2016 Fresno State Softball

Softball ContaCt: Kimberly fiSher559-278-4881(o) • 559-575-1389(c)

kimfisher@csufresno.edu

Date Opponent Time/Results2/12 Fri Indiana [1] W, 7-02/12 Fri Tennessee [1] W, 7-32/13 Sat Seattle University [1] W, 7-4 2/13 Sat Boston College [1] W, 3-12/14 Sun Utah [1] W, 2-02/19 Fri Kansas [2] 4:00 p.m.2/19 Fri Sacramento State [2] 6:30 p.m.2/20 Sat Kansas [2] 4:30 p.m.2/21 Sun UC Riverside [2] 11:30 p.m.2/21 Sun Sacramento State [2] 2:00 p.m.2/26 Fri Oklahoma [3] 1:00 p.m.2/27 Sat Northwestern [3] 12:30 p.m.2/27 Sat Oregon [3] 3:00 p.m.2/28 Sun Loyola Marymount [3] 2:00 p.m.2/28 Sun Cal State Northridge [3] 4:30 p.m.3/4 Fri Northwestern [4] 10:00 a.m.3/5 Sat Baylor [4] 2:30 p.m.3/5 Sat Wisconsin [4] 7:30 p.m.3/6 Sun Oregon State [4] 11:30 a.m.3/6 Sun California [4] 2:00 p.m.3/11 Fri Weber State [5] 5:00 p.m.3/11 Fri Washington [5] 7:30 p.m.3/12 Sat Weber State [5] 3:00 p.m.3/12 Sat Washington [5] 5:30 p.m.3/13 Sun CSUBakersfield[5] 2:00p.m.3/18 Fri Long Beach State [6] 2:00 p.m.3/18 Fri BYU [6] 4:30 p.m.3/19 Sat Ohio State [6] 9:00 a.m.3/19 Sat Princeton [6] 11:30 a.m.3/20 Sun San Diego [6] 11:30 a.m.3/22 Tues Cal State Fullerton 5:00 p.m.3/29 Tues Boise State * 1:00 p.m.3/29 Tues Boise State * 3:00 p.m.3/30 Wed Boise State * 11:00 a.m.4/1 Fri San Diego State * 6:00 p.m.4/2 Sat San Diego State * 6:00 p.m.4/3 Sun San Diego State * 12:00 p.m.4/8 Fri New Mexico * 4:00 p.m.4/9 Sat New Mexico 12:00 p.m.4/10 Sun New Mexico 11:00 a.m.4/15 Fri Utah State * 6:00 p.m4/16 Sat Utah State * 6:00 p.m4/17 Sun Utah State * 12:00 p.m.4/19 Tues Pacific 6:00p.m.4/22 Fri Colorado State * 6:00 p.m.4/23 Sat Colorado State * 6:00 p.m.4/24 Sun Colorado State * 11:30 a.m.4/29 Fri San Jose State * 12:00 p.m.4/30 Sat San Jose State * 12:00 p.m.5/1 Sun San Jose State * 12:00 p.m.5/6 Fri Nevada * 4:00 p.m.5/7 Sat Nevada * 1:00 p.m.5/8 Sun Nevada * 12:00 p.m.5/12 Thurs UNLV * 6:00 p.m.5/13 Fri UNLV * 6:00 p.m. 5/14 Sat UNLV * 12:00 p.m.

* Mountain West Conference Game •AllhomegamesinBOLD•AllTimesLOCAL(PT)andsubjecttochange

[1]KajikawaClassic,Tempe,Ariz.[2] Fresno State Kick-Off, Fresno, Calif.[3] Mary Nutter Classic, Cathedral City, Calif.[4] Judi Garman Classic, Fullerton, Calif.[5] Fresno State Classic, Fresno, Calif. [6] San Diego Classic II, San Diego, Calif.

2016 Schedule/ReSultS(RecoRd: 5-0, 0-0 MW)

Playing HostTheNo.22/24BulldogshosttheannualFresnoStateKick-Offfortheforthefifthconsecutiveyear, welcoming out of state opponent, Kansas along with California locals Sacramento State andUCRiverside.The10-gameweekendstretchwillgetunderwayonFriday,Feb.19andlastthroughSunday,Feb.21atMargieWrightDiamond.Anundefeated(5-0)opening-weekendrecordpropelledtheFresnoStatesoftballteamintothenation’stop25earlierintheweek.HeadcoachTrishaFordledtheBulldogsbackintothenationalrankingsforthefirsttimesince2011,checkingintotheESPN.com/USASoftballCollegiateTop25atNo.22andNo.24intheUSAToday/NFCADivisionISoftballCoachesPoll.

Individually, ace Jill Compton was pegged the National Fastpitch Coaches Association(NFCA)PitcheroftheWeek,CollegeSportsMadnessMountainWestPlayeroftheWeekand earned conference recognition along with teammate Lindsey Willmon as the MW Player of the Week.

FresnoStatewilltakeonKansas(4p.m.)forthe2016homeopener,followedbyamatchupwithSacramentoState(6:30p.m.)duringFriday’saction.The`DogswillfacetheJayhawksforthesecondtimeonSaturday(4:30p.m.)andcloseoutthetournamentonSundayversusUCRiverside(11:30a.m.)andtheHornets(2p.m.).Ontheweekend,theBulldogswillplayfivegameswhilefacingthreeteams,allofwhichareseparateconferenceaffiliatesincludingthe Big 12, Big Sky and Big West.

Theteamiscomingoffanearly-seasontestwithnotablewinsovertwotop25opponentstopreviewthe2016season–then-rankedNo.8Tennessee(7-3)andNo.23Utah(2-0).FresnoStateadditionallyaccountedforwinsoverIndiana(7-0),SeattleUniversity(7-4)andBostonCollege(3-1)attheannualseason-openingASUKajikawaClassic.

