Highlanders In Week Seven

vs. Saint Mary's (DH)

Tuesday, March 22, 11 am PT Game 2-30 minutes following

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Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball Team will host Saint Mary's tomorrow in a double header with the first pitch scheduled for 11 am. The second game will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of game one.

The Highlanders currently have the best record in the Big West and lead the conference in runs, hits, runs batted in, and on-base percentage.

UCR (23-8) split two games on Saturday in the CSUN Mizuno Classic, falling, 4-2 to Idaho State and prevailing against Yale, 5-3. Sunday they returned home to face Loyola Marymount and UNLV.

In the first game of the day against Loyola Marymount, the Highlanders defeated the LMU Lions, 5-2. Tayler Misfeldt took a shutout in the bottom of the seventh, but allowed a two-run homer to straight away center.

In the second game of the day versus UNLV, Freshman Hannah Rodriguez had a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Highlanders to a, 4-3, win over visiting UNLV.

Maddie Richard swung a scoring hot bat this weekend, going 8-for-13 (.615) at the plate. She had two 3-hit games, scored a run and swiped a base in all four games played. Her .643 on-base percentage helped lead-off games and innings with a runner on as well as put pressure on the opposing pitchers concerned about her speed.

Tayler Misfeldt had three victories on the week for the Big West leading Highlanders, including two in extended relief appearances of 4.1 and 5.2 innings. Her 14 wins lead the conference. She nearly had a complete game shutout over LMU, but allowed a late two run homer. She responded by retiring three straight hitters to closeout the, 5-2 complete game win.

The Highlanders are hitting .328 as team which is the 30th highest figure in the nation. They also rank in the top 30 nationally in fielding percentage (9th, .978), and stolen bases per game (30th, 1.87).

Richard's .480 bating average leads the conference and is 19th in the country, and her 1.10 runs scored per game lead the Big West, 36th nationally. Jenna Curtan is second in the league in RBIs with 28, while Natalie Sanchez is third with 26 runs driven in.

Kaylynn Pierce's three saves are the second most in the nation, and her nine victories in the circle are fourth in the conference. Misfeldt's 14 victories lead the conference and place her in a tie for fourth nationally.

Saint Mary's (10-17) is coming off a close, 6-5, defeat at the hands of Weber State Sunday. The Gaels have lost three straight. They are led by Shannon Low, who is batting .474. In the circle they have gone with Katie Moss for 90.1 innings this season. She is 7-8 with a 3.34 earned run average.

GAME NOTES
AND THEY'RE OFF
The 2015 version of UC Riverside Softball went 39-17 giving the Highlanders their most victories since joining the Big West Conference prior to the 2002 season. They also went 11-10 in conference play, breaking the program record for Big West wins in a season. This season, the Highlanders are 23-8 through 31 games. Last year's squad was 24-7 through 31 games.

MARK ROBERTS WOULD BE PROUD
The Highlanders won 11 straight games from February 26 through March 11 of this year which is the longest winning streak for the program since the team made the move to the Big West Conference in 2002.

RPI
In 2015, the Highlanders rose to as high as 63rd and finished the season ranked 70th out of 295 teams in RPI—the best showing for the program since the NCAA began keeping track of RPI for Division I softball teams. In the first RPI rankings released this season UCR is 119.

SAVED!
Rebecca Faulkner led the nation in saves a year ago with 8, and this year her teammate Kaylynn Pierce is tied for sixth with 3. That ties Pierce for the second most saves for a member of the Highlanders since the team joined the Big West Conference.
 

Single-Season Saves Since 2002
Saves	Player	Year
8	Rebecca Faulkner	2015
3	Tayler Misfeldt	2015
3	Kaylynn Pierce	2016

 

Career Saves
Saves	Player	Years
8	Rebecca Faulkner	2015
4	Ashley Henderson	1991-92
3	Tayler Misfeldt	2015
3	Kaylynn Pierce	2016
3	Alicia Zinner	1991-92
3	Laura Fay	1987-90

CONNECTIONS
Last year's version of the Highlanders compiled a .284 batting average which is the highest average for the program since joining the Big West Conference. This season, UC Riverside is hitting .324, which is the 31st highest average in the nation heading into the week.

DOUBLE DIGITS
The Highlanders haven't had two pitchers record double digit wins in the same season since joining the Big West Conference in 2002, but they might pull off that feat this season. Tayler Misfeldt is 14-4 on the year, and Kaylynn Pierce is 9-4.

CHASING TED WILLIAMS
Only eight times in the history of the UC Riverside Softball program have members of the Highlanders hit .400 or above, and that has occurred only two times since UC Riverside made the move to the Big West Conference in 2002. This season, Maddie Richard is hitting .480 through 31 games, and is looking to become the ninth member of the Highlander's .400 club.
 

Single-Season Batting Average (.400 or Above)
Avg	Player	Year
.544	Deanna Dresman	1990
.480	Maddie Richard	2016
.465	Mayra Juarez	1997
.445	Deanna Dresman	1991
.435	Melissa Sanchez	2006
.424	Marissa Alvidrez	2008
.422	Mayra Juarez	1998
.413	Cindy Taylor	1990
.406	Missy Laramie	1991

ACE OF (GETTING ON) BASE
Maddie Richard also boasts an on base percentage of .531 on the season, and could become the sixth member of the Highlanders to reach on more than 50 percent of her plate appearances in a single year.
 

Single-Season On Base Percentage (.500 or Above)
Avg	Player	Year
.583	Deanna Dresman	1990
.577	Melissa Sanchez	2006
.546	Mayra Juarez	1998
.545	Maddie Richard	2016
.528	Melissa Sanchez	2004
.517	Marissa Alvidrez	2008
.505	Dionne Anderson	2014

I'VE GOT THE POWER
Jenna Curtan has a .600 slugging percentage through 27 games, and could become the seventh member of the Highlanders to slug .600 or better in a single season.
 

Single-Season Slugging Percentage (.600 or Above)
Avg	Player	Year
.774	Melissa Sanchez	2006
.722	Marissa Alvidrez	2008
.699	Barrie Greer	1985
.696	Mayra Juarez	1998
.682	Kayla White	2013
.676	Mayra Juarez	1997
.602	Angela Melander	1983
.609	Jenna Curtan	2016