OSU Closes Non-Conference Slate at Matador Classic
March 10, 2016 | Softball
Matador Classic
Northridge, Calif.
*All times below listed in Pacific Time
Friday, March 11
Grand Canyon (16-7) | 10:50 a.m. PT
CSUN (11-9) | 3:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, March 12
Toledo (3-13) | 1:10 p.m. PT
CSUN (11-9) | 3:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 13
San Diego (8-12) | 10 a.m. PT
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The 24th-ranked Oregon State softball team is set to close out its non-conference schedule this weekend in Northridge, Calif., as the Beavers are set to play five games from March 11-13 at the Matador Classic, hosted by CSUN.
The Beavers (16-4-1) are set to open the weekend with a 10:50 a.m. PT game against Grand Canyon on Friday before facing host CSUN at 3:30 p.m. PT. OSU will face CSUN again on Saturday at the same time, following a 1:10 p.m. PT meeting with Toledo. The Beavers close out their weekend slate with a game against San Diego at 10 a.m. PT on Sunday.
Oregon State's opponents this weekend are a combined 38-41. Grand Canyon (16-7) has the top record of OSU's opponents this weekend, while host CSUN is 11-9. The Beavers and Matadors met earlier this season at the Kajikawa Classic, where OSU took a 6-2 win.
Oregon State is ranked in the national polls for the second consecutive weekend, earning a No. 24 ranking in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll.
Oregon State debuted in the polls last week tied at No. 22, marking the Beavers' first national ranking since April 2, 2013, when OSU was ranked No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. Prior to this season, Oregon State was last ranked by the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll on May 13, 2012, also at No. 24.
Last time out, Oregon State posted a 2-2-1 record at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. The Beavers defeated Wisconsin, 2-1, and North Carolina, 5-2, while falling to a pair of ranked foes, then-No. 3/2 Michigan, 9-3, and then-No. 24/22 Baylor, 3-0. Oregon State's final game of the weekend ended in a tie, as the Beavers' game against then-No. 22/21 Fresno State finished with the score at 2-2 via “drop dead” rule. The result marked the Beavers' first tie in just over 15 years.
That result also continued the trend of firsts in a long time for Oregon State, as the Beavers had recorded their best start through three weeks since the 2006 Women's College World Series team, matching the squad's 14-2 record.
Live stats will be made available throughout the tournament. Links for live stats will be posted as they are available, and can be accessed through the 2016 softball schedule page on OSUBeavers.com.
Leading Off
- In each of the past three seasons under head coach Laura Berg, Oregon State has set a new record for team batting average, matching the 2006 mark with a .280 team batting average in 2013 before breaking the record in consecutive seasons, hitting .287 as a team in 2014 and .298 in 2015. As a team this season, Oregon State has hit .359, the 15th-highest team batting average in the nation.
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson has opened her career at Oregon State with authority, as she has gone 10-2 with a pair of saves to open her collegiate career and currently has the nation's fifth-highest wins total. She ranks seventh nationally in strikeouts (102), and leads the Pac-12 in nearly every statistical category, including strikeouts, innings pitched (84.0), batting average against (.178), appearances (17), starts (12) and complete games (10).
- Redshirt junior Natalie Hampton has the nation's No. 5 and Pac-12's No. 2 RBI (32) total and is batting .373 with five home runs. Hampton hit .550 (11-for-20) with three home runs and 15 RBI at the DeMarini Desert Classic, and leads the team in home runs, RBI and total bases (44).
- Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola leads the team in batting average (.467), hits (35, leads Pac-12) and on-base percentage (.500) from the leadoff spot. Sophomore outfielder Lovie Lopez paces the club in doubles (8, leads Pac-12), while Lopez also leads the team in HBP (5) and runs scored (20). Freshman outfielder Jessica Garcia is tops on the squad in walks (10) with one of four team triples.
Student-Athlete Profile
No. 20 Shelby Weeks
Freshman Outfielder
Hometown: Tracy, Calif. (Merrill F. West HS)
- Majoring in human development & family sciences
- Daughter of Cheryl and Michael Weeks
- Has one brother, Michael Jr.
- Favorite sport to attend outside of softball is basketball, and enjoys attending OSU games because of the environment at Gill Coliseum
- Two factors influenced her number choice – her birthday (August 20) and that it's her mom's favorite number
- Began playing softball at age eight
- Says she knew she wanted to attend Oregon State in her sophomore year of high school
Beavers in the Polls
- Oregon State is ranked in the national polls for the second straight week, checking in this week at No. 24 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll.
- The Beavers entered the national rankings last week following its 14-2 start to the season, entering the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll tied at No. 22.
- When the Beavers entered the national polls last week, it marked the first time they were ranked since April 2, 2013, when they were ranked at No. 24 in the NFCA/USA Today poll. The Beavers are not currently ranked in that poll, but have the second-highest number of votes amongst teams receiving votes.
