Vernon McKnight

Otters Open Defense Of CCAA Title, Host Stanislaus

February 13, 2013 | By: By Kevin Gilmore

Bianca Noriega is one of 11 Otter nbewcomers who will receive their CCAA baptisms this weekend versus Cal State Stanislaus.

Softball welcomes Warriors for four-game series Feb. 15-16

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SEASIDE, Calif. — After shaking off the rust from a disappointing opening weekend, the No. 17 Cal State Monterey Bay softball team will carry a five–game winning streak into this weekend when they open defense of their 2012 CCAA title with a visit from Cal State Stanislaus for a four–game series beginning with a doubleheader Friday (Feb. 15) at the Otter Sports Complex.

After dropping their first four games of the season at the Best of the West Invitational, the Otters have won their last five by a combined score of 40–9, including three run–rule game victories. They are a spotless 4–0 at home this season.

Cal State Stanislaus enters the weekend with a 5–3 overall record. The Warriors are coming off a home split with Holy Names University in which they won 1–0 and lost 6–3. Senior infielder Sarah Locarinini leads Stanislaus with a .391 average. Sophomore outfielder Cierrah Mullins hits ,357 with team highs of three doubles and two home runs. In the circle, sophomore Natalie Rendon is 2–1 with a 0.90 ERA. Senior Brittani Weatherford is 3–1 with a 2.43 ERA.

OTTER SOFTBALL ODDS & ENDS

THESE GIRLS ARE ON FIRE: Senior OF Skyler Valdivia (Beaumont HS) and sophomore P/INF Cori Reinhardt (Riverside Poly) have started the season on fire at the plate, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in the CCAA in batting average. Valdivia, a 2011 All–CCAA selection, is hitting .538 with a team–high six stolen bases while Reinhardt, a 2012 first team All–American, is hitting .533 with a team–high 15 RBIs.

PRODUCTION > POWER: While the Otters are not hitting home runs at the record–setting pace they did in 2012 — in fact, they have yet to hit their first homer of the season in 2013 — the offense continues to be highly productive. CSUMB enters the weekend averaging a healthy 5.2 runs per game.

I'LL HAVE THE RIBEYE, WELL DONE: One season after former Otter Nina Villanueva set the CCAA record for RBIs in one season (69), Cori Reinhardt is already on pace to smash that mark. Reinhardt has 15 RBIs through the first nine games, putting her on pace to drive in 90 runs in the regular season.

STREAKING OTTERS: Skyler Valdivia enters Friday's doubleheader riding a six–game hitting streak, the longest by an Otter so far this season. Cori Reinhardt, meanwhile, has hit in four–straight and has reached base safely in all nine games this season.

LOW HITTERS: While there hasn't been a no–hitter pitched by an Otters in the early going, both Cori Reinhardt and freshman Lindsey Clarkson (Fresno/Central HS) are coming off low–hit performances. Reinhardt tossed a one–hitter in a 10–0 defeat of Holy Names on Feb. 10 and followed that by allowing just one hit over the final eight innings of a 10–inning, four–hit win over Hawaii–Hilo on Feb. 11. Clarkson, meanwhile, struck out eight in a three–hit win over Hilo to close out Monday's sweep of the Vulcans.

HAVE MERCY: The Otters tied the school record with 10 run–rule wins (leading by eight or more runs after five innings) in 2012. The 2013 Otters already have three such wins through the first nine games.

WALK–OFF WINS: The Otters earned their first two walk–off wins of the season in consecutive victories over Holy Names and Hawaii–Hilo to start the week. Cori Reinhardt's two–run single capped the 9–1 victory in the bottom of the sixth inning versus HNU. Senior All–CCAA OF Angelina Orozco (Clovis East HS) made her walk–off hit a bit more dramatic, singling home Mickella Calvin (Napa/Vintage HS) in the bottom of the 10th to beat Hilo 3–2.

GO OTTERS!

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