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Wildcats kick off 2010 season Friday at Mizuno Best of the West Invitational
Seniors Bec Johnson (L) and Charlotte Honciano lead the 2010 Chico State softball team in season-opening action Friday.
2/3/2010 12:29:11 PM
CHICO – The Angel Shamblin era of Chico State softball officially gets underway this Friday as the Wildcats travel to Turlock to open the 2010 season at the Mizuno Best of the West Invitational. The tournament, hosted by Cal State Stanislaus, will see the ’Cats participate in six games over the three-day event, and will serve as the team’s lone non-conference tune-up before California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play begins Feb. 12.
Shamblin, in her first season as Chico State head coach, leads a Wildcat squad that features 11 letterwinners, including seniors Rebecca Johnson, Christine Johnson and Charlotte Honciano. The 2010 edition of the ’Cats will look to improve on last season’s 19-36 record, and thanks to a productive fall season, the team is feeling optimistic about turning its’ fortunes around.
“The thing that we noticed most was that our girls were relaxed,” Shamblin said about the team’s fall preparations. “They were relaxed in their at-bats and playing defense, which definitely made a difference. Everybody’s been working hard. [The players] have verbally told us they want to be successful; they want to have a good experience with the program…so that tells us they’re pretty excited and positive about what we have going.”
First baseman Rachel Failla, the Wildcats’ home run leader in 2009, is back for her second season, as are fellow sophomores Jessie Minch (SS), Kelly Head (OF), Jenna Wermes (C/1B), Jessica McDermott (RHP), Reina Andreatta (C) and Sam Quadt (OF). Junior utility player Christina Wieck rounds out the returners.
Among the newcomers to the Chico State roster are junior transfers Courtney Brock (SS/C) and Sarah Marcia (right-handed pitcher), and freshmen Kacie McCarthy (RHP), Caitlin Byrne (LHP/OF) and Maddi Hillier (1B/OF).
The Mizuno Best of the West Invitational will take place at Turlock’s Pedretti Park. The 12-team field includes nine CCAA schools.
Chico State opens up the season Friday at 1:15 p.m. against UC San Diego, followed by a 3:30 p.m. tilt with San Francisco State. Saturday, the Wildcats take on host Cal State Stanislaus at 1:00 p.m., then at 3:30 p.m. square off against West Virginia’s Davis and Elkins College. The ’Cats wrap up the Best of the West Invitational Sunday with games at 9:30 a.m. against Grand Canyon University and Cal State Monterey Bay at 2:00 p.m.
Tournament scores, results and updates will be available online throughout the weekend at www.warriorathletics.com/bwi.
Softball vs Chaminade
3.26.10 | 9:00 a.m.
Softball vs Dixie State
3.26.10 | 11:15 a.m.
Softball vs Grand Canyon
3.27.10 | 9:00 a.m.
Softball vs Western Washington
3.27.10 | 11:15 a.m.
Softball vs Hawaii Hilo
3.27.10 | 4:15 p.m.
Softball vs Bracket play - TBD
3.28.10 | TBD
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Wildcats of the Week
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Women's Basketball
Before the 2009-10 even got underway, Chico State women’s basketball Head Coach Brian Fogel described junior guard Natasha Smith as “the key to our success.” Truer words have never spoken, as Smith has turned her already impressive game up a notch to lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Championship Tournament West Regional title game. Her efforts have netted the Sacramento native her third Wildcat of the Week honor this season.
Smith earned All-NCAA Championship Tournament West Region Team honors by averaging 14 points, 7.7 assists, five rebounds, and three steals per game during the Wildcats’ run to the Sweet 16 and West Region title game.
Friday against third seeded Western Washington, Smith scored 15 points, snared four rebounds, dished out five assists and made three steals as the Wildcats downed the Vikings 79-68. Saturday versus Humboldt State, the All-CCAA first team selection was even better, posting her second career double-double with 15 points and 10 assists, while hauling in a team-high eight rebounds and five steals in Chico State’s come-from-behind 86-76 victory over the Lumberjacks. Monday, in the regional title game against Seattle Pacific, Smith finished with 12 points, eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal while drawing the defensive assignment against Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Daesha Henderson and limiting her to just five points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Smith, who led the CCAA in free throw percentage (.824) and assists (134), also led the ’Cats in scoring (11.5 points per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.44). She continues to move up the Chico State career records ladder with each contest. With one year of eligibility still remaining, Smith ranks ninth all-time in scoring, sixth in assists, seventh in free throws and 10th in career steals and 3-pointers.
