Live Audio vs. Cal Poly | Live Stats | Tournament Information

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The Fairleigh Dickinson softball team (3-2) will begin a long road trip in California this weekend, starting with the Mustang Classic, hosted by Cal Poly. The Knights will face the Mustangs on Friday at 7:30 p.m. before a quick turnaround with Santa Clara at 10 p.m. FDU will face the Broncos again on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and will end the day at 10 p.m. against Sacramento State. The Knights conclude the tournament on Sunday with a 12 p.m. first pitch versus Stony Brook.
 
"We are excited about this opportunity to perform in front of our California-based family members and fans, and to compete against top collegiate softball programs from around the nation," Head Coach Candi Letts said. "The FDU softball student-athletes have worked hard for this opportunity to test themselves and progress toward our team goals."
 
Last Time Out
FDU is coming off a 2-0 record at the Hampton Invitational in Hampton, Va. last Sunday, with both wins being come from behind victories against Saint Joseph's (3-2) and Hartford (7-4), including a walk-off RBI single by sophomore Julia Northcutt (Irvine, Calif./Northwood High School) in the opener. Junior Angelique Nieves (Union City, N.J./High Tech High School) brings a hot bat to the West Coast with a .429 batting average, seven RBI, two doubles and three runs scored, while fellow classmate Bryana Dorado (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) is batting .417 with two doubles and three runs scored. In the circle, the Knights continue to be led by junior Megan Reiner (Los Angeles, Calif./John Marshall), who has pitched 11.2 innings with 15 strikeouts and a 0.77 ERA, while freshman Cheryl Lopez (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) has struck out eight batters in 8.1 innings of scoreless work.
 
Cal Poly
2014 Season: 7-9
When: Friday March 7 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Bob Janssen Field)
Series History: First meeting
What You Need To Know: The Mustangs will return to action after a 12 day layoff from their last tournament  and are led by a strong offensive team in Emily Ceccacci (.382 BA, 10 R), Lauren Moreno (.345 BA, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 12 R), and Jillian Anderson (.371 BA, 7 RBI). Cal Poly has also already tied its 2013 home run total with nine round trippers by five different players in the young 2014 season. In the circle, Sierra Hyland (4-3, 2.83 ERA, 59 K) leads the team with 54.1 innings pitched to go along two shutouts and six complete games. Hyland is coming off a week where she was named the Big West Pitcher and Player of Week after no-hitting Maryland and hitting .417 in the six-game Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.  The only other pitcher to watch out for thus far for Cal Poly is Chloe Wurst (3-5, 5.35 ERA, 15 K), who has started nine contests with seven complete games.
 
Santa Clara
2014 Season: 1-11
When: Friday March 7 - 10 p.m., Saturday March 8 - 2:30 p.m.
Where: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Bob Janssen Field)
Series History: First meeting
What You Need To Know: The Broncos found the win column for the first time in 2014, defeating UC Davis, 5-4, before beginning the season 0-11. Santa Clara has struggled to find light in the start of the 2014 season with a team batting line of .242, with only 23 runs scored and a team ERA of 7.77. Krista Jensen leads the team with a .435 batting average and .609 slugging percentage, while Kelly Scribner is hitting .324. The Broncos are led by Jessica Turner in the circle, who has tossed 33.2 innings in five starts, followed by Brianna Rios, who has made three starts, striking out 14 in 20 innings of work.
 
Sacramento State
2014 Season: 7-6
When: Saturday March 8 - 10 p.m.
Where: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Bob Janssen Field)
Series History: First meeting
What You Need To Know: The Hornets have a strong offensive that has led the team to a .275 batting average with strong starts by multiple players. Kortney Solis leads the team with a .361 average and five RBI. Sasha Margulies also has five RBI with a .294 batting average, while former Knight Paige Castro goes up against her former team hitting .344 with five RBI and six runs scored. Sacramento State has a strong pitching staff led by Caitlin Brooks, who has a 0.59 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched to go along with 48 strikeouts. Taylor Stroud also has compiled a strong start to the early season with a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings.
 
Stony Brook
2014 Season: 3-7
When: Sunday March 9 - 12 p.m.
Where: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (Bob Janssen Field)
Series History: Stony Brook leads 4-2
Last Meeting: March 30, 2006 - Stony Brook 6 FDU 1; Stony Brook 9 FDU 0 (DH)
What You Need To Know: The Seawolves were off to a slow start in 2014 with a 0-5 mark but have climbed to 3-7 after Shayla Giosia hit .375 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI in the 49er Invite, where Stony Brook finished 3-2. The Seawolves also have a strong offense led by Melissa Phelan, who is batting .357 with three doubles, while Bria Green already has three home runs and seven RBI to go along with a .333 batting average.
 
Up Next
FDU will continue its California swing with a doubleheader in Riverside, Calif. against UC Riverside on Wednesday, March 12, with first pitch in game one slated for 4 p.m.