Highlanders In Week Nine

vs UC Santa Barbara

Saturday, April 9-Double Header Game One-1 pm Game Two-3 pm

Sunday, April 10-Series Finale 1 pm

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Riverside—The UC Riverside Softball Team will host the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in their 2016 Big West conference home opener April 9-10. Saturday, April 9th the Highlanders will honor their alumni before game one of the double header at 1 pm.

UCR (23-12-1) was swept at Cal State Fullerton in their conference opening series. They had losses that ended in five and six innings, 9-1 on Saturday, and 12-2 Sunday. Saturday, in game two of the double header they dropped a close, 2-1, decision.

Coming into the conference play, the Highlander's .980 fielding percentage was seventh in the nation, best in the conference. They had committed just 18 errors through 33 games, however over the weekend they had an uncharacteristic seven errors in three games. UCR's fielding percentage is now .974, 15th in the nation, still tops in the Big West.

They also lead the conference in triples (8), and on-base percentage (.392). Their batting average of .314 ranks 46th in the nation, second in the Big West, and their 1.69 stolen bases per game is 34th nationally.

Maddie Richard's .461 batting average is second in the conference and 21st in the country. Her 36 runs scored are first and her .519 on-base percentage is second in the conference, while her .72 stolen bases per contest rank 17th in the land.

Jenna Curtan's four triples are tied for 13th in the country, most in the Big West. She has driven in 29 runs, and stolen 19 bases this season, both good enough for third in the conference.

Haley Harris is second nationally with .42 sacrifice hits per game. Her 19 walks are second in the Big West and the 30 runs she has scored are tied for fifth, while Natalie Sanchez is third with 10 doubles this season.

Tayler Misfeldt's 14 victories lead the conference and place her in a tie for 20th nationally. Her 125.1 innings pitched are the most in the Big West, and her 11 completed games ranks second.

UC Santa Barbara (20-17, 3-0) is coming off a series sweep of Cal Poly. The Gauchos pitching staff had two shutouts and allowed just one run over the games last weekend.

Ashley Ludlow had two complete game victories, a three-hit outing in a, 2-1, victory Saturday, and a four-hit shutout in a 3-0 win on Sunday. Veronika Gulvin also tossed a shutout, surrendering just four hits and one walk in a 3-0 victory in game two of the series on Saturday.

Kristen Clark leads the team with a .444 average, 55 hits and 15 stolen bases this season. Jessica Johnson is second on the team in both batting (.360) and RBI's (26). Sierra Altmeyer's 29 runs batted in lead the Gauchos and she is second on the club with three homeruns.

Last season the Highlanders took the opening game of the series, 6-2, but dropped the final two games 4-2 and 3-2. UC Santa Barbara leads the overall series 36-6. (view results)

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 were 23-9-1 through 33 games. Last year's squad was 26-7 through 33 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 this week's rankings UCR's RPI is 127.

SAVED!
Rebecca Faulkner led the nation in saves a year ago with 8, and this year her teammate Kaylynn Pierce is tied for 21st 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 .320, which is the 38th 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 14-8 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 .461 through 36 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
.461	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
.519	Maddie Richard	2016
.528	Melissa Sanchez	2004
.517	Marissa Alvidrez	2008
.505	Dionne Anderson	2014

I'VE GOT THE POWER
Jenna Curtan has a .579 slugging percentage through 36 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
.579	Jenna Curtan	2016