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ARCATA, Calif. – No. 3-ranked Humboldt State softball travels to Southern California for a weekend series with Cal State Dominguez Hills. First pitch for Friday's series opener is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
The Lumberjacks are riding a seven-game winning streak and are positioned atop the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings with a 15-1 mark. HSU went 7-1 last week and picked up three wins on the road versus No. 23 Chico State.
 
HSU leads the all-time series with Dominguez Hills 39-21, and the Jacks have won their last 11 meetings with the Toros. The Green and Gold swept last season's series versus the Toros, but won two of the four games by just one run.
 
"They are not much different from last year," said Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. "Dominguez Hills has power in its lineup, and we will pay attention to that. I am not expecting to see pitching like we saw from San Bernardino or Chico State. We have to go out there and play like this is the best team. Anybody in this league can beat another team on a given day."
 
Dominguez Hills is the conference's second-worst program with a 6-18 CCAA record. The Toros have dropped back-to-back games and have lost six of their last seven contests.  Despite their record, the Toros lead the conference in home runs with 24 and could present an offensive challenge for the Jacks pitching staff.
 
Outfielder Damari Simon leads the CCAA and Toros with eight home runs. Simon is batting .330 and has driven in 22 runs this season. She went 1-for-10 at the plate against Cal State East Bay last weekend.
 
The Jacks found power in its lineup during last week's homestand against the Coyotes. HSU crushed six home runs in four games, and newcomer Kalyn Paque was responsible for two. Paque's success at the plate, which included a grand slam in the series finale, may open up more opportunities for the junior from Reno, Nev.
 
"Our lineup is changing in our outfield," said Sarchett. "We are trying to find someone who is hot at the plate, and we will keep rotating until somebody catches on. I won't rely on one person because I am waiting for somebody to step up and take that job."
 
HSU has leaned on the conference's top pitching staff so far this season. Madison Williams, the reigning CCAA Pitcher of the Week, leads the conference with a 1.29 ERA and has compiled a 10-0 record. Katie Obbema ranks fourth in the conference with a 1.59 ERA.
 
"The key to this weekend is improving our hitting," said Sarchett. "We are doing what needs to be done right now to get the job done, but we are making things too hard on ourselves. The team needs to get the bats clicking. Our pitching has been a strength so far, and we need to get our hitting to where it belongs to help the team play a more complete game."