- With a pair of weeks in the national rankings this season, Oregon State is ranked in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll for the first time since May 13, 2012, where the Beavers were ranked at No. 24.
Caution: The Bats Are Hot
- According to the NCAA, Oregon State is one of the top offensive teams in the nation in terms of team statistical rankings through 21 games.
- As a team, Oregon State is ranked within the top-25 nationally in batting average (15th - .359), doubles per game (seventh – 2.00, 42 total), slugging percentage (20th - .539), on-base percentage (22nd - .429) and runs scored per game (24th - 6.67, 140). Notably, the Beavers are also ranked 47th in stolen bases per game (1.62, 34 total).
- Redshirt junior first baseman/designated player Natalie Hampton ranks fifth in the nation in RBI (32) and 11th in RBI per game (1.52).
Full Nelson
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson is off to a stellar start to her freshman career, currently sitting at 10-2 with a pair of saves, a 2.00 ERA and 102 strikeouts.
- Through 17 appearances and 12 starts this season, Nelson is ranked fifth in the nation in wins and ranks seventh in the country in strikeouts. The Simi Valley, Calif. native leads the Pac-12 in each of those categories, as well as in saves (2), batting average against (.178), innings pitched (84.0), complete games (10) and appearances.
- Following the hot start to her collegiate career, Nelson was named Pac-12 Softball Freshman of the Week on Wednesday, Feb. 17, and Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, March 1. Nelson is the only player in the Pac-12 thus far to receive multiple weekly honors.
- Following the Beavers' win over Kentucky in her first collegiate start, Nelson won helped her case for the first Pac-12 FOW award of the season with wins in starts against each of CSUN and New Mexico in respective complete-game outings. The freshman held CSUN to a pair of runs on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts, and capped the weekend by limiting New Mexico to a single run on two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts.
Return of a Record-Setting Offense
- The Beavers return six lineup regulars from a 2015 squad that lit up multiple lists in Oregon State's all-time school record books. As a team last season, Oregon State set the school record for batting average, had the second-most runs scored and RBI in program history, and the fourth-most doubles and walks.
- Oregon State returns many of the players chiefly responsible for those team, as Mikela Manewa placed second on the team in batting average (.338), RBI (37) and walks (26) last year, while McKenna Arriola finished second in runs scored (39) and Sammi Noland led the team in RBI (40) and placed second in doubles (9).
- Under head coach Laura Berg, Oregon State has made many other entries in the all-time record books in previous seasons, including in batting average twice (.287 in 2014 - 2nd all-time; 280 in 2013 – 3rd all-time), runs scored (227 in 2013 – 5th all-time), RBI (245 in 2013 – 5th all-time), walks (179 in 2013 – 5th all-time), home runs (52 in 2013 – 4th all-time) and triples (14 in 2014 – 5th all-time).
2015 Team in All-Time Program Records
1st – Batting Average (.298; broke record of .287 from 2014)
2nd – Runs Scored (300; record is 301 in 2012)
2nd – Runs Batted In (265; record is 269 in 2012)
4th – Doubles (74; record is 88 in 2003)
4th – Walks (182; record is 204 in 1999)
What the Beavers Brought Back
- In each of the past three seasons under head coach Laura Berg, Oregon State has set a new record for team batting average, matching the 2006 mark with a .280 team batting average in 2013 before breaking the record in consecutive seasons, hitting .287 as a team in 2014 and .298 in 2015.
- The Beavers return six lineup regulars from the 2015 team, including senior infielder Mikela Manewa, who finished the season hitting .338, as well as redshirt junior infielder Natalie Hampton, who owns OSU's single-season RBI record (50 in 2013), and senior catcher Sammi Noland, who led the Beavers in RBI in 2015 (40) and is OSU's top returning leader in home runs (8).
- In the circle, ace right-hander Bev Miller returns for her senior season after posting a 15-13 record in 2015 with a 3.64 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
- Providing depth along with Miller are junior south paw Taylor Cotton, who tossed 49.1 innings last season, as well as newcomer Meehra Nelson, who joined the Beavers after finishing high school with a 0.96 ERA.
Looking Ahead
- This weekend marks the final non-conference slate of games for the Oregon State softball team, which opens Pac-12 play next weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah against the Utah Utes.
- The Beavers are set to open the series at Utah on Saturday, March 19 at noon PT (1 p.m. MT). OSU faces the Utes at the same time on Sunday, March 20, and closes the series on Monday, March 21 at 11 a.m. PT (noon MT).
- Following the trip to Utah, Oregon State will host California in the first softball games played this season in The Best College Town in the Pac-12. The series will span from Thursday, March 24 through Saturday, March 26 at the OSU Softball Complex, and each game of the series will be televised live by the Pac-12 Networks.
OREGON STATE ATHLETICS' EVERYDAY CHAMPIONS CULTURE
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For more information on the Oregon State softball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OregonStateSB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateSB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateSB.
