ARCATA, Calif. - After being picked to finish first in the preseason, No. 6 Humboldt State seeks to make the California Collegiate Athletic Association prediction a reality this weekend as it wraps up the regular season. The Lumberjacks travel to Turlock to face the Warriors of Cal State Stanislaus this Saturday and Sunday.

     The Jacks come off their second CCAA sweep last weekend with four victories over No. 15 UC San Diego.

Live stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/csustan/softball/

HSU has course needed for CCAA title mapped out

     Following eight weeks of league play, HSU has its course to its second CCAA title in a row this weekend.

     The Jacks (25-7) clinched their conference tournament berth last weekend and moved into a virtual tie for first with Cal State Monterey Bay (22-6) as the two teams are separated by .005 percentage points heading into the week. 

     For the Jacks to finish first, there are four scenarios:

     a) 4 wins at Cal State Stanislaus & 1 CSUMB loss vs. CSUSB

     b) 2 wins at Cal State Stanislaus & 2 CSUMB losses vs. CSUSB

     c) 1 win at Cal State Stanislaus & 3 CSUMB losses vs. CSUSB

     d) 4 CSUMB losses vs. CSU San Bernardino

     HSU will be the No. 2 seed by:

     a) Any combination of wins/UCSD losses vs. CSU Dominguez Hills totaling at least two

     HSU can be no lower than the No. 3 seed of the four-team CCAA playoffs.

    Along with Cal State Monterey Bay and HSU, UC San Diego (19-9)has clinched at least the No. 3 seed.

     The fourth and final seed is a four-team race heading into this weekend. Sonoma State (17-15) holds a one-game lead over both Cal State San Bernardino (16-16) and Chico State (16-16) and a two-game advantage over Cal State East Bay (15-17). Sonoma State plays at San Francisco State, CSU San Bernardino is at Cal State Monterey Bay and Chico State travels to Cal State East Bay.

HSU rises two spots to No. 6 in NFCA Top 25

     For the second week in a row, HSU rose in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Top 25 poll by two spots to No. 6 up from No. 8.

     West Texas A&M (44-4) kept its unanimous No. 1 rank on the power of a 17-game win streak. Alabama-Huntsville (37-7) and Cal State Monterey Bay (41-7) flipped spots at No. 2 and No. 3. Missouri-St. Louis (36-5) and North Georgia (43-9) sit at No. 4 and No. 5.

Jacks move up to No. 3 in West Region rankings

   In the most important rankings, HSU moved up two spots to No. 3 in the latest West Region ratings. The Jacks flipped places with UC San Diego, which fell to No. 5 from No. 3. Cal State Monterey Bay kept the top spot with Dixie State staying at No. 2. Cal Baptist remained No. 4 with Sonoma State, Central Washington, Cal State San Bernardino, Western Washington and Hawai'i-Hilo completing No. 6 through No. 10 after UC San Diego. The top eight make the regional playoffs held in just under three weeks.

Pena hits her mark to NFCA National and CCAA Player of Week awards

     For the first time this season, HSU received the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Player of the Week as Julie Pena picked up the honor. 

     Pena has hit her mark the past few weeks and it has resulted in a double award week for her. She also was picked as the CCAA Player of the Week. The awards come after Pena's 6-for-7 (.857) four-game set against UC San Diego last weekend. She drove in six runs and drew 10 walks including three games with a bases loaded free pass.

     Over the last two weekends and eight games, Pena has 11 hits in 19 at bats for a .579 average. She scored five times and drove in 10 runners over that period. 

     The redshirt sophomore has raised her season average to .319, while taking over the RBI lead in the CCAA with 46 and rates in the top six for home runs (11) and walks (23).
 

Hollingsworth ties Jacks doubles record

     Freshman Tiffany Hollingsworth has built an impressive first HSU season. The second baseman slashed a pair of doubles last weekend to tie the Jacks single season record of 21 with Apple Gomez from the 1995 squad.
 

Jacks series vs. Warriors

     HSU holds a 102-12 overall series lead over Cal State Stanislaus and a seven-game win streak in the meetings.

         2013 Meetings: HSU won all 4

    March 15 at HSU - Gm. 1: HSU 6-4 / Gm. 2: HSU 7-0

    March 16 at HSU - Gm. 3: HSU 11-3 / Gm. 4: HSU 5-2

         Last CSUS win in series:

    April 20, 2012 in Turlock by a 10-2 score in the first game of the four-game series...HSU won the series 3-1

         •HSU is 9-3 over the last three years vs. CSUS

Scouting Cal State Stanislaus (15-36/8-24 CCAA):

     The Warriors split their last eight contests including a Friday sweep of Cal State East Bay (3-2 and 14-6), before having the reverse outcome on Saturday twinbills (10-3 and 9-7).

     The Warriors hold an 11-20 home record and split their last home doubleheader on April 13 against Dominican (W, 6-3 and L, 6-4).

     • C Amy Droege leads the Warriors regular players with a .291 average, 41 hits, 13 doubles and 26 RBIs.
 

-GoJacks-