Notes |
Cal Poly and UC Davis Games Live Stats |
Fresno State Live Stats |
Minnesota Live Stats
POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team continues its nonconference schedule with a five-game tournament at Fresno State, Feb. 24-26. The Bengals play at 10 a.m. (MTN) vs. UC Davis. to open tourney play and then plays Cal Poly at 3:30 mountain time. ISU plays Cal Poly again on Saturday at 3:30 mountain time before playing host-school Fresno State at 9 p.m. (MTN). ISU concludes tourney play with a 10 a.m. contest vs. No. 12 Minnesota. All five games will be available on live stats at isubengals.com.
Scouting UC Davis
UC Davis leads the series 4-0. The Aggies last defeated ISU 2-1 on February 26, 2016. UC Davis is 5-3 on the year with wins over Utah Valley 4-3, Liberty 3-0, and Santa Clara 2-0 and 2-1. They lost to UCLA 9-1 (6), Kentucky 4-1, and Stanford 6-3. The Aggies as a team are hitting .251, while allowing opponents to hit .266. UC Davis pitching is lead by Katie Kibby who has a 1.30 era and a 4-0 record on the season.
Scouting Cal Poly
This is the first meeting vs Cal Poly. The Mustangs are 6-3 on the season with wins over Purdue 2-1, San Diego 8-6, Creighton 8-0 (5), Western Michigan 2-1, Libery 9-2, and Utah Valley 11-3 (5). Their losses have come to Oregon 3-1 , UCF 2-1, and UCLA 3-1. Cal Poly is batting .297 avg, while oppontents are hitting .171. The Mustangs team era is 1.76 on the season. Opponents era is 3.83 when facing Cal Poly.
Scouting Fresno State
Fresno State leads the series 2-1. ISU last beat Fresno State 6-5 on February 24, 2013. Fresno State last beat ISU 5-1 and 1-0 in 2011. The Bulldogs are 6-4 on the season receving votes in the Top 25. Fresno State has wins over Indiana 2-0, Purdue 4-0, San Diego 12-6, Stanford 24-8, FGCU 9-0 and Cal State Fullerton 12-11. Their losses have come to Oregon 4-1, Mississippi State 4-1, FGCU 4-3, and Texas Tech 9-6. Fresno State's team batting average is .337. Opponents are bating a .249 against the Bulldogs. Fresno State's team era is 3.98.
Scouting Minnesota
Minnesota leads the series 3-0. Minnesota last beat ISU 10-2 (5) on March 17, 2012. The Gophers are ranked No. 12 with a 9-0 record on the season with wins vs Maryland 3-2, 10-2 (5), Colorado State 5-1, Texas 5-2, 11-6, Notre Dame 4-1, 3-2 (8), and NC State 11-0 (5), 7-1. As a team Minnesota is batting .319 avg and has an era of 1.63 vs opponents. Opponents are hitting .213 and opposing pitchers have a 5.58 era.
Burnett Named to Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
For the second straight year Idaho State senior outfielder
Kacie Burnett has been named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2017 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. Burnett is the first Bengal to receive this honor twice and only the second player to ever earn this as Vicky Galasso was named to the Watch List in 2014.
Since arriving in Pocatello as a freshman, Burnett has put up eye-popping numbers as her career batting average is .453. As a junior in 2016 she hit .454, scored 51 runs, had 79 hits, 27 RBIs and a .510 on base percentage. She stole 27 bases on 32 attempts and for her career has stolen 91 bases on 102 attempts.
Burnett was one of only 16 players on the list who were from a non Power 5 conference.
Streaks To Start the season
Kacie Burnett has reached base is six straight games dating back to last season.
Alex Portesi and
Sarah Hayes each have a three-game hitting streak and
Haley Harrison boasts a two-game hitting streak.
Weekend Recap
Idaho State opened the season in Las Vegas. The Bengals lost 5-2 to Colorado State and 4-2 to Northern Iowa. ISU then lost 1-0 to UNLV and 5-1 to Hawai'i.
Kacie Burnett,
Haley Harrison and
Alex Portesi all had four hits to lead the Bengal offense.
Ashlyn Ames pitched 11.2 innings and had a .77 era.
Bengals Picked 4th in Preseason Polls
After finishing second in the Big Sky Conference tournament last year, the Idaho State softball team has been picked to finish in the top four of the conference in 2017. The Big Sky Conference released its preseason poll voted on by the coaches and the Bengals were picked fourth by the coaches.
Weber State was picked atop the league with four first place votes. The coaches picked Sacramento State second, Montana third, the Bengals fourth, Southern Utah fifth, Portland State sixth, North Dakota seventh, and Northern Colorado eighth.
2016 Season Review
Idaho State returns three-time first-team all-conference player,
Kacie Burnett. Last season the Idaho State outfielder led the league in batting average at .454. She had 79 hits and 27 stolen bases.
The Bengals finished 2016 28-23 and 12-6 in conference play. ISU also returns starters
Alex Portesi,
Ashlyn Ames, and
Sarah Hayes.
Portesi finished second on the team last year with a .382 batting average and was named the 2016 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year. Ames was named 2016 second-team all- conference and returns as the Bengals pitcher with the team's best earned run average from last season.