Asthepreseasonfavorite,FresnoStatestandsaloneatoptheconferencechats,aheadoftheadditionaleightMWprogramsincludingUNLV(4-2),Nevada(3-2),SanDiegoState(3-2),NewMexico(2-3),UtahState(2-4),SanJoseState(1-5),BoiseState(0-5)andColoradoState(0-5).

INSIDE BULLDOG SOFTBALL FordisinherfourthseasonatthehelmoftheFresnoStatesoftballprogramandisjoinedbyassistantcoachesSaraPickering(4thyear)andCarlyWynn(4thyear),volunteerassistantcoach Jeff Harger (1st year), student manager Andrew Rich (1st year) and director ofoperationsTaylorGreen(1styear).

This season, theBulldogs face13 teams that competed in the2015NCAATournament,including Super Regional advancer Oklahoma and World Series qualifiers, Oregon andTennessee. Fresno State opponents – No. 6 Oregon, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 9 Oklahoma, No.16Baylor,No.20WashingtonandNo.21California-rankedintheTop25USAToday/NFCACoachesPreseasonPoll.

Afterkickingoffthehomeportionoftheyearthisweekend,theBulldogswillhosttheirsecondand last tournament, theFresnoStateClassic (March11-13)atMargieWrightDiamond.Mountain West play will get underway on the road against Boise State starting March 29, followedbyahomeseriesagainstSanDiegoState(April1-3).Additionalhomeconferencebattles includeUtahState(April15-17),ColoradoState(April22-24)andUNLV(May12-14),withroadgamesagainstNewMexico(April8-10),SanJoseState(April29-May1)andNevada(May6-8).

SCOUNTING KUKansas(2-3)heads into thisweek’sactionridinga two-game losingstreakagainstNorthCarolina atGreenboro. In addition, the Jayhawksdefeated tournament host Jacksonville(9-0)andCoastalCarolina(5-1)afteraseason-openinglosstoNorthCarolinaState(3-1).

Fresno State Kick-OffFresno, Calif. • Margie Wright Diamon

Friday, Feb. 19vs. Kansas 4:00 p.m.

vs. Sacramento State 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 20vs. Kansas 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 21vs. UC Riverside 11:30 a.m.

vs. Sacramento State 2:00 p.m.

2016 Fresno State Softball

TheBig12Conferenceprogramisledbyseventh-yearheadcoachMeganSmith who has led the Jayhawks to consecutive NCAA Tournamentappearances(2014,’15)andafourth-place2016predictedleaguefinish.

Kansas infielder Daniella Chavez opened her sophomore campaignwithherfirstcareerconferenceplayeroftheweekaccoladeafterbeingnamed the co-Big 12 Freshman of the Year last season. The Jayhawks’ 37combinedhitswerelargelygeneratedfromfourplateleaders-Chavez(10-for17),outfielderBrianaEvans(5-for-13),catcherJessieRoane(4-for-14)and infielderChaleyBrickey(4-for-15). In thecircle forKansas,sophomoreAndieFormbycapturedbothvictorieslastweekwithateam-best2.05ERA,11strikeoutsandtossedonecompletegamewiththreeappearances and 13.2 total innings.

BATTLING SAC STATESacramentoStatecompetedat theAggie Invitationaland loggeda2-2(.500) opening-weekend record, coming off two consecutive victoriesoverMontana (5-3) andSantaClara (6-1). TheHornets fell 5-4 in aneight-inningbattlewithCSUBakersfieldandweretopped1-0inthefirstmatchup with Santa Clara earlier in the tournament.

Led by third-year head coach Lori Perez, Sacramento State wasselected to finish ina tie for secondplacewith IdahoState in theBigSky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The squad returned 10 Hornets who helped Sacramento State to the championship game of the conferencetournamentlastseason,cappingtheyearat28-26(15-6BigSky)andonegameshyofanautomaticberthtotheNCAARegionals.

Lastweek,theHornetswereledattheplatebyfreshmaninfielderSydneyRasmussen(3-for-8,.375)whoaccountedfortheonlymulti-doubleeffort.SacramentoStatehad12RBIon28hitsincludingfourdoublesand24singlesoverafour-gameslateinDavis,Calif.Appearinginallfourgamesontherubber,sophomoreCelinaMatthiaswent1-1witha1.50ERAandfivestrikeoutsover9.1inningspitched.

GOING AGAINST UCRSimilar to Fresno State, the UC Riverside softball team made anappearance at the ASU Kajikawa Classic during opening weekend,accounting for twovictoriesoverafive-gamestretch.TheHighlanderstopped Creighton (5-2) on Friday after falling 15-3 to Northwestern inthe 2016 season opener. Saturday’s one-game slate featured a four-run defeatbyEastCarolinaandUCRcapped the tournament splitting1-1onSunday–Wisconsin(L,9-1)andSeattle(W,4-1)–beforehostingadoubleheaderwithCanisius.

UCRiversidefell4-1inMonday’shomeopenerwiththeGoldenGriffinsbeforeoutscoringCanisius6-1duringthesecondgameoftheday.PriortocompetingattheFresnoStateKick-Off,theHighlanderswillfaceArmyasthehometeamatAmyS.HarrisonSoftballFieldonThursday,Feb.18.

OffensivestandoutMadelineRichard(Jr.,OF)pacedtheteamgoing10-for-22withfiveruns,onedouble,sixstolenbasesand11totalbaseswhilehelping the team to a 3-4 overall start. UCR has accounted for 47 hits with eightdoubles,onetripleandthreehomerunsin181at-bats.Aftertossingthreecompletegamesandappearing inall fivematchups, sophomoreTaylerMisfeldt(2-3)hasateam-best5.27ERAwith29strikeoutsin27.1inningspitchedwhileallowing28hitsincludingsixdoubles,onetripleandone home run.

The Highlanders are led by LindaGarza who entered her fourth-yearat thehelmof theUCRiversidesoftballprogram.Asamemberof theeight-teamBigWestConference,UCRwaspredictedtofinishfifthintheregularseasonwith32totalpointsandnofirst-placevotes.

