After rumors of rain sticking around to threaten the games, the weather is predicted to be clear, but chilly. Friday has a forecast of a sunny and breezy 53 degrees, before the temperature drops down into the high 40s for Saturday's action.

Hats off to Miller Farm

Miller Farm donated a draining system to the Jacks Softball Complex to help relieve puddles that can form due to Humboldt County rain. Before the softball coaching staff and Humboldt State athletics equipment staff put in countless hours of work trying to push off the puddles of mud and usually damaged the field in the process, but the new draining system has relieved a lot of the tedious work.

Lumberjack Notes

Head coach Frank Cheek knows on paper his team doesn't stack up against Chico State, but Cheek knows his team is capable of performing from a determination that doesn't show on paper. As Cheek puts it, his players are not the type to give up and just roll over; they'll put up a fight.

"Our job is to knock off a good Chico State softball team and bring some pride back to Humboldt State," said Cheek. "That's our mandate. This team will do everything it can to make that happen."

As a team, Humboldt State averages .304 at the plate, led by All-Americans Felicia Viveiros and Chrissy Stalf. Viveiros leads the team batting .528 in 13 games, including two home runs and six doubles. Stalf follows closely behind with a .425 average, also with two homers, a triple and three doubles off 17 hits. Courtney Hiatt, who has been recovering from a knee injury, has been showing power at the plate, hitting two home runs in one day—Cheek thinks she could've hit a couple more if they would have straightened up. 

Alicia Reid, who coach says "has a good eye at the plate," has registered 13 hits, including a homer in her first at-bat. Kirsten Nouzovsky also hits in the 300s, batting .316, but Cheek believes her number will raise to be in the 400s. Freshman Dani Randall leads the team with 16 RBIs after powering a couple deep doubles and a three-run homer over the weekend.

Defensively, the team fields at .951 percent, which Cheek knows his team can clean up. The Jacks have already completed 240 putouts, a majority of which coming from Stalf with the help of the rest of the infield crowd. HSU has struggled from the circle, grabbing a collective 7.54 ERA, something Cheek wants to see drop down. 

Wildcat Notes

Chico State comes off two wins against Academy of Art (9-0, 6-5), the same team that swept the Jacks after HSU gave up nine runs in one inning. As a team, the Wildcats bat .326, with their top five hitters batting over .350 and one just on the cusp. Five seniors lead the 'Cats from the plate, led by Sam Quadt. Quadt has registered 20 hits in 35 appearances at the plate, posting three doubles, a triple and a home run, along with 12 RBIs. Sam Baker, Chico State's leading pitcher, posts a 1.25 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 28 innings pitched, and is also capable of grabbing hits at the plate and has already knocked a three-run homer out of the park. Jessica McDermott is also capable of shutting down teams at the plate and boasts a 1.56 ERA.

Cheek's Comments

"Baker throws an outside, drop and rise ball. She can give us trouble if we go fishing for it. ... Our key this week is not hitting, we can hit the ball, and it's not our defense, we can field the ball. It's our pitching. We're going up against one of the best pitchers in the league and we need to compete with her."