vs. Colorado State Rams (27-4, 9-0 MW)
April 5 - 1:15 p.m. PT
April 6 - 12:00 p.m.
April 7 - 12:00 p.m.
Spartan Softball Field - San Jose, Calif.
NOTE - The time for Friday's game has changed from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m., pending the weather.
Please be sure to check www.sjsuspartans.com and the Softball Twitter Feed (@SJSUSpartansSB) Friday morning for any updates.
LIVE STATS
Friday - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=255550
Saturday - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=255551
Sunday - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=255552
LIVE VIDEO (Saturday only)
https://player.watchstadium.com/webapp/sanjose/index.html#/live/165787?school=121&live_section=1&archive_section=1
Spartans Host MW Leader Colorado State
San Jose, Calif. - After sweeping Boise State at home last weekend, the San José State softball team continues its homestand this weekend as the Spartans welcome Mountain West leader Colorado State to Spartan Softball Field.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Colorado State enters the weekend series with a 27-4 overall record and sit atop the Mountain West standings with a 9-0 record. The Rams are on an 18-game winning streak, dating back to February 28. The last time the teams lost was a 3-0 decision to then-#2/now #1 UCLA on February 24.
The Rams lead the conference and and 13th in the nation in batting with a .332 average. The team is averaging 7.65 runs per game, good for sixth nationally, and leads the nation in doubles per game at 2.39.
Senior Amber Nelson leads the team in hitting with a .404 average. She has 36 hits including 11 doubles and five home runs and has driven in 30 runs. Ashley Michelena is hitting .382 with a team-best 42 hits, while Corina Gamboa is hitting .379 with 36 hits and 11 doubles and 36 RBI.
In the circle, the Rams have the second-best team ERA in the MW at 2.33. The pitching staff consists of three players - Taylor Gilmore with a 6-1 record, 2.08 ERA and 19 strikeouts, Jessica Jarecki has a 10-1 record with a 2.16 ERA an d62 strikeouts, while Bridgette Hutton has an 11-2 record with a 2.58 ERA and 58 strikeouts.
Head coach Jen Fisher is in her ninth season at the school with a 225-208 coaching record.
Colorado State has a slim 18-17 lead in the all-time series, dating back to the first meeting in 1990. The Spartans won two of the three meetings last season in Fort Collins, winning 20-4 and 11-4 before losing in the final game of the series, 10-3.
BOW TOSSES A NO-NO
Caroline Bowman (So., RHP, Sammamish, Wash.) became the 13th player in program history to throw a no-hitter when she defeated the UMass Lowell River Hawks 5-0 on March 15. Bowman (8-4) faced one batter over the minimum and but for her own fielding error in the second inning would have tossed a perfect game. In the contest, the down-ball pitcher had one strikeout and recorded 18 of the other 20 outs on the infield. It is Bowman's first no-hitter as a collegiate pitcher.
LET'S GET THIS STARTED IN THE MW
In its now sixth seasons in the league, SJSU loves the opening series of Mountain West play. Overall the team is 15-3 in those match ups, and in 2015, 2016 & 2018 swept Boise State, UNLV and San Diego State, respectively.
In its six conference home openers, the Spartans are nearly as successful. They are 15-3 in MW home openers, losing only one series, 2-1 to Colorado State in 2017. The Spartans swept Boise State last weekend.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Since opening Spartan Softball Field at the end of the 2018 season, SJSU is VERY comfortable at home. San José State is 17-2 this season and 20-2 overall since the opening of its new field. The field was opened on April 27, 2018, in time for the team's last home series of last season, and SJSU swept the three-games series from New Mexico by scores of 3-1, 2-1 & 3-1.
MADDY & THE CAREER LISTS
Madison Aurin (Sr., INF/RHP, Bakersfield, Calif.) can legitimately lay claim to being, by the end of her career, the best all-around player in Spartan softball history. Aurin ranks in the top-10 of batting average (7th - .347), on-base percentage (10th - .404), slugging (2nd - .566), home runs (4th - 26), RBI (3rd – 147), doubles (6th - 38), total bases (4th – 308) and sacrifice flies (1st – 14). In the circle, she has the seventh lowest opponents batting average (.276), ranks 10th in fewest walks/7 inning (2.09) and is tied for ninth in saves (3). Defensively she is first in fielding percentage (.990) and double plays turned (57), eighth in chances (1, 018), and seventh in putouts (906) and ground outs induced (380).
In total, she ranks in the top-20 of 36 statistical categories and is in the top-25 of 47. Wow!
TURNER EYES 400 WINS
Head coach Peter Turner entered the 2019 season, his 13th leading the Spartans with 355 victories. He is the only coach in the 33-year history of the program with 300 wins, with the next closest coach, Kathy Strahan, having won 201 games (1986-92).
Turner's .535 winning percentage (355-308), entering 2019, is the best in program history and with a 25-10 record so far this season, his winning percentage is up to .545.
In the last seven years, his program has won an average of 33 games per season and his teams have won two conference championships and has finished only once lower that fourth place in conference standings.