University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 6
Long Beach, CA
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Cal State Fullerton
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
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IF
/ Softball
Weekend Preview: UCLA/Long Beach
3/5/2020 10:55:00 AM | Softball
Life on the road does not get any easier for the Gophers as they head to Southern California this weekend to compete in the UCLA/Long Beach Tournament.
Minnesota starts on Friday against Cal State Fullerton at 11 a.m. and then will face Long Beach State at 4 p.m in Long Beach, Calif. The Gophers head to Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday to play Cal Poly at 4 p.m. and No. 1/1 UCLA late at 9 p.m. CT. The weekend concludes back in Long Beach to finish against No. 22/22 UCF at 1:30 p.m. Only the game against Long Beach will be available on any kind of stream on bigwest.org.
Last Time Out
Minnesota finished the Auburn Tournament with a 4-1 record after they defeated Auburn, Georgia Southern and Binghamton twice but fell to Auburn in the rematch later in the weekend.
The Gophers swept through Friday's action with a win over Binghamton (11-0 in six innings) and a gritty victory against Auburn (5-4). Minnesota split the two contests on Saturday as they run-ruled Georgia Southern (14-3 in six innings) but dropped the Auburn rematch by a final of (5-1). The Gophers finished the weekend strong and quickly in a victory over Binghamton (11-2 in five innings) that took one hour and 35 minutes to finish.
Natalie DenHartog was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in her career after an impressive performance this weekend. She led the team with eight runs, launched two home runs and drove in six runs. Two of those runs, including the game winner, came in a battle of a victory over Auburn on Saturday evening.
Autumn Pease earned her first ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this weekend. Pease allowed only five hits and three appearances at the Auburn Tournament. She struck out eight batters, a season high, in a shutout victory against Binghamton on Friday.
Fiser's Finest
Amber Fiser has already cemented herself as one of the top players in Gopher softball history and is making a case for one of the top players in all of NCAA softball. She is fifth all-time in program history in wins (79) and strikeouts (776). With UCLA's Rachel Garcia taking an Olympic redshirt, Fiser is the NCAA active leader in strikeouts.
In 2019, Fiser was named a First Team NFCA All-American, was a Honda Cup Award Finalist and was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. She ranked third in the NCAA in wins, fifth in strikeouts and 12th in ERA. Her 31 wins on the season tied for second all-time in program history and 346 strikeouts were third all-time. She set a school record and matched a conference record with six Big Ten Pitcher of the Week awards. She also picked up two NFCA Division I Pitcher of the Week awards.
Fiser can't seem to get over the 13-strikeout mark. She has hit the impressive number seven times in her career including twice already in the opening weekend of 2020. She tossed 20 strikeouts last weekend and is third in the NCAA in season strikeouts with 91 already. The All-American tossed a no-hitter against Tulsa at the Baylor Invitational in 2020. Fiser pitched four complete-game one-hitters in 2019. She has thrown three no-hitters in her career, one in 2020 and two in 2018. Her last perfect game was at Purdue on Apr. 27, 2018.
Run MaKenna, Run!
MaKenna Partain has etched her name into Gophers history and has a chance to leave as one of the most productive offensive players in team history but has done so quietly when it comes to national attention. She has already made 195 career starts with the majority of her action coming at second base. She is fourth in career runs at 179 and seventh in career doubles at 48. Both records are in reach as Tyler Walker holds the record with 197 career runs and Kaitlyn Richardson has the doubles record with 64. Partain spent last season as the Gophers leadoff batter and broke the program single season record with 66 runs. She also set program and Big Ten record with five runs scored at Maryland on Mar. 23.
Leading the Way
Natalie DenHartog leads Minnesota in batting average (.439), runs (18), home runs (5), slugging percentage (.754), and on-base percentage (.568). The sophomore from Hopkins, Minn. has also been hit by eight pitches and ranks ninth in the country in HBPs per game. DenHartog was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after her performance last weekend at the Auburn Tournament.