HOME GAME PROMOTIONSOpeningdaywillbestarredas“FlashbackFriday,”showinganybasketballticket get fans in free at Margie Wright Diamond. Day one will also feature freeadmissionforkidswearingajerseyinhonorof“YouthJerseyFriday.”

The action continues on day two of the Fresno State Classic as all active militaryandveteransgetinfreeofchargefor“SalutetoSaturday’s.”Besuretostickaroundasthefreshmanclasswillbesigningautographcardsduringthefirstpostgamesessionoftheyear.

Don’tmissouton“SelfieSunday,”RedWavememberswithaBulldoginspiredselfieget in toseeFresnoState takeonUCRiverside (11:30a.m.)andSacramentoState(2:00p.m.)forfree.

NOTE WORTHYThe last time Fresno State was off to a 5-0 start was in 2011 and this is the 14th 5-0 start in program history. The Bulldogs have won 40 or moregamesinnineoftheirfirst13seasonsinprogramhistorywhentheystarted theseasonwithfiveconsecutivewins.The ‘Dogsarecurrentlyone of nine undefeated programs that are ranked in the top 25.

The Bulldogs are also one of nine teams that opened the 2016 season unranked but defeated a ranked opponent, and the onlyMountainWest program to do so.Since theNational FastpitchCoachesAssociation(NFCA)begankeepingatop25nationalpollin1995,FresnoStatehasappearedintherankingsnow18timesinthe22seasonsthepollhasbeenrunning.

FRESNO STATE • UNIVERSITY INFORMATION ___Location ........................................................... Fresno, Calif.Founded / Enrollment .......................................1911/ 23,060Nickname / Colors ..........................Bulldogs / Red and BlueConference ....................................Mountain West (4th Year)Facility ...............................Margie Wright Diamond (3,288)Press Row...................................................... (559) 347-3699President ................................................. Dr. Joseph I. CastroDirector of Athletics ............................................ Jim BartkoSWA ..................................................................... Carrie CollFaculty Athletics Rep. ..................................Dr. Dawn Lewis ............................................................. Juan Carlos GonzalezBULLDOG COACHING STAFF ___________________Head Coach ..............................Trisha Ford (St. Mary’s, ‘99)School Record (Years) ........................................ 101-61 (3) MW Record (Years) ............................................... 46-20 (3)Office Phone / FAX ...................... (559) 278-4453 / F -6583Assistant Coach Sara Pickering (4th Year, Washington, ‘98)Assistant Coach ...Carly Wynn (4th Year, Florida State, ‘10)Volunteer Assistant .............................. Jeff Harger (1st Year)Director of Operations ..................... Taylor Green (1st Year)Student Manager ..............................Andrew Rich (1st Year)SOFTBALL TEAM INFORMATION _______________2015 Overall Record (MW) / Postseason 40-16 (20-4) / 0-22015 Home / Away / Neutral ........................20-6 / 11-2 / 9-82015 Team Batting Average / ERA ...................... .325 / 2.50Letterwinners Returning / Lost .................................... 11 / 5Position Starters Returning / Lost .................................. 7 / 2Players Returning / Lost / New ................................16 / 5 / 7Infielders Returning / Lost / New .............................. 7 / 2 / 3 Outfielders Returning / Lost / New ........................... 5 / 2 / 2Pitchers Returning / Lost / New ................................ 3 / 1 / 2Seniors / Juniors / Sophomores / Freshmen ......... 8 / 4 / 6 / 5Bat (Left-6, Right-16, Switch-1) . Throw (Left-1, Right-22) BULLDOG SOFTBALL HISTORY ________________All-Time Record (Years) ..............................1663-631-1 (38)All-Time NCAA D1 Record (Years) ............1579-574-1 (34)All-Time Home Record (Years) .....................858-220-1 (38)All-Time Conference Record (Years) ...............662-172 (38)All-Time MW Record (Years) ................................46-20 (3)Conference Titles (1978, 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 96, 98, 99, 2000, 01, 02, 04, 05, 06, 09, 15) ............... 22AIAW Tournament Appearances .......... 4 (1978, 79, 80, 81) NCAA Tournament Appearances ... 31 (30 straight 1982-12)NCAA Titles............................................................. 1 (1998)NCAA Runner-up Finishes ................................................. 4 WCWS Appearances ..........................................................12All-Americans ....................................................................55Academic All-Americans ...................................................18All-Region Selections ...................................................... 112All-Conference Selections ...............................................185Olympians ..............................................12 players / 1 coachNational Pro Fastpitch Draft Picks ....................................24

SOCIAL MEDIA _________________________________Twitter ........................................................ @FresnoStateSBFacebook .............................................. Fresno State SoftballInstagram ...............................................@fresnostatesoftballYouTube .................................................. fresnostateathleticsSnapchat ......................................................... FresnoStateSBOnline ..........................................................GoBulldogs.comCOMMUNICATION CONTACT __________________Sports Information Director .........................Kimberly FisherEmail .............................................kimfisher@csufresno.eduOffice ..................................... 559-278-4881 (NG room 104)Cell .................................................................. 559-575-1398

