Softball | May 03, 2017

SEASIDE, Calif. — A doubleheader split at (then) No. 8 Humboldt State allowed the Cal State Monterey Bay softball team to hold steady at No. 4 in this week's NFCA/NCAA Division II Top 25 poll. This week marks CSUMB's fifth consecutive week in the Top 10.

No. 11 Humboldt State (34–12) is the only other CCAA team to receive votes in this week's poll.

The Otters enter the week with a 42–9 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 will enter this week's CCAA Championship tournament as the No. 1 seed and take on No. 4 seed Chico State in first round action Friday at 3 p.m. No. 2 seed Cal State San Bernardino (27–13) and face No. 3 seed Humboldt State (22–11) in the other first round game.

CSUMB leads the West Region and ranks No. 5 nationally in batting average at .356. The Otter lineup boasts four of the CCAA's Top 10 hitters, including Julia Garcia, who won the CCAA Triple Crown with CCAA totals of .435/12 HR/43 RBI. She leads the CCAA overall with a .448 average. She is followed by Madison Casto in the No. 3 spot at .393. Jayme Stark is No. 7 (.377), Mikal Cuellar is No. 8 (.376). Lusi Stanley is just outside the Top 10 at No. 11 (.362)

In the circle, freshman Hayley Fein leads the CCAA with a 28–8 record and ranks among the leaders in ERA (1.83), strikeouts (132) and opponent batting average (.237).

CSUMB also ranks No. 9 nationally in win–loss percentage (.824), No. 15 in slugging (.506) and fielding (.972) percentages and No. 23 in scoring (6.24 rpg). All of those numbers lead the CCAA as well.