OSU Softball Travels for Conference Series at UCLA
April 14, 2016 | Softball
Oregon State Beavers
(25-12-1, 4-8 Pac-12)
at No. 13/14 UCLA Bruins
(25-11-1, 7-3-1 Pac-12)
Easton Stadium
Los Angeles, Calif.
Friday | 7 p.m. PT
Saturday | 6 p.m. PT
Sunday | Noon PT
CORVALLIS, Ore. – After a four-game homestand, the Oregon State softball team hits the road this weekend for a three-game conference set, as the Beavers travel to Los Angeles to for a Pac-12 series with the UCLA Bruins.
This weekend marks the fifth conference series of the season overall and third on the road in 2015 for Oregon State (25-12-1, 4-8 Pac-12). The series at UCLA (25-11-1, 7-3-1 Pac-12) opens at 7 p.m. PT on Friday. First pitch for game two on Saturday is set for 6 p.m. PT, while the series is set to wrap up at noon PT on Sunday.
Oregon State currently sits in seventh in the Pac-12, and looks for its second series win of the season after a sweep of Stanford two weeks ago. UCLA has won series over California, Oregon and Stanford, with its lone series loss coming against Washington.
The Beavers are 4-3 in road games this season. At Easton Stadium in 2016, UCLA holds a 9-4 record.
Although there will not be a live stream for this weekend's games, live stats will be made available by UCLA. Links for the 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 .329, the 17th-highest team batting average in the nation.
- A big factor in the success of this year's Oregon State softball team has been the pitching, highlighted by the play of freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson. The rookie has gone 14-6 with four saves to open her collegiate career and ranks 15th in the nation in saves as well as 15th in strikeouts (162). The Simi Valley, Calif. native led the Pac-12 in strikeouts, wins, saves and innings pitched for much of the 2016 season, and continues to lead in saves while ranking No. 2 in strikeouts and wins as well as No. 3 in innings pitched (126.2).
- Redshirt junior Natalie Hampton has the nation's No. 12 and Pac-12's No. 2 RBI (46) total and is batting .374 with nine home runs and 10 doubles this season. 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 (.406), on-base percentage (.476) and hits (52, leads Pac-12). Sophomore outfielder Lovie Lopez paces the club in doubles (12, second in Pac-12), while freshman center fielder Jessica Garcia is tied with Arriola for the team stolen bases lead (each have 11, No. 3 in Pac-12) and fellow freshman right fielder Shelby Weeks leads the club in walks (17).
Student-Athlete Profile
No. 29 Lovie Lopez
Sophomore Outfielder
Hometown: Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
St. Paul HS
- A sociology major
- The daughter of Gina and Chris Lopez
- Has one sibling, Christine
- Some of the major reasons she chose Oregon State was the coaching staff, being part of a Pac-12 program and the campus
- Began playing softball at age four
- One of her hobbies is listening to music, and listens to J. Cole and Notorious B.I.G. before games
- Began wearing No. 29 because of Natasha Watley
Record Watch
- Redshirt junior first baseman Natalie Hampton is currently tied for the fourth-most RBI in a single season in OSU history (46). Hampton set the record with 50 in 2013, her freshman season.
- Hampton has 30 home runs for her career, the eighth-most in OSU history. The school record for most home runs in a career is 52 by Tarrah Beyster (1997-00).
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson has four saves in 2016, tying for the sixth-most in a single season in OSU history. The record is a three-way tie at six (Paige Hall in 2012, Monica Hoffman in 2004 and Tarrah Beyster in 1999).
- Nelson's four saves also ranks as the 10th-most in a career at Oregon State. The career record is held by former All-American Brianne McGowan, who had 13 saves from 2004-07.
- Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola is batting .408 in 2016, on pace for the fifth-highest batting average in a single season in program history. The record was set in 1978 by Denise Small, who hit .507.
Beavers in the Polls
- Oregon State has been ranked in the national polls for four weeks, including one week this season with rankings in both major polls.
- The Beavers entered the national rankings following its 14-2 start to the season, entering the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll tied at No. 22. It marked the first time they were ranked since April 2, 2013, when they were ranked at No. 24 in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
- Oregon State was also 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 38 games.
- As a team, Oregon State is ranked within the top-25 nationally in batting average (17th - .329) and doubles per game (14th – 1.71, 64 total).
- Notably, the Beavers are also ranked 29th in runs scored per game (6.11, 232 total), 40th in slugging percentage (.494) and 83rd in stolen bases per game (1.28, 48-of-56 total).
- Individually, redshirt junior first baseman/designated player Natalie Hampton ranks 12th in the nation in RBI (46) and 17th in RBI per game (1.21).
Full Nelson
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson has helped build depth in the Oregon State pitching staff with a strong start to her collegiate career, sitting at 14-6 with four saves, a 2.87 ERA and 162 strikeouts.
- Through 31 appearances and 20 starts this season, Nelson is ranked 15th in the nation in saves (4) and ranks 15th in the country in strikeouts (162). The rookie leads the conference in saves, and ranks No. 2 in strikeouts and wins as well as No. 3 in innings pitched (126.2).
- 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.
- Following the Beavers' win over Kentucky in her first collegiate start, Nelson 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.
- Forming a deep staff 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
- Following this weekend's action, Oregon State returns to Corvallis to host Washington in a three-game set at the OSU Softball Complex.
- The Beavers host the Huskies for a three-game set in The Best College Town in the Pac-12 beginning on Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. PT. First pitch for game two on Saturday, April 16 is set for 6 p.m. PT, while the series is slated to wrap up on Sunday, April 17 at noon PT.
- After the Washington series, the Beavers will be idle for a week before its last road series of the season at Arizona from May 6-8. The Beavers close the 2016 regular season with a home series against Arizona State from May 12-14.
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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.