2016 Fresno State Softball

Fresno State Numerical Roster# Player Position Height Year Bat/Throw Hometown (High School/Last School)00 Christina Rodriguez OF 5-8 Jr. L/R Livingston, Calif. (Livingston)1 Wendy Cardinali IF 5-3 So. R/R Santa Clarita, Calif. (Valencia)3 Kaitlyn Jennings OF 5-3 Fr. L/R Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. (Los Osos)4 Dominique Jackson IF 5-9 Fr. R/R Chico, Calif. (Pleasant Valley)5 Lindsey Willmon UT 5-8 Jr. R/R Elk Grove, Calif. (Hawai’i)6 Chase LeeHong IF 5-9 So. R/R Monterey, Calif. (Santa Catalina)7 Taylor Langdon RHP 5-6 Sr. R/R Glendora, Calif. (Glendora)8 Jill Compton RHP 5-8 Sr. R/R Oceano, Calif. (Arroyo Grande)9 Bria Kennedy OF 5-1 Sr. L/R Hanford, Calif. (Hanford West)10 Vanessa Hernandez OF 5-6 RS Fr. R/R Hesperia, Calif. (Hesperia)12 Whitney Smith IF 5-9 Sr. R/R Auburn, Calif. (Del Oro)13 Katie Castellon IF 5-6 So. R/R Stockton, Calif. (St. Mary’s)14 Kierra Willis OF 5-6 Jr. R/R Pleasant Hill, Calif. (Clayton Valley Charter)15 Hannah Harris RHP 5-7 Sr. L/R Santa Barbara, Calif. (Dos Pueblos)16 Brooke Coates OF 5-6 So. L/R Farmersville, Calif. (Exeter)17 Claire Stucker IF 5-11 So. R/L Fresno, Calif. (Mississippi State)18 Victoria Trevino IF 5-5 Sr. R/R Lemoore, Calif. (Lemoore)19 Morgan Howe OF 5-7 Fr. L/R Poway, Calif. (Westview)20 Malia Rivers IF 5-6 Jr. S/R Brentwood, Calif. (Georgia)22 Alyssa Villalpando IF 5-8 Sr. R/R El Monte, Calif. (Hawai’i)27 Kamalani Dung P/UT 5-8 Fr. R/R Waianae, Hawai’i (Kamehameha-Kapalama)33 Kira McKechnie RHP 6-1 Fr. R/R Sacramento, Calif. (Christian Brothers)35 Paige Gumz C 5-8 Sr. R/R Chino Hills, Calif. (Chino Hills)

Head Coach: Trisha Ford (4th Year) Assistant Coach: Sara Pickering (4th Year) Assistant Coach: Carly Wynn (4th Year) Volunteer Assistant Coach: Jeff Harger (1st Year) Student Manager: Andrew Rich (1st Year) Director of Operations: Taylor Green (1st Year) Athletic Trainer: Tessa Dahl (1st Year)

Player Pronunciation GuidePaige Gumz (GUMZ), Kierra Willis (KEY-erra), Alyssa Villalpando (VILLA-pon-dough),

Wendy Cardinali (CARD-in-olly), Katie Castellon (CAST-el-on), Kamalani Dung (COMMA-lani), Kira McKechnie (Kee-RAW Muh-KEH-knee),Victoria Trevino (TRA-vino)

Pitchers (5)*Jill Compton, Sr.Hannah Harris, Sr.

Taylor Langdon, Sr.Kamalani Dung, Fr.Kira McKechnie, Fr

Catchers (1)*Paige Gumz, Sr.

Infield (10)*Alyssa Villalpando, Sr.

*Whitney Smith, Sr.Victoria Trevino, Sr.

*Malia River, Jr. Wendy Cardinali, So.Chase LeeHong, So.Katie Castellon, So.Claire Stucker, So.Dom Jackson, Fr.

Outfield (6)Bria Kennedy, Sr.

Christina Rodriguez, Jr.*Kierra Willis, Jr.

Brooke Coates, So.V. Hernandez, So.

Kaitlyn Jennings, Fr.Morgan Howe, Fr.

UtilityLindsey Willmon, Jr.

* Returning Starter

Seniors (8)Compton, Gumz, Harris, Kennedy, Langdon, Smith,

Trevino,Villalpando

Juniors (4)Rodriguez, Willis, Rivers, Willmon

Sophomores (5)Cardinali, LeeHong, Castellon, Coates,

Stucker

Freshmen (6)Howe, McKechnie,

Dung, Jennings, Hernandez, Jackson

BattingLeft (6)

Right (16)Switch Hitter (1)

ThrowingLeft (22)Right (1)

StateCalifornia (22)

Hawai’i (1)

Similar to Fresno State, Washington and Kentucky were the only two additional Division I programs with multiple victories over ranked opponents during opening weekend -- the Huskies defeated then-ranked No. 14Minnesota(7-2)andNo.9Oklahoma(10-3),whileKentuckytoppedNo.6Oregon(8-6),No.22ArizonaState(5-3),No.24NotreDame(10-7)andNo.23Utah(1-0).

This is thefirst time the`DogshavebeenrankedduringFord’s four-yearBulldog tenureafter receivingvotestobeplacedinthetop25onsixoccasionsduringlastyear’s40-winseason.Ofthe15totalpollsin2014,FresnoStatehadthehighesttotalofvotes(15)duringthe11thweekandasecond-bestsevenonlythree weeks in.

WHO TO WATCH FOR IN 2016TheBulldog’sdynamicbatteryofMWPitcheroftheYear,JillComptonandMWDefensivePlayeroftheYear,PaigeGumzrevisit thediamondalongwith fellowseniorstandoutsAlyssaVillalpando(All-WestRegionsecond-team),WhitneySmith(All-MWsecond-team)andHannahHarris(All-MWsecond-team,2x).

Fivegameintothe2016slate,juniortransferLindseyWillmonhasateam-leading.467battingaverage(7-for-15)withtwodoubles,twohomerunsandfiveRBIduringherBulldogdebut.JoiningGumzasthe‘DogsprimarypowersourcearejuniorsMaliaRivers(.412)andKierraWillis(.333)whologgedfiveormorehits,multiplerunswithsevenRBIsapieceoverathree-dayspan.Atthe2015year’send,RiversearnedherfirstAll-MWsecond-teamaccolademeanwhileWillisbecamearepeatedsecond-teamAll-Conferencepick.

AstackedBulldog lineup isalsohighlightedby freshmencontributorsDominiqueJackson,witha teamsecond-bestbattingaverage(.429)onsixhitsin14at-batsasthedesignatedplayer,andMorganHowewhoearnedherfirstcollegiatestartagainstNo.23Utahafterthreepinch-hittingappearancesearlierinthetournament.

