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SEASIDE, Calif. -- Although the four–team field (CSUMB, Dominguez Hills, UCSD and Chico) set for next week's CCAA Championship Tournament, the last weekend of the regular season still has tremendous significance for the teams atop the conference standings. First up will be determining the CCAA regular season champion.

Cal State Dominguez Hills has the inside track, with a magic number of four and a one–game lead over CSUMB. The Otters will need to handle UCSD while getting a little help from San Bernardino (which hosts CSUDH this weekend). UCSD likely needs a sweep while CSUDH stumbles badly at San Bernardino.

Of even greater significance is how this weekend's games will impact the NCAA West Region race. As the top two ranked teams in the region, No. 1 CSUDH and No. 2 CSUMB have all but sewn up spots in the regional. No. 4 Chico and No. 6 UCSD can solidify their positions with strong weekends. No. 7 Sonoma State (vs. SFSU) and No. 9 Cal State East (vs. Chico) will this weekend as their last chance to impress the voters since they will be sitting out the CCAA Tournament.

All things considered, it difficult to imagine a series with more conference and regional implications than the one between the Otters and Tritons. UCSD leads the series 17–11, but the series has been all but even after the Tritons opened it on a 9–2 run. The series in tied in La Jolla, 5–5 after CSUMB took 3–of–4 the last time the teams met there April 16–17, 2010.

For those looking even further ahead, the Otters and Tritons have met twice in the postseason. CSUMB won the only CCAA Tournament meeting, 7–3, in 2009.  UCSD got its measure of revenge the following week at the NCAA West Regional, posting a 2–1 victory.

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Otter Softball Odds & Ends


ALL GOOD THINGS MUST END: Freshman 1B Nina Villanueva (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) ran her hitting streak to 19 games with a single in game one Wednesday against Chico State. But it ended in game two. It was the longest streak in the CCAA this season and the second longest in CSUMB history (Shae Olds, 25 in 2009).

DOUBLING THEIR PLEASURE: The Otters turned another double play against Chico State and now lead all of NCAA Division II play with 29 DPs turned this season. The 29 total double plays this season breaks the school record of 25 turned in 2008.

TRIPLING THEIR PLEASURE: Jamie Moon (Torrance HS) hit her second triple of the season Wednesday to give CSUMB 23 triples so far in 2012. That easily eclipses the previous record of 11 triples set twice previously (in 2006 and 2010). Individually, Angelina Orozco (Clovis East HS) began the week rank No. 1 nationally in total triples. Her total ranks No. 1 in the CSUMB single–season record book as well.

OTHERS AMONG THE LEADERS: The Otters are well represented in the latest NCAA Division II stat rankings. Just listing players in the top 10 in addition to Orozco, Jackie Serna (Corona HS) leads the nation with 6 sac flies and is No. 6 in BB/game (0.78). Nina Villanueva is No. 5 in RBIs/game (1.37); Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly HS) is No. 6 in batting average (.484); and Skyler Valdivia (Beaumont HS) is No. 7 in sacrifices/game (0.35). In addition to leading the nation in triples (23) and DPs (29), CSUMB ranks No. 15 in both average (.335) and scoring (6.65 runs per game).

DRIVING HER POINT HOME: Nina Villanueva continues to raise her school single–season RBI record to milestone levels. After besting the mark set by Shae Olds (44) she added 20 more RBIs to challenge the CCAA record of 69 set by Humboldt's Natalie Galletly in 2007.

HAVE MERCY: The Otters defeated San Francisco State via the 8–run rule on April 14, marking the ninth time this season they've done that—already the third most in a season in school history. The 2009 and 2010 Otters each posted 10 run–rule wins.

FIRST TO 40? Already owning the CSUMB all–sports record for wins in a season (38), the Otters will look to break the 40–win plateau at UCSD this week.