Pass the Pease, Please
In the circle, Autumn Pease has impressed with six starts and a total of 11 appearances. The sophomore transfer has tossed 48 strikeouts and has allowed only eleven earned runs over 42.1 innings of work for a 1.82 ERA and 4-1 record. Pease was selected as the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after three lights out appearances at the Auburn Tournament last weekend. Atta Kid! Freshman Sydney Strelow is batting .309 with three doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs and has scored seven runs this season. She has also drawn five walks and has been hit by one pitch for an on base percentage of .377 on the year. This past weekend at the Auburn Tournament, Strelow hit three doubles, scored twice, and drove in seven runs.
Where in the World is Carlie Brandt!?
Carlie Brandt has played eight fielding positions and the DP spot (all but catcher) in her Gophers career. She has found a home at shortstop in the early part of 2020 and has made a big impact. She also returned to the circle and picked up a victory against Binghamton this past weekend. It was her first pitching appearance since Feb. 16, 2019.
About Cal State Fullerton
The Titans are 12-7 overall heading into the fifth week of the season after they went 4-2 last weekend at the Judi Garman Classic. They defeated Texas Tech (1-0), California (4-3), Boise State (3-1), and Illinois (4-3 in eight innings).
Freshman Megan Delgadillo had an impressive start to her Cal State Fullerton career with a team-best .409 batting average and 17 runs scored. Delgadillo has hit two triples, a home run, and has drawn five walks. The outfielder is a menace on the basepaths, with 14 stolen bases in 19 games. Delgadillo ranks in Flo Softball's Hot 100 and has already earned Big West Softball Freshman of the Week accolades.
The Titans are led by pitcher Dani Martinez, who earned her third career Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week honors to begin the season and has continued to be dominant since. The sophomore has started six games and contributed to 11 total games for the orange and blue. She has a 2.68 ERA and a 5-3 record with two saves. In 2019, Martinez earned NFCA All-West Region Second Team honors and was named the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year.
About Long Beach State
Long Beach State is 11-9 through the first four weeks of the season. They most recently competed at the San Diego Classic where they went 3-2. The Beach topped San Diego (4-2), Brown (6-2), and North Dakota (9-0). They were bested by St. John's (2-0) and San Jose State (4-3). Long Beach State was picked to finish in second place in the Big West Conference and received a pair of first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll.
Five Beach players are batting over .300 but Breezy Wise and Sara Olson lead the way. Wise, a senior outfielder, is batting a team-high .382 and has contributed five doubles and a home run. Olson follows closely behind with a .373 average. The freshman has added a double, two triples, a home run, and 16 runs scored.
Long Beach State returns a pair of starting senior pitchers in Kellie White and Ashley Coleman. White is 6-4 in the circle this year with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts and leads the team with 58 strikeouts. She has shouldered most of the work this season, as she has tossed 64 innings. In 2019, White earned Honorable Mention All-Big West Honors. Coleman was also an Honorable Mention All-Big West Selection in 2019. She has started the new season 3-1 and has posted a 2.31 ERA over six starts.
About Cal Poly
The Mustangs are now 10-8 on the fresh season after 1-3 at the Judi Garman Classic. Cal Poly beat Illinois (12-2 in five innings) but fell to BYU (9-1 in five innings), Grand Canyon (6-4), and Loyola Marymount (13-3 in five innings).
Hailey Martin earned All-Big West Conference Honorable Mention praise for the 2019 season and is swinging a hot bat for Cal Poly in 2020. The senior is currently batting .385 with three doubles, a triple, and a home run. She has started each of the 18 games at first base.
Sophmore Krystyna Allman is a force in the circle. She has a team best 2.52 ERA and ten starts on the season. Allman is 6-2 in 58.1 innings of work and has compiled 51 strikeouts. Steffi Best has started the other eight games for the Mustangs. The senior is 3-5 and has a 6.12 earned run average. Best earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition after the 2019 season.
About UCLA
The defending 2019 Women's College World Series Champions have carried their success over to the 2020 season. The top-ranked Bruins are 19-1 and are coming off a sweep at the San Diego Classic. Their only loss on the year was a 6-4 defeat against Texas, who ranked No. 3 at the time. UCLA is currently ranked No. 1 in both major polls and the team ranks first in the nation with a .382 batting average. Four Bruins (redshirt junior Aaliyah Jordan, junior Briana Perez and sophomores Megan Faraimo and Kelli Godin) were named to the Watch List for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Aaliyah Jordan broke loose to start the season and was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week for the opening weekend of the 2020 season. The outfielder is hot at the plate, batting .482 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 25 RBIs, and 16 runs scored. Jordan earned NFCA All-West Region Second Team and All-Pac-12 First Team honors in 2019. Junior Brianna Perez is next in line with a .438 batting average with 25 RBIs and 26 runs scored. Sophomore Kelli Godin boasts a .409 average and is the third and final Bruin batting over .400.