Oflastseason’sfour-personpitchingstaff,FresnoStatereturnsthreememberstothe2016lineupincludingCompton,athree-timeAll-ConferencechoicewhowasnamedtotheNFCAPacificAll-Regionfirst-teamafterguiding the teamto28of their40wins in2015.Comptondebutedherpotential torepeatahighlydecorated season lastweek as she led the teamwith a 0.33ERA, 3-0 record and 17 strikeouts over21 innings pitched. She earned the start in the circle during three contests with four appearances, two complete games, one save and one shutout.

TopReturners2015(GP-GS,Avg.,H,R,HR,RBI)MaliaRivers(Jr.,INF)56-56,.371,72,40,0,30KierraWillis(Jr.,OF)55-55,.364,59,43,8,55WhitneySmith(Sr.,INF)56-56,.266,34,17,1,21AlyssaVillalpando(Sr.,INF)53-53,.361,57,24,6,33BriaKennedy(Sr.,OF)48-47,.286,34,25,2,23PaigeGumz(Sr.,C)56-56,.275,46,22,3,33

TopPitchers2015(GP-GS,W-L,IP,ERA,K,BB)JillCompton(Sr.,RHP)47-43,28-11,242.1,2.25,242,76HannahHarris,(Sr.,RHP)26-12,9-3,89.2,2.26,40,10

2016 Fresno State Softball

FACING THE NATION’S ELITEThis season, the Bulldogs will face 10 individual student-athletes who were placedonthe2016USASoftballCollegiatePlayeroftheYearTop50“WatchList”–AliAguilar (Washington, infield),AnnieAldrete (California, catcher),Shelby Friudenberg (Baylor, infield), Rainey Gaffin (Tennessee, utility),CheridanHawkins(Oregon,pitcher),JazmynJackson(California,outfield),JennaLilley(Oregon,infield),ErinMiller(Oklahoma,outfield),PaigeParker(Oklahoma,pitcher)andMissyTaukeiaho(CalStateFullerton,infield).

Accordingtothefinal2015NCAAWomen’sSoftballRPI(June10),FresnoState(No.44)wasjoinedbySanDiegoState(No.38)asthelonepairofMWprograms in the top 50. This week, Fresno State will face two programs that placedamongtheelite100RPIinthenationlastyear–Kansas(No.24),UCRiverside(No.70)–whileSacramentoStatecheckedinatNo.147.

TheNCAAstatisticswillbeupdatedapproximately twoweeks intoseason(Monday,Feb.22)andthefirstRPIrankingwillbeannouncedonMonday,March 21.

CONFERENCE FAVORITEEight-of-nineMountainWestsoftballheadcoachestabbedFresnoStatetorepeatas leaguechampions in the2016preseasonpoll.LedbyFord, thereigning MW Coach of the Year, the Bulldogs received a league-leading 64 totalpoints,markingthesecondconsecutiveseasonthe`Dogshavebeenpicked to win the MW regular season title. Fresno State was picked second placein2014andthirdin2013,asanewleaguemember.

ROSTER RUNDOWNBearingthelossoffiveseniors,Fordaddedfivefreshmenandtwotransfersto contribute to thewinning traditionset forthby the16culturedveteransfocused on carrying momentum into the 2016 season. The 23-person roster containing 22 Californians and one Hawai’i native is comprised of fivepitchers,onecatcher,10infielders,sixoutfieldersandoneutilityplayer.

WearingaBulldogjerseyforthefirsttimethisseasonispitchersKamalaniDungandKiraMcKechnie,outfieldersKaitlynJenningsandHowe,redshirtfreshmanVanessaHernandezandJacksonasan infielder.TheteamalsowelcomedsophomoretransferClaireStucker(MississippiState)alongwithWillmonasajuniorfromHawai’i.

ForwhatisthelargestseniorclassduringFord’stenure,FresnoStateboastseightBulldogsrevisitingtherostertocompeteintheirfinalcollegiateseason-Compton,Gumz,Harris,TaylorLangdon,Smith,Villalpando,BriaKennedyand Victoria Trevino. Fresno State lacks no experience as Willis, Rivers, WillmonandChristinaRodriguezroundouttheBulldogupperclassmen,all12 of which reap postseason familiarity.

COVERAGEFresno State Athletics continues striving to meet the needs of Bulldogfans around the county, therefore providing several outlets to follow the Dogs’ journey in 2016. Stay up-to-date with the latest news via Twitter(@FresnoStateSB), Facebook (Fresno State Softball), Instagram (@fresnostatesoftball) and Snapchat (FresnoStateSB).A full recap and finalresultscanbefoundatGoBulldogs.comfollowingeachcompetition.

Come game day, a live stat feed of all home games can be found onStatBroadcast and GameTracker. The Red Wave can watch live on the MountainWestNetworkorlistenonESPN790AM“TheDeuce”duringselectgames.Please note, all broadcast schedules are tentative and subject tochange.

BUILDING OFF SUCCESSThe Bulldogs return a deep lineup that includes seven players who received postseasonaccoladeslastyear.AfterearningtheirfirstMountainWesttitleandautomaticbidtotheNCAATournamentin2015,FresnoStatebidfarewellto the 2015 Bulldog of the Year and National Professional Fastpitch draftee, Brenna Moss, and additionally graduated fellow outfield starter MichelleSolomon.

Ford was named the league’s Coach of the Year at the season’s end while the squad garnished offensive and defensive player of the year laurels, along withapairoffirst-teamAll-MWhonorees,fivesecond-teamselectionsandthreereceivingNFCAAll-Regionhonors.

Coming off the most successful stretch under Ford’s direction, the Fresno State softball teamenters the2016 seasonwith depth, experienceandaveteranbatterylookingtomakeanotherrunata40-winseason,defenditsconferencechampionshipandreturntopostseasonplaybybuildingonlastseason’s accomplishments.

HISTORY IN THE MAKINGThe2015Bulldogsoftballseasonfeaturedplentyofoffensivefireworksasthesquadfinishednearthetopofnumerousindividualandteamcategoriesintheprogramrecordbook.Lastseason,fiveBulldogscheckedintotheall-timeprogramrecordbookasatop10careerleader,includingRivers(T7th-15hitstreak),Willis(5th-.536sluggingpercentage),Compton(7th-123appearances, 9th - 546 strikeouts, 10th - 104 games starts, T9th - three saves,10th-threeno-hitters),Harris(T9th-threesaves)andLangdon(T4th-fivesaves).

