Highlanders won 13 games last season, but have won 20 games in 2012 with six more to go.

ON TOP OF THE WORLD
UCR is 20-27 in 2012, and should they maintain that winning percentage, it would be the second-highest in the program's Division I history. The 2006 team currently holds the best percentage, going 22-27 for a .449 clip. The Highlanders have to win at least three of their remaining six games in order to better that percentage.

Best Winning Percentage (UCR DI)
2006	.449
2012	.426
2010	.407

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, and against Cal State Fullerton on April 22. 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 25 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 14th in doubles plays turned per game, 34th in triples per game, and 41st in stolen bases per game.

UC Riverside Individual National Rankings (thru 4/29)
Kayla White	Triples	4.0	21st
Jessica Vasser	Walks	0.74	35th

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.

Softball Home Finale Slated For This Weekend; Senior Day Sunday At Noon

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