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Baseball
Chico State right fielder Adam Arakawa continued his torrid start to 2010 with four more multi-hit games, finishing 9-for-15, to lead the Wildcats to a series split a four-game series at Cal State San Bernardino over the weekend. The CCAA Player of the Week one week ago, he's been dubbed the Wildcat of the Week this week.
Arakawa doubled twice, scored six times, drove in three runs, and walked three times against San Bernardino. He also recorded the 100th hit of his career and has now registered two or more hits in eight straight games and 12 of the last 13 to raise his average to .493. He is hitting .633 over his past eight games and .571 over his last 13.
In Friday’s 8-5 victory, Arakawa went 2-for-5 and scored a run. He also singled in the 10th as the Wildcats scored three runs to win. He went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored as the Wildcats dropped first game of a doubleheader Saturday. In the second game, Arakawa went 3-for-3 with a walk, double, run and two RBI. His third hit of that game was the 100th of his Chico State career. Arakawa finished the weekend by going 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI in Chico State’s 20-5 win.
Arakawa leads the Wildcats in batting average (.493) hits (37), runs (33) walks (17) total bases (59), slugging percentage (.787) and on-base percentage (.581). His batting average and slugging percentage are both tops in the CCAA.
Arakawa was the West Region Gold Glove recipient last season and an Honorable Mention All-American, and has not committed an error in 44 chances this season.
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3.20.10 | Softball
CHICO – It’s been rare this season that Chico State softball pitchers Jessica McDermott and Kacie McCarthy have been effective on the same day. But Saturday, the two righthanders turned in gutsy, back-to-back complete game performances, and the Wildcats provided enough offensive firepower to best visiting Sonoma State in both ends of their doubleheader at University Softball Field, winning the opener 5-3 and beating the Seawolves 3-1 in the nightcap. The sweep of the twinbill gave the ’Cats a split of the four game weekend series.
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3.19.10 | Softball
CHICO – The Chico State softball team stumbled Friday in the doubleheader opener of its four game series with California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) leader Sonoma State, letting a four-run lead slip away in the first game to fall 7-5, then managing just three hits in the nightcap as the visiting Seawolves posted a 4-0 victory in afternoon action at University Softball Field.
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3.18.10 | Softball
CHICO – The Chico State softball team has made great strides this season in revitalizing a program that has struggled the past few years – nearly halfway into the 2010 campaign, the Wildcats are two games above .500 overall and more than holding their own against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) opponents. This weekend should serve as a true test of exactly how far the ’Cats have progressed, as Chico State hosts conference leader Sonoma State in doubleheader action Friday and Saturday at University Softball Field.
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3.15.10 | Softball
ARCATA – Three scoops of ice cream, fresh ripe bananas, chocolate syrup, chopped nuts, caramel, fudge, and strawberry toppings and a cherry on top. Before Monday, no split sounded better to the Chico State softball team than the banana variety. Then the Wildcats won one of two at Humboldt State to take two of four in the series against the Lumberjacks, who have been the bullies of the West with 17 straight trips to the NCAA Championship Tournament. Now that was sweet.
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3.14.10 | Softball
ARCATA – Chico State true freshman pitcher Kacie McCarthy is soaking it all in during her first collegiate season. Point in fact – she watched Humboldt State starter Gracie Perez fire a no-hitter in the Lumberjacks’ 4-0 victory in Sunday’s first game and then went out and twirled a complete-game two-hitter as the Wildcats won the nightcap 1-0. McCarthy allowed only leadoff singles in the fourth and sixth, walked three, and struck out five while improving to 5-6 on the season.
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3.10.10 | Softball
CHICO – With just a pair of non-conference games over the past couple of weeks, the Chico State softball team is itching to get back between the chalk lines. The Wildcats will definitely get their wish and then some, playing a minimum of 13 games scheduled over the next 15 days, including a four-game series this Sunday and Monday in Arcata against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Humboldt State.
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3.5.10 | Softball
CHICO – Since joining the Chico State softball team a little over a year ago, Jessica McDermott has been the Wildcats’ original hard luck pitcher. In 2009, the sophomore from San Diego lost eight games in which she gave up just two runs or less…and this season she’s already experienced her share of ups and downs. But Friday at University Softball Field, McDermott was not to be denied, twirling a four-hit shutout and striking out a career-high 10 batters – including the final three to end the game – to give the Wildcats a 1-0 victory over Oregon Tech and salvaging a split of their doubleheader with the Hustlin’ Owls. Earlier in the day, Oregon Tech bested the ’Cats by a final of 7-2.
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