MW PLAYER OF THE WEEKLINDSEY WILLMON, FRESNO STATEJunior, First Baseman, Elk Grove, California / Hawai‘i

• Finished the week batting .467 (7-for-15) with five RBIs, five runs scored, two doubles and two home runsin Fresno State’s 5-0 weekend at the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Arizona.• Recorded a home run and two RBIs in Fresno State’s season-opening 7-0 shutout versus Indiana on Friday,February 12.• Registered a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate with three RBIs, two runs scored, two doubles and one homerun in the Bulldogs’ 7-3 win over then-No. 8 Tennessee on Friday, February 12.• Added a hit and a run scored in Fresno State’s 2-0 blanking of No. 23 Utah on Sunday, February 14.

MW PITCHER OF THE WEEKJILL COMPTON, FRESNO STATE

Senior, RHP, Oceano, California / Arroyo Grande HS

• Pitched in four games last weekend including three starts, helping Fresno State open the season 5-0.• Posted a 3-0 record and a 0.33 ERA.• Fanned 17 batters, while allowing just one earned run in 21.0 innings pitched.• Started and went six innings, while striking out seven in the Bulldogs’ season-opening win against Indiana(7-0) on Friday, February 12.• Went the distance in a victory over Boston College on Saturday, February 13. Allowed just three hits, onerun, while fanning six.• Tossed a complete-game shutout to help Fresno State defeat No. 23 Utah, 2-0, on Sunday, February 14

Team (NFCA/USA) W L Pct.Fresno State (24/22) 5 0 1.000UNLV 4 2 .667Nevada 3 2 .600San Diego State 3 2 .600New Mexico 2 3 .400Utah State 2 4 .333San Jose State 1 5 .167Boise State 0 5 .000Colorado State 0 5 .000

Current Mountain West standings

2016 Fresno State Softball

1. Fresno State (40-14, 20-4) 2.SanDiegoState(36-18,18-6)3.SanJoseState(37-19,17-7)4.NewMexico(29-25,13-11)5.UNLV(25-30,11-13)6.UtahState(19-36,11-13)7.ColoradoState(27-29,8-16)8.Nevada(16-37,6-18)9.BoiseState(12-42,4-20)

2015 MW STANDINGS

Pitcher of the Year: Jill Compton

Player of the Year: PaigeGumz

Coach of the Year: Trisha Ford

First-Team All-MWJill Compton, RHPBrenna Moss, OF

Second-Team All-MWHannah Harris, RHP

Malia Rivers, INF Whitney Smith, INF

Michelle Solomon, OF Kierra Willis, OF

2015 POSTSEASON

2016 PRESEASON POLL1. Fresno State (8) - 642.SanDiegoState(1)-573. San Jose State - 494. New Mexico - 345. UNLV - 31 6. Utah State - 28 7. Colorado State - 27 8. Nevada - 269. Boise State - 8

2016 MW PRESEASONPitcher of the Year:

Jill Compton First-Team All-MWJill Compton, RHP

Hannah Harris, RHPMalia Rivers, INFKierra Willis, OF

Second-Team All-MWWhitney Smith, INF

•2015NCAAWorldSeriesQualifers(8teams)- Oregon, Tennessee •2015NCAASuperRegionalQualifiers(16teams)-Oklahoma•2015NCAARegionalTournamentQualifiers(64teams)-Baylor,Utah,Kansas,Northwestern,CalStateNorthridge,Cal,WeberState,Washington,BYU,SanDiegoState•2015Non-TournamentQualifiers - Indiana, Seattle, Boston College, Sacramento State, UC Riverside, Loyola Marymount,Baylor,Wisconsin,OregonState,CSUBakersfield,LongBeachState,OhioState,Princeton,SanDiego,CalStateFullerton,BoiseState,NewMexico,UtahState,ColoradoState,SanJoseState,Nevada,UNLV,Pacific

2016 SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN

Season-wise,FresnoStateindividuallymadeitswayintothetop10lastyearinsevenseparatecategories,representedbyWillis(T2nd-ninetriples,10th-.667sluggingpercentage,10th-55RBI),Kennedy(T8th-30walks),Compton(T6th-47appearances,6th-43gamestarts,T10th-twosaves),Langdon(T1st-foursaves),andHarris(T10th-twosaves).

Asateam,the2015squadexceededthe1999recordof191walkswith201comingduringthe2015campaign,tiedwiththemostrunsscoredbybothteamsduringasingle-game(28),hadasingle-gameleadingfourtriplesvs.Rutgers(Feb.27)andcombinedforahighof55totalbaseswithCal(Feb.15).

Then-senior,Moss,becamethecareerstolenbaserecordholder(104)onFeb.22withher87thstolenbasecomingagainstStanford,following an all-time season high 34 in 2014.

ACADEMIC IMPORTANCETheFresnoStatesoftball team takespride in thehardworkdedicatedon thefieldaswellas in theclassroomand reaffirmed itscommitment to academic successwith 20NFCAScholar-Athlete awards, 14MountainWest Scholar-Athlete laurels, 23MWAll-AcademichonorsandtwoCoSIDAAcademicAll-Districtaccolades.

2015NFCAScholar-Athletes:WendyCardinali,HannahHarris,VanessaHernandez,TaylorLangdon,ChaseLeeHongandVictoriaTrevino

2015MWScholar-Athlete(3.5):Wendy Cardinali, Hannah Harris, Chase Leehong and Victoria Trevino

2015 MWAll-Academic (3.0): Kelly Megee, Brenna Moss, Jill Compton, Paige Gumz, Chase LeeHong, Malia Rivers, ChristinaRodriguezandVictoriaTrevino

SEASON TICKETSAt theconclusionof23gamesplayedatMargieWrightDiamond lastseason,FresnoStateclaimedthehighestattendancefigure(24,538)since2008,averaging1,067fanspergame.Fordhasattractedaconsistentcrowdof20,000ormorefansperyearduringeachofherthreeseasons,butencouragesmembersoftheRedWavetomake2016thebestyet.