Megan Faraimo has been dominant in the circle for UCLA and was named the Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week for her opening weekend performance. The sophomore has a 1.01 ERA in eight starts and 76.1 innings pitched. She has an 11-1 record and 125 strikeouts on the season. Over the summer, Faraimo helped the Unites States U-19 Women's National Team to gold at the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-19 Women's Softball World Cup. She starred in the circle with three wins and a 0.32 ERA. Faraimo also was invited to the USA Softball Olympic Selection Trials this past fall.
About Central Florida
The No. 22/22 Knights are 16-2 after four weeks of play. UCF extended their winning streak to 11 straight as they swept their way through the UCF Invitational. The hosts edged LIU (9-1) and Longwood twice (3-1 and 2-0). Their two losses have come earlier in the season against Duke (3-2) and Washington (12-3).
Junior Georgia Blair has a consistent and powerful bat. The transfer from San Jose State is being warmly welcomed to UCF as she is hitting .393 with five doubles and six home runs. Blair has driven in 15 runs and has scored 18 times. Freshman Shannon Doherty has broken on to the scene and leads the team in batting average (.545) in 16 games. The infielder has a home run, five runs scored, and 13 RBIs.
Knights' standout pitcher Alea White returns for her senior season. White currently is 8-1 in eight starts and 11 overall appearances. She owns a 1.59 ERA and has struck out 61 batters in 48.1 innings. White has established herself as one of the best pitchers in program history. After her junior season, she owns top-10 program career records in ERA (2.42), strikeouts per seven innings (4.49), wins (66), saves (7) and appearances (125). Last season, White earned NFCA First Team All-Region honors, was named to The American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team and earned conference Player of the Week honors on four separate occasions.
Minnesota starts on Friday against Cal State Fullerton at 11 a.m. and then will face Long Beach State at 4 p.m in Long Beach, Calif. The Gophers head to Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday to play Cal Poly at 4 p.m. and No. 1/1 UCLA late at 9 p.m. CT. The weekend concludes back in Long Beach to finish against No. 22/22 UCF at 1:30 p.m. Only the game against Long Beach will be available on any kind of stream on bigwest.org.
Last Time Out
Minnesota finished the Auburn Tournament with a 4-1 record after they defeated Auburn, Georgia Southern and Binghamton twice but fell to Auburn in the rematch later in the weekend.
The Gophers swept through Friday's action with a win over Binghamton (11-0 in six innings) and a gritty victory against Auburn (5-4). Minnesota split the two contests on Saturday as they run-ruled Georgia Southern (14-3 in six innings) but dropped the Auburn rematch by a final of (5-1). The Gophers finished the weekend strong and quickly in a victory over Binghamton (11-2 in five innings) that took one hour and 35 minutes to finish.
Natalie DenHartog was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the first time in her career after an impressive performance this weekend. She led the team with eight runs, launched two home runs and drove in six runs. Two of those runs, including the game winner, came in a battle of a victory over Auburn on Saturday evening.
Autumn Pease earned her first ever Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this weekend. Pease allowed only five hits and three appearances at the Auburn Tournament. She struck out eight batters, a season high, in a shutout victory against Binghamton on Friday.
Fiser's Finest
Amber Fiser has already cemented herself as one of the top players in Gopher softball history and is making a case for one of the top players in all of NCAA softball. She is fifth all-time in program history in wins (79) and strikeouts (776). With UCLA's Rachel Garcia taking an Olympic redshirt, Fiser is the NCAA active leader in strikeouts.
