SANTA CLARA, Calif. – It's Senior Weekend for the Santa Clara University softball program. The Broncos, under the direction of third-year head coach Lisa Mize, will be celebrating the careers of (pictured l-r) Jackie Nicora, Jenna Fong, Stephanie Smith and Amanda Edmonson on Sunday, May 1 against Sacramento State.

Santa Clara (6-23; 2-10 PCSC) will play 12^th-ranked California (30-9; 7-5 Pac-10) Wednesday, April 27 in Berkeley before hosting Pacific Coast Softball Conference rival Sacramento State (14-22; 6-6 PCSC) in a four-game weekend series Saturday and Sunday, April 30-May 1. The doubleheaders with Sacramento State are set to begin at 12 noon at the West Valley College softball field in Saratoga.

SCU's final-year student-athletes have played key roles for the Broncos over the past four years. Nicora (Pebble Beach, Calif./Stevenson) provided the team with 37 hits as a junior, hitting .312 during conference play and was named a PCSC All-Coastal Division First Team honoree. Nicora recorded a team-best eight-game hitting streak earlier this season and has started in 27 of the Broncos 29 games.

Edmonson (Las Vegas, Nev./Silverado) has started over 150 games, contributing immediately as a freshman in 2008. She hit seven doubles last year and posted an on-base percentage of .322. This season, Edmonson has hit two homers as the team's primary catcher. Smith (San Jose, Calif./Castilleja) is a four-year letterman who has made 10 starts so far this season.

Smith, Edmonson and Nicora have been excellent student-athletes, earning recognition on the PCSC's Academic Honor Roll.

Fong (Sacramento, Calif./CK McClatchy) has followed up an outstanding prep career in Sacramento by becoming one of Santa Clara's most versatile players since 2008. Fong started in 37 games as a sophomore, emerged as a starting pitcher as a junior and currently leads the team in wins (5) and ERA (6.42) as a senior.

The Broncos are hoping to get back junior OF Briana Knight (.442 BA) and INF Kristin Welsh (.216 BA), who have missed recent games with injury. SCU has been limited in available players, which has contributed to its current 11-game losing streak. Freshman pitcher Jessica Turner (Tulsa, Ok./Broken Arrow) was recently named the 'Athlete of the Week' by The Santa Clara, SCU's student newspaper.

Following this week's games, the Broncos will wrap up the season with games at No. 10 Stanford (May. 3) and St. Mary's (May 7-8).

Sacramento State is coming off a 13-game homestand, which saw the Hornets go 6-6 against PCSC opponents, USD, SMC and LMU. Sac State starting pitcher Megan Schaefer was dominant against the league's top offensive team, LMU, last time out. Schaefer finished last weekend 1-0 with a 0.39 ERA, allowing just 11 singles and striking out eight over 18.0 innings. However, the Hornets are 0-6 in true road games this season and its offense is hitting just .249 as a team.

Pacific Coast Softball Conference Standings (April 25)
Coastal Division
San Diego … 11-1… 21-14 (W11)
LMU … 8-4 … 24-24 (W1)
Sac. State … 6-6 … 14-22 (L1)
St. Mary's … 6-6 … 10-20 (W2)
CS Bakersfield … 3-9 … 15-29 (L2)
Santa Clara … 2-10 … 6-23 (L11)

Mountain Division
Portland State … 9-3 … 21-15 (W8)
No. Colo. … 9-3 … 13-31 (W1)
Utah Valley … 7-5 … 14-24 (L1)
Seattle … 5-7 … 9-29 (L5)
Idaho St. … 3-9 … 10-29 (L1)
Weber St. … 3-9 … 10-30 (W1)