Fanscanpurchaseseasonticketsstartingat$65forgeneraladmission($39foryouth/seniors)withtheoptiontoreserveeitherupper($78)orlower($130)deckseatingtocheerontheBulldogsthisyear.TicketscanbepurchasedinpersonattheBulldogTicketOfficeor over the phone at 559-278-3647.

2016 Fresno State Softball

On June 18, 2012, the Bulldog softball program wisely tapped Trisha Ford to become the fourth head coach in its rich and illustrious history.

Taking over one of the nation’s winningest programs is no easy task, but the charismatic, hard-working mentor has quickly won over the Bulldog faithful after three successful seasons at the helm of the Fresno State softball program.

She arrived at Fresno State after serving the previous nine years (2004-12) at former World Series advancer and Pac-12 champion Stanford, including four seasons as the associate head coach and personal mentor to several of its greatest pitchers.

Most recently, Ford was tabbed the Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the 2015 squad to its first title since joining the league in 2013, and reached the programs highest win total in five years after being named the preseason conference favorite. For the first time since 2010 the Bulldogs claimed a 40-win season, the 24th in program history, while collecting notable wins over NCAA Tournament competitors No. 29 Texas, Cal State Northridge and took 2-of-3 from San Diego State.

The 21 California natives competed in the toughest schedule under Ford’s reign, taking on nine postseason programs including the top two teams in the nation on the same day, defending national champion Florida and two-seeded Oregon. The `Dogs posted a 19-10 record during the non-conference stretch, and secured the 2015 MW title and automatic NCAA bid to postseason after clinching the regular season series against UNLV on May 8.

Ford guided the `Dogs to the 2015 NCAA Eugene Regional, entering the Division I Softball Championship riding an 11-game winning streak, adding to the complied 30 postseason appearances coming consecutively between the years of 1982 and 2011.

Making a lasting impression on Fresno State softball history, Ford’s charge set a new record of back-to-back-to-back home runs hit against Stanford while senior Brenna Moss broke the Bulldog record for the most career stolen bases on the same night, ending her collegiate career with a new high of 104.

With an emphasis on pitching, speed and defense, the ‘Dogs ran wild on the NCAA charts in batting average (27th, .325), ERA (28th, 2.50), on-base percentage (27th, .414), scoring (48th, 5.79), winning percentage (30th, .714) and triples per game (6th, .34). Similarly, Fresno State led MW teams in ERA, opposing batting average, strikeouts and wins while finishing top three in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, runs batted in, triples, plate appearances, walks and stolen bases.

At the conclusion of the 2015 season, the `Dogs pitcher-catcher duo of Jill Compton and Paige Gumz were tabbed the Pitcher and Defensive Player of the Year while Compton was joined by Moss on the All-MW first-team for the third consecutive year. Five Bulldogs were named to the second-team including Hannah Harris, Kierra Willis, Whitney Smith, Malia Rivers and Michelle Solomon.

The Fresno State Athletic department additionally tabbed Moss as the Bulldog of the Year for her significant impact on the softball program during her four-year collegiate career. Moss was selected as the 13th pick in the third round to the Chicago Bandits during the 2015 National Fast Pitch College Draft, being the first Bulldog to be drafted by the NPF since 2005.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association named Compton to the Pacific All-Region first-team while Moss and Alyssa Villalpando received second-team accolades. Likewise in ‘14, Moss and Compton were All-Region second-team honorees - the first Bulldog pair since 2008.

Individually, Moss was one of the national leaders at the plate earning a 34th place ranking for a season batting average of .439 and tied 36th in runs per game while Compton tied for 21st after tossing eight shutouts, 13th for claiming 28 victories and 24th with a total of 242 strikeouts. As the team’s cleanup batter, Willis stood third in the nation for recording nine triples on the year while Harris was fifth for the fewest walks per seven innings (.78).

In the past three years, all four of the Bulldogs’ pitchers have scored MW Pitcher of the Week accolades (Compton - nine times), Harris, Kiley Shae Aldridge and Taylor Langdon) while Compton set a new league record after earning four consecutive weekly honors during the 2015 season. Three Bulldogs earned MW Player of the Week accolades issued during the 2015 season including Moss, Willis and Smith.

Jeff HargerVolunteer Assistant

1st Year

Andrew RichStudent Manager

1st Year

Taylor GreenDirector of Operations

1st Year

FORD’S FRESNO STATE COACHING RECORDYears School Overall Conference2013 .......... Fresno State .............30-24 .......... 11-7 MW (2nd)2014 .......... Fresno State .............31-21 .......... 15-9 MW (2nd)2015 .......... Fresno State .............40-16 ............ 20-4 MW (1st) TOTAL CAREER 101-61 46-20 MW

SARA PICKERINGAssistant Coach • 4th Year

• Graduated from Washington (1997)• Stanford (1998-2003) Assistant Coach• UNLV (2003-08) Assistant Coach• Florida State (2008-10) Assistant Coach• CSU Fullerton (2010-12) Assistant Coach• NCAA leader for career doubles• Two-time All-America• All-WCWS • All-Region second baseman• Professional player - Virginia / Arizona• From Corona, Calif.

CARLY WYNNAssistant Coach • 4th Year

• Graduated frrom Florida State (2010)• Florida State Volunteer Coach (2010-12)• Three-time All-ACC outfielder• Two-time Academic All-American• Former professional player • Tennessee Diamonds• From Sharpsburg, Ga.

TRISHA FORDHead Coach • 4th Year

• Graduated from Saint Mary’s (1999)• 2015 MW Coach of the Year • MW Championship (2015) • 16 All-MW Honorees, 8 first-team• Five All-Region Selections • Two MW Player of the Year (‘14, ‘15)• 2015 MW Pitcher of the Year • 19 MW Player/Pitcher of the Week• Two Academic All-District Selections• 23 MW All-Academic Honorees• 20 NFCA Scholar Athletes• 14 MW Scholar Athletes• Two MW Runners-up Finishes• From Fremont, Calif.

