Santa Clara, Calif. – Santa Clara softball opens PCSC play at home this Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30, welcoming LMU. Both days feature double-headers that start at 12 p.m.
Junior outfielder Stephanie Fisher exploded for the Broncos in the preseason. She has notched a hit in 22-of-27 games, including eight multi-hit games, and her batting average (.417) ranks 90th nationally and second in the PCSC. She has accumulated 30 hits in 27 games, including eight extra-base hits, and is responsible for nine of Santa Clara's runs scored this season. Her slugging percentage (.597) is good for second in league, and her on-base percentage (.500) stands atop the PCSC rankings.
The Broncos (3-24, 0-0 PCSC) return home after competing in the Wolfpack Classic in Reno, Nev. They faced Idaho State and the University of Nevada, and while they were unable to win, Broncos head coach Lisa Mize is ready to learn from the weekend and move on.
"There were some signs that we were getting more solid contact," said Mize. "On defense, we did fairly well. There are still some areas that we need to clean up. Our pitchers could have done better; cut down on walks and get ahead in the count."
Carissa Theis has started to warm up as of late for Santa Clara. She has struck out 30 batters this season in 12 appearances and owns a 6.00 ERA.
"Carissa is definitely on track to do well in conference," said Mize. "She pitched very well the last four or five of her games in terms of working ahead in the count and keeping the score down and keeping us in the game and giving us the opportunity to win the ball game."
Rochelle Rivera (.247 BA) has 18 hits and five runs, and sophomore infielder Jordan Newell (.227 BA) has recorded 15 hits and six runs.
LMU (19-16, 2-2 PCSC) opened league play last week against Cal State Bakersfield, splitting the series with the Roadrunners. Junior infielder Meghan Harman puts her six-game hit streak on the line this weekend, and her .372 batting average is good for fifth in the PCSC. Skylar Segura, a senior infielder, also has her name in multiple PCSC categories. She ranks seventh in batting average (.372), fifth in slugging percentage (.513) and sixth with 29 hits.
Freshman pitcher Sydney Gouveia, a two-time PCSC Pitcher of the Week this season, owns a 1.78 ERA. She has 155 strikeouts in her young LMU career, having appeared in just 21 games thus far. She has allowed 65 hits and 31 runs en route to a 10-2 record.
WCC TO SPONSOR SOFTBALL IN 2014
Recent approval of softball as the West Coast Conference's 14th sponsored sport will have Santa Clara competing in the WCC beginning in 2014, with the WCC champion receiving an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. This spring, Santa Clara will be playing its final season within a realigned Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC).
DUGOUT CLUB
Santa Clara's softball team is proud to announce its newly formed Dugout Club. The goal of the Dugout Club is to bring together supporters of the program. Alumni, current parents, and alumni parents, friends of the program, community partners, and organizations are all encouraged to join. The Dugout Club gifts go directly to the softball program's operating budget and will be used to help fund team travel, equipment purchases, new uniforms and costs associated with recruiting.
TICKETS
Season tickets at the newly-built SCU Softball Field can be purchased for just $50 ($20 for youth and seniors). To purchase tickets online visit the Bronco Ticket Zone. For complete season and single-game ticket pricing for SCU softball click here. Fans can also call the ticket office directly at (408) 554-4660 to buy tickets or for additional information.
For the very latest on Santa Clara softball, follow the team's official Twitter page (@SCUSoftball), Instagram page (SantaClaraSoftball) and the Bronco softball Facebook page for updates and information throughout the year!