In 2019, Fiser was named a First Team NFCA All-American, was a Honda Cup Award Finalist and was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. She ranked third in the NCAA in wins, fifth in strikeouts and 12th in ERA. Her 31 wins on the season tied for second all-time in program history and 346 strikeouts were third all-time. She set a school record and matched a conference record with six Big Ten Pitcher of the Week awards. She also picked up two NFCA Division I Pitcher of the Week awards.
Fiser can't seem to get over the 13-strikeout mark. She has hit the impressive number seven times in her career including twice already in the opening weekend of 2020. She tossed 20 strikeouts last weekend and is third in the NCAA in season strikeouts with 91 already. The All-American tossed a no-hitter against Tulsa at the Baylor Invitational in 2020. Fiser pitched four complete-game one-hitters in 2019. She has thrown three no-hitters in her career, one in 2020 and two in 2018. Her last perfect game was at Purdue on Apr. 27, 2018.
Run MaKenna, Run!
MaKenna Partain has etched her name into Gophers history and has a chance to leave as one of the most productive offensive players in team history but has done so quietly when it comes to national attention. She has already made 195 career starts with the majority of her action coming at second base. She is fourth in career runs at 179 and seventh in career doubles at 48. Both records are in reach as Tyler Walker holds the record with 197 career runs and Kaitlyn Richardson has the doubles record with 64. Partain spent last season as the Gophers leadoff batter and broke the program single season record with 66 runs. She also set program and Big Ten record with five runs scored at Maryland on Mar. 23.
Leading the Way
Natalie DenHartog leads Minnesota in batting average (.439), runs (18), home runs (5), slugging percentage (.754), and on-base percentage (.568). The sophomore from Hopkins, Minn. has also been hit by eight pitches and ranks ninth in the country in HBPs per game. DenHartog was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after her performance last weekend at the Auburn Tournament.
Pass the Pease, Please
In the circle, Autumn Pease has impressed with six starts and a total of 11 appearances. The sophomore transfer has tossed 48 strikeouts and has allowed only eleven earned runs over 42.1 innings of work for a 1.82 ERA and 4-1 record. Pease was selected as the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after three lights out appearances at the Auburn Tournament last weekend. Atta Kid! Freshman Sydney Strelow is batting .309 with three doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs and has scored seven runs this season. She has also drawn five walks and has been hit by one pitch for an on base percentage of .377 on the year. This past weekend at the Auburn Tournament, Strelow hit three doubles, scored twice, and drove in seven runs.
Where in the World is Carlie Brandt!?
Carlie Brandt has played eight fielding positions and the DP spot (all but catcher) in her Gophers career. She has found a home at shortstop in the early part of 2020 and has made a big impact. She also returned to the circle and picked up a victory against Binghamton this past weekend. It was her first pitching appearance since Feb. 16, 2019.
About Cal State Fullerton
The Titans are 12-7 overall heading into the fifth week of the season after they went 4-2 last weekend at the Judi Garman Classic. They defeated Texas Tech (1-0), California (4-3), Boise State (3-1), and Illinois (4-3 in eight innings).
Freshman Megan Delgadillo had an impressive start to her Cal State Fullerton career with a team-best .409 batting average and 17 runs scored. Delgadillo has hit two triples, a home run, and has drawn five walks. The outfielder is a menace on the basepaths, with 14 stolen bases in 19 games. Delgadillo ranks in Flo Softball's Hot 100 and has already earned Big West Softball Freshman of the Week accolades.
The Titans are led by pitcher Dani Martinez, who earned her third career Big West Softball Pitcher of the Week honors to begin the season and has continued to be dominant since. The sophomore has started six games and contributed to 11 total games for the orange and blue. She has a 2.68 ERA and a 5-3 record with two saves. In 2019, Martinez earned NFCA All-West Region Second Team honors and was named the Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year.
About Long Beach State
Long Beach State is 11-9 through the first four weeks of the season. They most recently competed at the San Diego Classic where they went 3-2. The Beach topped San Diego (4-2), Brown (6-2), and North Dakota (9-0). They were bested by St. John's (2-0) and San Jose State (4-3). Long Beach State was picked to finish in second place in the Big West Conference and received a pair of first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll.
Five Beach players are batting over .300 but Breezy Wise and Sara Olson lead the way. Wise, a senior outfielder, is batting a team-high .382 and has contributed five doubles and a home run. Olson follows closely behind with a .373 average. The freshman has added a double, two triples, a home run, and 16 runs scored.
