ARCATA, Calif. - As the season winds into the final two regular season weekends, No. 8 Humboldt State hosts its final home California Collegiate Athletic Association series and entertains its 'Senior Weekend' opponent, No. 15 UC San Diego, this Friday and Saturday.

     The Lumberjacks come off their fifth CCAA series win of the year by taking three of four games against the rival Seawolves of Sonoma State.
 

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HSU tries to move up in CCAA standings

     The race is heating up to qualify the CCAA softball playoffs. With two weekends and eight games left on the docket, seven of the 10 conference teams are still mathematically in the mix.

     The top two of those seven teams – Cal State Monterey Bay and UC San Diego – have both virtually clinched a spot at 19-5. HSU (21-7) will need to win two games this weekend to clinch one of the two other remaining spots.

    With three spots locked up, four teams are fighting for the final position. Sonoma State (15-13) sits in fourth and will travel to fifth place Chico State (14-14) this weekend. Hot-playing Cal State East Bay (13-15) is sixth and hosts Cal State Stanislaus, while seventh-place Cal State San Bernardino (12-16) is the longest shot and will have San Francisco State visit it this Friday and Saturday.

HSU moves back to No. 8 in NFCA Top 25

     After two weeks of falling slightly, HSU rose back up one spot to No. 8 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 poll.

     West Texas A&M (40-4) kept its unanimous No. 1 rank and eighth week in a row atop the ratings.

     CCAA member Cal State Monterey Bay (38-6) continued its ascent up to No. 2 from No. 4, while Alabama-Huntsville (33-6), North Georgia (40-8) and Missouri-St. Louis (30-5) complete No. 3 through No. 5.

   UC San Diego (30-9) held at No. 15 and Sonoma State received two votes in the Others Receiving Votes as the other CCAA rated schools.
 

Jacks sit at No. 5 in opening West Region rankings

   In the first West Region rankings, HSU found its place at No. 5. Cal State Monterey Bay holds the top spot followed by Dixie State, UC San Diego and Cal Baptist.

Perez continues hot streak to earn CCAA Pitcher of Week

     On the hottest run of work in the circle of her short college career, Humboldt State's Liz Perez garnered California Collegiate Athletic Association Softball Pitcher of the Week for April 7-13.

     The sophomore increased her win streak to six with the pair of complete game victories. Perez recorded a 0.50 ERA by allowing only one earned run and 13 hits over 14 innings of work. She fanned 12 Seawolves' hitters with just three walks.

     Last Friday, Perez gave up seven hits, her one earned run of the weekend on a solo home run and one walk, while striking out eight in a 4-1 Jacks win to help her club complete a doubleheader sweep.

     The Modesto, Calif., native followed the solid start with her second shutout of Sonoma State in less than a week after firing a four-hit shutout the previous Sunday in the Tournament of Champions title game. Perez tossed a six-hit shutout as part of HSU's 4-0 victory and a split of the Saturday twinbill. Rounding out her line, Liz struck out four and walked a pair.

Jacks senior trio to be honored for 'Senior Weekend'

     In the final weekend home series, HSU will honor its senior trio – Andrea Chavez, Sarah Fox and Tonya Walker – when it takes on UC San Diego.

     The three four-year Jacks are integral cogs in the 2014 lineup:

     • SS Chavez, a three-year starter, holds a .935 fielding percentage in 659 chances over 190 games. She has a .237 average, 58 runs, 11 doubles, five home runs and 36 RBIs in 375 career at bats.

     • RF Fox has played in 201 career contests. She holds a .286 average over 454 at bats with 19 doubles, 16 homers and 87 RBIs.

     • CF Walker has led HSU in stolen bases each of the last three years and has swiped 35 bases in her career. In 452 at bats, she has a .305 average with 134 runs, 14 doubles, 23 home runs and 81 RBIs.

Jacks series vs. Tritons

     HSU holds a 28-15 overall series lead over UC San Diego and a six-game win streak in the meetings.

          2013 Meetings: HSU won all 6

    Apr. 19 at HSU - Gm. 1: HSU 11-3 / Gm. 2: HSU 8-5

    Apr. 20 at HSU - Gm. 3: HSU 11-3 / Gm. 4: HSU 5-3

    May 5 at CCAA Tournament - HSU 6-2

    May 10 at NCAA West Region (@HSU) - HSU 7-1

Scouting UC San Diego (30-9/19-5 CCAA):

     The No. 15 Tritons come off a four-game split at San Francisco State last weekend with the two losses coming by one run each. UCSD and SFSU played the longest CCAA game of the year with a 13-inning Saturday finale won by the Gators, 2-1.

     UCSD went 6-1 at the previous week's Tournament of Champions and won the Platinum Bracket title, 8-5, over Cal State East Bay.

     • OF Callie Grant is one of the top-rated CCAA hitters to lead the Tritons...the sophomore is hitting .429 with 40 runs, 57 hits, 12 stolen bases and a .469 on base percentage.

      • P Alexis Edwards leads the CCAA in ERA at 1.37. The left-hander is 17-4 with 4 shutouts, 58 K's and a .203 opp. batt. average.
 

-GoJacks-