SEASIDE --- Cal State Monterey Bay continues to move up the NCAA Division II Softball Regional Rankings, landing at No. 5 in the West Region in the latest poll released Wednesday and the next stop may be a national ranking if the Otters (23-18 overall) have a successful road trip this weekend.

Three teams from the California Collegiate Athletic Association have moved into the top 25 on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Poll released Wednesday. Humboldt State is now No. 7, UC San Diego is No. 15 and CSU Dominguez Hills climbed into the 24th position.

The Otters (23-18 overall, 10-10 in conference play) are 2-5 against HSU this season, three of those losses coming by just one run. CSUMB has not faced either UCSD or CSUDH, but will head south this week to face San Diego (11-7 in the CCAA) on Friday and Saturday. The Otters will host Dominguez Hills (10-8) on April 11 and 12. Humboldt, UC San Diego and Dominguez Hills are ranked 1, 2, 3 in the West.

“It's a huge series for us in San Diego. We've got to come back from there with a few wins," said CSUMB head coach Andrea Kenney. “We're a hot team right now and they know it. It'll be a battle,”

The Otters' success can be attributed mostly to excellent pitching. Their team ERA of 2.39 is third lowest in the conference. Most teams are carried by just one pitcher, some have two, but CSUMB has three pitchers that are all throwing well. Of all CCAA pitchers with 15 or more appearances, #Noemi Torres# (2.30) has the fifth-lowest ERA in the conference, #Jessica Boyle# (2.38) has the eighth and #Angela Cabral# (2.48) has the 10th. Cabral is 12-7 and leads the team in wins.

Offensively, no Otter is in the top 10 in the CCAA in batting average, slugging percentage, runs or RBIs. Third baseman #Ashlee Trotter# is tied for eighth in the CCAA with five home runs and centerfielder #Casey Kauffman# is second in steals with 14. #Homa Shafii# leads the team in batting at .336.

The Otters' recent success at the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, where they finished 4-1 and defeated Hawaii Pacific, formerly the No. 2 team in the West, accounts for the rise.  Boyle pitched two shutouts in the tourney and was named to the all-tourney team along with shortstop #Alixis Villarin#. A strong showing against UC San Diego could lift CSUMB into the national rankings.

But right now, CSUMB is still in sixth place in the CCAA. Though the Otters are ranked ahead of CSU Stanislaus (No. 7 and 12-8 in the CCAA) and CSU San Bernardino (No. 9 and 10-8), both are ahead of CSUMB in the conference standings. Kenney said the Otters need to play well against both San Diego and Dominguez Hills.

“If we can do well against both of these teams, we will look very good going into the CCAA tournament,” said Kenney.

Friday's doubleheader against UC San Diego will start at 1 p.m. and Saturday's will begin at noon. You can follow the game as live stats are posted on the Web at http://www.ucsdtritons.com.