Bengals Play at UC Riverside

Notes
Live Stats
POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team plays its final nonconference tournament March 15-17 at UC Riverside. The Bengals play three games against Northern Kentucky, March 15-17. On March 17, ISU also plays UC Riverside. To follow the game online with live stats log onto isubengals.com.

Following this weekends tournament, Idaho State plays its home opener on March 19 vs. Utah Valley. The doubleheader begins at 12 p.m.

Bengals Against the Field
Northern Kentucky
This is the first meeting between the two schools.
UC Riverside
UC Riverside leads the series 5-3. The Bengals lost 2-1 on March 18, 2018 in Riverside. Idaho State has won two of the last three meetings. ISU won 4-2 in 2016 and 9-0 in 2014.

Recapping Week 4 at Washington
Idaho State dropped four games in Seattle last week. The Bengals lost to Northern Illinois 9-0, Ohio State 9-3 and No. 6 Washington 6-0 and 8-0.  Emma Bordenkecher was the top hitter, with three hits. Jayden DeMoss and MaKenzie Van Sickle each had two hits. Idaho State used four pitchers. Autumn Pease and Mariah Mulcahy each went 8.2 innings. Kelsea Sweeney tossed 3.1 innings and Mailee Newman pitched .1 innings.  Pease had eight strikeouts and Mulcahy had seven.

And the Winner Is...
Emma Bordenkecher is the second Bengal to earn a Big Sky Player of the Week honor. For her performance at the Colorado State Classic she earned Big Sky Player of the Week. In four games, Bordenkecher hit .462 with six hits, two doubles, one homerun, four RBIs, three runs scored, and an .846 slugging percentage.  Bordenkecher also recorded two stolen bases. This is her second career Big Sky Player of the Week honor.

Past Winners
Feb. 11- Autumn Pease, Pitcher of the Week
March 4- Emma Bordenkecher, Player of the Week

Tough Schedule
The Idaho State softball team has a tough preseason schedule.  In the recent USA Today NFCA Coaches Poll Washington is ranked No. 6 in the ESPN Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the NFCA poll. Northwestern is ranked No. 23 in the ESPN Coaches Poll and Boise State is No. 24 in the NFCA Poll. Northwestern, Colorado State and Ohio State are receiving votes in the NFCA polls and Ohio State and Cal State Fullerton are receiving votes in the ESPN Coaches Poll.

 The Bengals also play eight teams who finished the 2018 season with a Top 70 RPI ranking in Washington (5), Ohio State (25), Northwestern (36), Cal State Fullerton (42), Louisville (44), Nebraska (45), Loyola Marymount (63) and Boise State (70).

Offensive Leaders
Cassidy FitzGerald leads the team at the plate with a .393 batting average. Emma Bordenkecher has a .328 average with two home runs and a team-best 12 RBIs. MaKenzie Van Sickle also has two home runs this year.