Softball | April 26, 2017

SEASIDE, Calif. — A big series win against (then) No. 15 Chico State proved impressive enough to vault the Cal State Monterey Bay softball team to No. 4 in this week's NFCA Top 25. It's the highest ranking for the Otters since they were No. 3 on Mar. 18, 2015. This week marks CSUMB's fourth consecutive week in the Top 10.

No. 9 Humboldt State (33–11) is the only other CCAA team to receive votes in this week's poll.

The Otters enter the week with a 41–8 record, tops in the West Region. The Otters have clinched their fifth CCAA Championship since 2010 and their fourth 40–win season since 2012.

CSUMB has secured the No. 1 seed in the CCAA Tournament (29–7). The Otters are the only team that has clinched a spot in the CCAA Tournament. Sonoma State (25–11) currently holds second place with Humboldt (21–10), Cal State San Bernardino (24–12) and Chico (22–12) all within percentage points of each other in the battle for the remaining three spots.

CSUMB leads the West Region and ranks No. 5 nationally in batting average at .357. The Otter lineup boasts four of the CCAA's top five hitters, including Julia Garcia, this week's CCAA Player of the Week, who leads the league with a .430 average. She is followed by Jayme Stark in the No. 3 spot at .393 while Madison Casto is fourth at .391 and Mikal Cuellar is fifth at .386.

In the circle, freshman Hayley Fein earned her third CCAA Pitcher of the Week nod after beating Chico State three times. She leads the circuit with a 27–7 record and ranks in the Top 4 in ERA (1.83), strikeouts (129) and opponent batting average (.232).

CSUMB also ranks No. 5 nationally in fielding percentage (.974), No. 7 in win–loss percentage (.837), No. 13 in slugging percentage (.506) and No. 22 in scoring (6.27 rpg). All of those numbers lead the CCAA as well.