FULL NOTEBOOK WITH STATS AND CCAA STANDINGS


SEASIDE, Calif. -- The Cal State Monterey Bay softball team will look to continue its promising start this weekend when it heads to Las Vegas to play five regional games at the MSUB Desert Stinger Classic. The Otters will face Grand Canyon and Simon Fraser University Friday (Feb. 10) and Western Oregon Saturday (Feb. 11) before finishing with Notre Dame de Namur and Central Washington Sunday (Feb. 12).

The tournament will be a key one for the Otters as they are scheduled to face five West Region teams. The Otters will open tournament play against perennial regional contender Grand Canyon (3–1 overall) and conclude tournament play against 2011 NCAA Tournament qualifier Central Washington (0–0, 34–16 in 2011).

CSUMB picked up two wins over 2011 NCAA Tournament participants last weekend when it defeated Metro State (5–1) and Western Washington (9–3) at the Best of the West Invitational in Turlock. Spurred by those opening day wins, the Otters tied for the tournament title (but finished second to Chico State based on tourney tiebreakers).

“I was encouraged by what I saw last weekend. We did a lot of good things and showed that we have potential this season,” says CSUMB Head Coach Andrea Kenney. “But we are very much a work in progress and we will continue that process this weekend in Las Vegas.”

The Otters begin the week as the CCAA's top hitting team, batting .366 through five games. Freshman first baseman Nina Villanueva (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) leads five Otters hitting .400 or better at an even .500 (8–for–16). Senior shortstop Jackie Serna (Corona HS) adds a double, a triple and eight RBIs.

In the circle, freshman Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly HS) went 2–0 with a 0.50 ERA and a .157 opponent batting average in a pair of complete game efforts.

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Otter Softball Odds & Ends


FIRST HONORS ROLL IN: The Otters received their first honors of the season at the Best of the West Invitational. Jamie Moon (Torrance HS), Cori Reinhardt and Jackie Serna each were named to the all–tournament team.

FANTASTIC FRESHMEN: The Otters received several veteran performances from some talented freshman at the Best of the West Invitational. In addition to Reinhardt (see above), first baseman Nina Villanueva hit .500 with a double, a home run and nine RBIs. Catcher Nicole Pires (Ontario/Colony HS) hit .417 with her first collegiate home run. In total, Otter freshmen went 20–for–46 (.435) with nine runs and 17 RBIs in their debutante performacnes last weekend.

THE LUMBER COMPANY: Otter power was on display in the Feb. 5 victory over Dominican. Nina Villanueva, Nicole Pires and Jackie Serna each homered in the 9–1 win. The three home runs tie for the third most in a game in Otter history. For the record, the record for a game is six at Humboldt State on Mar. 21, 2009.

Also of note, three Otters (Moon, Reinhardt, Serna) hit triples over the weekend, giving CSUMB the early team lead in that category among CCAA schools.