Softball Prepares for Tournament at UC Davis

UC Davis Tournament Central (Live Stats)


POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team returns to the state of California for a tournament at UC Davis Feb. 26-28. The Bengals play Iowa State of the Big 12 Conference, UC Davis (Big West), New Mexico (Mountain West) and South Dakota (Summitt League). To follow the games online with live stats log onto isubengals.com.

UC Davis Tournament Game Schedule
Feb. 26     Iowa State 2:15 p.m. (MDT)
Feb. 26    at UC Davis 6:30 p.m. (MDT)
Feb. 27    New Mexico 12 p.m. (MD
Feb. 27    South Dakota 2:15 p.m. (MDT)
Feb. 28    New Mexico 10 a.m. (MDT)

ISU vs. Iowa State, UC Davis, New Mexico and South Dakota
This is the first-ever meeting against Iowa State. New Mexico leads the series with ISU 7-3. ISU won the last meeting between the two schools 12-9 in 5.5 innings in 2014. The game was called early due to ISU's travel schedule. UC Davis and ISU met three times in 2012 and the Bengals lost all three meetings. The series with South Dakota is tied at 1-1.

About Iowa State
Iowa State is 7-3 and hitting .318. Iowa State has a 2.06 era and Kirsten Caudle is hitting .458. Savannah Sanders is the top pitcher as she is 4-0 with a 2.90 era in 31.1 innings pitched.

About South Dakota
South Dakota is 1-9 and hitting .241 as a team. Yvon Minoque is the top hitter with a .406 average, three home runs and 10 RBIs. The team has a 8.97 era.

About UC Davis
UC Davis is 3-6. The team is hitting .272 and has a 4.57 era. Brianna Warner is hitting .429 (12-28) and Leah Munden is the top pitcher with a 2-1 mark and a 3.55 era in 23.2 innings of work.

About New Mexico
New Mexico is 5-5. The team is hitting .313 and the pitching staff boasts a 5.48 era. Cheyenne Smith is batting .538 and Jasmine Casados is hitting .400.


Burnett Named to USA Top 50 Team
 Idaho State softball junior outfielder Kacie Burnett has been named to the 2016 USA Softball Top 50 Watch List as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball. Burnett is the second Bengal to be named to the preseason watch list, as former catcher Vicky Galasso was selected in 2014. Burnett was named first-team all-conference last season after hitting .459 in 172 at bats. She recorded 79 hits, two home runs, nine doubles, five triples and 21 RBIs in addition to 37 stolen bases on 38 attempts. The Napa, Calif. native was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on March 10 as well as Big Sky Player of the Week on two separate occasions.

Experience in the Circle
Last year's pitching staff of Sophie Slagle, Ashlyn Ames and Bailey Foster accounted for all 34 wins and all but one loss. All three return in 2016. Slagle led the staff by tossing 166.2 innings for an 18-8 record, 89 strikeouts and a 3.57 era. As a freshman Ames pitched 106 innings, earned a 10-5 record, a 3.76 era and 45 strikeouts. Foster tossed 53 innings, striking out 21 while earning a 6-4 record and a 4.09 era.

Bengal Bites
- Kacie Burnett had a streak of reaching base in 40 straight games dating back to last season snapped in a 3-2 10 inning win over Cal State Fullerton.
- Ashlyn Ames has reached base in all 10 games.
- Maddy Hickman has a five-game hitting streak.
- Since the Big Sky Conference added softball in 2013, ISU is 19-18 in one run games, 13-10 in two-run games, 50-22 in games decided by five runs or more, 9-4 in extra inning games and 80-11 when out hitting its opponents.
- Idaho State has never lost a Big Sky Conference home series. Since the 2013 season ISU has swept seven three-game series and won two of three in three series'.
- Idaho State has only lost two Big Sky Conference series.' The Bengals lost two of three at SUU in 2013 and two of three at Northern Colorado in 2015.
- The Idaho State pitching staff finished the 2015 season with a 3.93 era. It is only the second time since the program was brought back in 2007 that the pitching staff finished with below a 4.00 era. In 2009 ISU finished 20-21 and had a 3.77 era.