Long Beach State returns a pair of starting senior pitchers in Kellie White and Ashley Coleman. White is 6-4 in the circle this year with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts and leads the team with 58 strikeouts. She has shouldered most of the work this season, as she has tossed 64 innings. In 2019, White earned Honorable Mention All-Big West Honors. Coleman was also an Honorable Mention All-Big West Selection in 2019. She has started the new season 3-1 and has posted a 2.31 ERA over six starts.
About Cal Poly
The Mustangs are now 10-8 on the fresh season after 1-3 at the Judi Garman Classic. Cal Poly beat Illinois (12-2 in five innings) but fell to BYU (9-1 in five innings), Grand Canyon (6-4), and Loyola Marymount (13-3 in five innings).
Hailey Martin earned All-Big West Conference Honorable Mention praise for the 2019 season and is swinging a hot bat for Cal Poly in 2020. The senior is currently batting .385 with three doubles, a triple, and a home run. She has started each of the 18 games at first base.
Sophmore Krystyna Allman is a force in the circle. She has a team best 2.52 ERA and ten starts on the season. Allman is 6-2 in 58.1 innings of work and has compiled 51 strikeouts. Steffi Best has started the other eight games for the Mustangs. The senior is 3-5 and has a 6.12 earned run average. Best earned All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition after the 2019 season.
About UCLA
The defending 2019 Women's College World Series Champions have carried their success over to the 2020 season. The top-ranked Bruins are 19-1 and are coming off a sweep at the San Diego Classic. Their only loss on the year was a 6-4 defeat against Texas, who ranked No. 3 at the time. UCLA is currently ranked No. 1 in both major polls and the team ranks first in the nation with a .382 batting average. Four Bruins (redshirt junior Aaliyah Jordan, junior Briana Perez and sophomores Megan Faraimo and Kelli Godin) were named to the Watch List for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Aaliyah Jordan broke loose to start the season and was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week for the opening weekend of the 2020 season. The outfielder is hot at the plate, batting .482 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 25 RBIs, and 16 runs scored. Jordan earned NFCA All-West Region Second Team and All-Pac-12 First Team honors in 2019. Junior Brianna Perez is next in line with a .438 batting average with 25 RBIs and 26 runs scored. Sophomore Kelli Godin boasts a .409 average and is the third and final Bruin batting over .400.
Megan Faraimo has been dominant in the circle for UCLA and was named the Wilson/NFCA Pitcher of the Week for her opening weekend performance. The sophomore has a 1.01 ERA in eight starts and 76.1 innings pitched. She has an 11-1 record and 125 strikeouts on the season. Over the summer, Faraimo helped the Unites States U-19 Women's National Team to gold at the 2019 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-19 Women's Softball World Cup. She starred in the circle with three wins and a 0.32 ERA. Faraimo also was invited to the USA Softball Olympic Selection Trials this past fall.
About Central Florida
The No. 22/22 Knights are 16-2 after four weeks of play. UCF extended their winning streak to 11 straight as they swept their way through the UCF Invitational. The hosts edged LIU (9-1) and Longwood twice (3-1 and 2-0). Their two losses have come earlier in the season against Duke (3-2) and Washington (12-3).
Junior Georgia Blair has a consistent and powerful bat. The transfer from San Jose State is being warmly welcomed to UCF as she is hitting .393 with five doubles and six home runs. Blair has driven in 15 runs and has scored 18 times. Freshman Shannon Doherty has broken on to the scene and leads the team in batting average (.545) in 16 games. The infielder has a home run, five runs scored, and 13 RBIs.
Knights' standout pitcher Alea White returns for her senior season. White currently is 8-1 in eight starts and 11 overall appearances. She owns a 1.59 ERA and has struck out 61 batters in 48.1 innings. White has established herself as one of the best pitchers in program history. After her junior season, she owns top-10 program career records in ERA (2.42), strikeouts per seven innings (4.49), wins (66), saves (7) and appearances (125). Last season, White earned NFCA First Team All-Region honors, was named to The American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team and earned conference Player of the Week honors on four separate occasions.
Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26