Fresno State softball hosts CSU Bakersfield Wednesday and then travels to the Bay Area for the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational.
Feb. 19, 2013
Fresno State Softball Week 3 
Santa Clara Bronco Invitational
By Theresa Kurtz
tkurtz@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno State softball hosts CSU Bakersfield for a midweek game on Feb. 20, 2013 at 6 p.m. It is the first of two meetings between the Bulldogs and Roadrunners this season.
The Bulldogs hit the road again this weekend heading to the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational Feb. 22-24. The `Dogs face Santa Clara, San Jose State, Saint Mary's, CSU Northridge and Idaho State.
Scouting the Roadrunners
The Bulldogs and Roadrunners face off twice this season with the first meeting this week. The `Dogs are 3-0 all-time against CSUB and in the last meeting won 2-1 in 2008. CSU Bakersfield is 1-7 in 2013 after the first two weekends of the season. Shay Fryer is hitting .300 with a double, a triple and a RBI after eight starts. Kelsie Monroe is 1-4 in the circle after five starts. She has struck out 14 batters in 28.1 innings pitched.
Scouting the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational
San Jose State: The Bulldogs are 81-9 all-time against the Spartans. The `Dogs faced San Jose State in a three-game series in 2012 and went 2-1. The Spartans are 5-7 on the year and set to play their first games at home this weekend. Markesha Collins leads the team hitting .486 with two doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI in 12 starts. Amanda Pridmore is 4-5 in the circle with 46 strikeouts in 49.2 innings pitched and an ERA of 5.26.
Santa Clara: Fresno State has faced the Broncos 47 times in program history and owns a 46-1 overall record against Santa Clara. In 2012, the Bulldogs shutout the Broncos twice 7-0 and 8-0. Santa Clara is 0-6 in 2013. Stephanie Fisher is hitting .438 with a double, a home run and two RBI. She has a slugging percentage of .688. Jessica Turner has the best ERA on staff with a 4.50. She has struck out three in 10 innings pitched making one start and five appearances.
CSU Northridge: The Bulldogs play the Matadors for the third and final time in 2013. The `Dogs beat CSUN 3-2 and 8-2 in a midweek doubleheader. Fresno State has 37-20 all-time record against CSU Northridge. Mikayla Thielges is hitting a team best .370 with four doubles, two home runs and five RBI. Shelly Tait has a 2-2 record in four starts. She has 11 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched and an ERA of 2.88.
Saint Mary's: Fresno State owns a 13-1 overall record against head coach Trisha Ford's alma mater. The Bulldogs won the last meeting 6-0 over the Gaels in 2010. SMC is off to a 1-6 start to the 2013 season. Sarah Lira is hitting .273 with a double, two home runs and four RBI. Jessica Lemmon has 11 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched and an ERA of 4.26.
Idaho State: The Bulldogs are 3-0 against Idaho State in program history. The `Dogs went 2-0 against the Bengals in 2011, which was the last time the two teams met. ISU is playing away from home for the third-straight weekend and is 4-6 on the season. Vicky Galasso is hitting .486 with three doubles, five home runs and 15 RBI in 10 starts. In the circle, Amanda Fitzsimmons is 2-5 after in six starts and nine appearances.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
The Bulldogs are off to a 6-1 start at Bulldog Diamond in 2013. Fresno State has an overall home record of 809-185-1 in 36 years. The best single-season home record at Bulldog Diamond is 27-0 set by the 1998 National Champion squad.
On the Road Again
Fresno State is set to play 10 games on the road in the month of February, 11 in March and a total of 33 away from Bulldog in 2013. The Bulldogs second road trip is Feb. 22-24 at the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational. The 'Dogs had a road record of 24-8 and 9-10 in neutral territory. The Bulldogs are 0-1 on the road and 0-4 in neutral territory.
"Discover Fresno State Athletics!" -- Bulldog softball returns to Bulldog Diamond for a midweek match up against CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. Catch the action on ESPN 790 The Deuce, home Bulldog softball. Stay connected with the Bulldogs on Facebook (fresnostateathletics) and Twitter (@FSAthletics).
