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SEASIDE, Calif. — The Cal State Monterey Bay softball teams head to Turlock this weekend looking to defend its crown at the Mizuno Tournament of Champions April 4–6 at Pedretti Park. The Otters defeated Saint Martin's University 5–1 in the semifinals and Grand Canyon University 6–5 in the championship game to win the 2012 title.

“This is arguably the best in–season tournament in Division II softball, so winning a title here means so much,” says CSUMB Head Coach Andrea Kenney.

The Otters will be looking to become just the second team ever to win back–to–back Tournament of Champion title. Humboldt State won four in a row from 2005–2008. Every winner of this tournament has advanced to the NCAA Regional that spring.

To earn a spot in the gold Bracket final, the Otters will have to navigate a schedule of four opponents from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (Montana State–Billings, Western Washington, Saint Martin's University, Central Washington) and one from the PacWest Conference (Azusa Pacific).

CSUMB is coming off a 5–1, 6–1 sweep of MSUB Tuesday at the Otter Sports Complex. Pool play will be the first meetings with each of the other four Otter opponents this season.

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ALL–TIME AT THE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS: The Otters own a 30–13 (.698) record all–time in Tournament of Champions play, including a 6–1 mark last season. It is the best winning percentage in TOC history.

REINHARDT SETS RECORD: P/INF Cori Reinhardt's (Riverside Poly) hot start has shattered yet another record. She enterS the Tournament of Champions having reached safely in 38 consecutive games (including all 37 this season). She broke the CSUMB record of 34 games set by Shae Olds in 2009. Reinhardt's streak is the longest in the CCAA this season. The conference does compile this record to know where it would stand in CCAA history. Reinhardt also enters the TOC with a 10–game hitting streak, the longest at CSUMB this season.

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MAKING A RUN AT THE RECORD: Senior CF Angelina Orozco (Clovis East HS) continues to close in on the CSUMB career record for runs, entering the weekend with 137 runs. She leads the teams with 32 runs this season and needs 18 more to break Jamie Moon's mark of 154 set from 2009–12.

Senior RF Skyler Valdivia (Beaumont HS) enters the weekend with 99 runs and needs one to become just the third player in Otter history to score 100 career runs.

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SPEED KILLS: Angelina Orozco and Skyler Valdivia are both a perfect 9–for–9 in stolen base attempts so far in 2013. Their nine stolen bases already rank No. 10 on the CSUMB single season list.

CLOSING IN ON 200: Angelina Orozco enters the week No. 4 on CSUMB career hit list with 198 hits. She is looking to become just the third player in Otter history to collect 200 hits. Ashlee Trotter holds the record with 239 hits and Jamie Moon ranks No. 2 with 225 hits.

LOW HITTERS: While there hasn't been a no–hitter pitched by an Otter in the early going, both Cory Reinhardt and freshman Lindsey Clarkson (Fresno/Central HS) are both mastering low–hit performances. Reinhardt has tossed six complete games allowing four or fewer hits, including a one–hitter in a 10–0 defeat of Holy Names on Feb. 10. Clarkson, meanwhile, has four such games to her credit, including a one–hitter vs. Dominican University in which she fanned 10 Penguins in just five innings.

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 seven such wins through the first 37 games.

WALK–OFF WINS: The Otters have earned six walk–off wins already this season. Four of them have come via run–rule. The other two were a 3–2, 10–inning win over Hawaii–Hilo (Feb. 11) and an 8–7 win over Cal State Stanislaus (Feb. 15).