2016 Fresno State Softball

2016 FRESNO STATE ROSTER

#00 Jr. OFChristina Rodriguez

#8 Sr. RHPJill Compton

#14 Jr. OF Kierra Willis

#18 Sr. IFVictoria Trevino

#22 Sr. IFAlyssa Villalpando

#1 So. IFWendy Cardinali

#6 So. IFChase LeeHong

#9 Sr. OFBria Kennedy

#12 Sr. IFWhitney Smith

#15 Sr. RHPHannah Harris

#20 Jr. IFMalia Rivers

#7 Sr. RHPTaylor Langdon

#10 RS Fr. OFVanessa Hernandez

#13 So. IFKatie Castellon

#16 So. OFBrooke Coates

#35 Sr. CPaige Gumz

#3 Fr. OFKaitlyn Jennings

#4 Fr. IFDominique Jackson

#5 Jr. UTLindsey Willmon

#17 So. IFClaire Stucker

#19 Fr. OFMorgan Howe

#27 Fr. RHP/UTKamalani Dung

#33 Fr. RHPKira McKechnie

2016 Fresno State Softball

2016 OVERALL STATISTICS

2015 OVERALL STATISTICS

2016 Fresno State SoftballOverall Statistics for Fresno State (as of Feb 14, 2016)

(All games Sorted by Batting avg)

Record: 5-0 Home: 0-0 Away: 0-0 Neutral: 5-0 MW: 0-0

Player avg gp-gs ab r h 2b 3b hr rbi tb slg% bb hp so gdp ob% sf sh sb-att po a e fld%

5 WILLMON, Lindsey . 4 6 7 5-5 15 5 7 2 0 2 5 15 1.000 2 0 1 0 . 5 2 9 0 0 0-0 38 1 1 . 9 7 5

4 JACKSON, Dominique . 4 2 9 5-5 14 2 6 1 0 1 4 10 . 7 1 4 2 0 1 0 . 5 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

20 RIVERS, Malia . 4 1 2 5-5 17 2 7 0 0 0 5 7 . 4 1 2 2 0 2 0 . 4 7 4 0 0 0-0 5 11 1 . 9 4 1

12 SMITH, Whitney . 3 6 4 5-5 11 2 4 0 0 0 1 4 . 3 6 4 1 1 2 0 . 4 6 2 0 1 0-0 4 6 2 . 8 3 3

35 GUMZ, Paige . 3 5 3 5-5 17 3 6 2 0 1 4 11 . 6 4 7 0 0 0 0 . 3 3 3 1 1 0-0 24 3 0 1.000

14 WILLIS, Kierra . 3 3 3 5-5 15 3 5 0 1 0 1 7 . 4 6 7 4 0 3 0 . 4 7 4 0 0 0-0 10 0 0 1.000

10 HERNANDEZ, Vanessa . 1 3 3 5-5 15 1 2 1 0 0 0 3 . 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 . 1 8 8 0 0 0-0 10 1 0 1.000

22 VILLALPANDO, Alyssa . 1 1 1 5-5 18 2 2 0 1 1 3 7 . 3 8 9 1 0 2 0 . 1 5 8 0 0 0-0 8 11 1 . 9 5 0

9 KENNEDY, Bria . 0 9 1 5-4 11 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 . 0 9 1 0 0 5 0 . 0 9 1 0 0 0-0 4 0 0 1.000

--------------------19 HOWE, Morgan . 5 0 0 5-1 6 0 3 0 0 0 3 3 . 5 0 0 1 0 2 0 . 5 7 1 0 0 0-0 2 0 0 1.000

18 TREVINO, Victoria . 0 0 0 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 1-1 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

3 JENNINGS, Kaitlyn . 0 0 0 2-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

6 LEEHONG, Chase . 0 0 0 1-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

16 COATES, Brooke . 0 0 0 5-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

0 RODRIGUEZ, Christina . 0 0 0 4-0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 . 0 0 0

Totals . 3 0 9 5 139 26 43 6 2 5 26 68 . 4 8 9 14 1 22 0 . 3 7 4 1 2 1-1 105 36 5 . 9 6 6

Opponents . 2 2 2 5 135 8 30 2 1 1 8 37 . 2 7 4 5 5 24 0 . 2 7 6 0 1 1-2 96 41 5 . 9 6 5

LOB - Team (35), Opp (33). DPs turned - Team (4).

(All games Sorted by Earned run avg)

Player era w-l app gs cg sho sv ip h r er bb so 2b 3b hr b/avg wp hp bk sfa sha

8 COMPTON, Jill 0 . 3 3 3-0 4 3 2 1/1 1 21.0 13 1 1 3 17 2 0 0 . 1 7 1 0 3 0 0 015 HARRIS, Hannah 1 . 7 5 0-0 3 1 0 0/1 1 8.0 10 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 . 2 9 4 0 2 0 0 027 DUNG, Kamalani 2 . 3 3 1-0 1 0 0 0/0 0 3.0 2 2 1 1 3 0 0 1 . 1 6 7 0 0 1 0 0 7 LANGDON, Taylor 7 . 0 0 1-0 1 1 0 0/0 0 3.0 5 3 3 1 2 0 1 0 . 3 8 5 1 0 0 0 1Totals 1 . 4 0 5-0 5 5 2 2/1 2 35.0 30 8 7 5 24 2 1 1 . 2 2 2 1 5 1 0 1

Opponents 4 . 8 1 0-5 5 5 1 0/0 0 32.0 43 26 22 14 22 6 2 5 . 3 0 9 0 1 0 1 2

PB - Team (1), GUMZ, P 1, Opp (3). SBA/ATT - GUMZ, P (1-2), COMPTON, J (1-1), LANGDON, T (0-1).