Softball 2/12/2014 8:19:00 PM SUU Strategic Communication

SUU Softball Heads to California

SUU SOFTBALL HEADS TO CALIFORNIA
CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah (1-5) continues early-season tournament play with a trip to California this week to compete in the Fresno State Kick-Off. The Thunderbirds start things off with back-to-back games against UC Santa Barbara (2-2) and event host Fresno State (3-2) on Saturday beginning at 5:15 p.m. (MT) before closing out play by taking on UC Riverside (0-4) this Sunday at 10:00 a.m.

Live stats for the games and tournament coverage is available online at www.suutbirds.com and www.gobulldogs.com.

LAST TIME OUT
Southern Utah opened the year by going 1-5 at the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah last weekend. The Thunderbirds took a 5-1 win over Nebraska Omaha while falling to Utah State, BYU, Nevada, East Carolina and Grand Canyon University. SUU hit .259 as a team over the six-game stretch and got three home runs from seniors Meagan Neilson, Kadi Henderson and Madison Resley. The T-Birds allowed an average of 6 runs per game and left 43 runners on base.

SUU was selected third in the Big Sky coaches poll, but has even higher expectations than that after coming within a single win of the league's first championship last season.

SUU SEASON PREVIEW
The T-Birds return two all-conference performers in shortstop Kelli Hales and centerfielder Kylee Wolf who both earned recognition as true freshmen. Wolf was one of the team's top-hitters during the Big Sky season with a .404 batting average and Hales hit .318 while helping the infield lead the conference by turning 39 double plays. Senior pitcher Ariel Hart is also back after being named the BSC Newcomer of the Year after posting a record of 6-4 on a 4.80 ERA in conference play. Madison Resley will provide some power as she enters her senior year tied for fifth in the SUU record books with 19 career home runs, including four this past season. Southern Utah adds seven new players for the 2014 campaign, including two freshmen and five junior college transfers.

“It was pretty unbelievable how Kylee was able to turn things around and hit that well during the second half of the season,” stated SUU head coach Kyle Magnusson. “Kelli is steady, you know what you are going to get everyday. She's going to play good defense, she's going to show up and she's going to get her hits. Ariel throws the ball harder and has better pitches.”

LOOKING AHEAD
Up next for the Thunderbirds is a six-game trip to Phoenix, Ariz. for the GCU invitational. SUU will face Grand Canyon and Nevada three times each between Friday, Feb. 21 and Sunday Feb. 23.

THE FRESNO STATE KICK-OFF
The Thunderbirds second tournament appearance in as many weeks will be held at the Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State University. The event begins Friday and features a field of teams that includes UC Santa Barbara, CSU Bakersfield, Sacramento State, UC Riverside, Southern Utah and host Fresno State. Ticketing and other further information is available at www.gobulldogs.com.

UC SANTA BARBARA
UC Santa Barbara went 2-2 last week, knocking off Dayton and CSU Bakersfield and dropping two to Texas A&M, while hosting the Gaucho Classic. Junior Shelby Wisdom homered twice in the tournament, racked up five hits in 12 at-bats for a .417 average and went 1-1 in the circle with a 3.98 ERA. The team is hitting a combined .327 but is giving up a 7.33 runs a game. Head coach Brie Galicinao is in her seventh season at UCSB where she holds a career record of 161-166.

FRESNO STATE
Fresno State is 3-2 to start the year with wins over North Carolina State, Appalachian State and UC Riverside. Senior infielder Stesha Brazil has already racked up nine RBI and has hit the Bulldogs' only home run. Lead-off batter Brenna Moss has gone 7-of-14 at the plate and is 3-for-4 on stolen base attempts. Starting pitcher Jill Compton holds a record of 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA on three starts and is limiting opponents to a .138 average. FSU is hitting .250 as a team but holds a 2.68 ERA. Head coach Trisha Ford is entering her second season in Fresno. The two teams last met during the 2007 season with Southern Utah coming away with a 1-0 win in Las Vegas.

UC RIVERSIDE
UC Riverside has dropped its first four contests of the year and is coming off a record of 20-35 and ninth-place finish in the Big West in 2013. Senior outfielder Dionne Anderson leads the team with a .462 batting average and has the only home run for the Highlanders so far. Junior right-hander Alyssa Razo (0-2) anchors the pitching staff with a 4.08 ERA and has posted 10 strikeouts in 12 innings. As a team UCR is hitting .277 and has combined to record a 7.58 ERA. Head coach Linda Garza is in her second season with the program. The two teams met twice in Riverside last year with the Thunderbirds dropping both contests by scores of 1-9 and 1-2.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE AWARDS
Southern Utah was picked third for a second consecutive season in the preseason coaches poll released by the Big Sky Conference, picking up one first-place vote. Idaho State earned the top spot after being voted number one by five coaches and Sacramento State came in second while also receiving a first-place nomination. Portland State was selected fourth, followed by Northern Colorado in fifth with Weber State and North Dakota rounding out the bottom of the poll.

MS. SOFTBALL
SUU adds another Ms. Softball from Utah as Jordan Theurer joins the Thunderbird lineup for the 2013 season. The right-handed pitcher and slugger garnered numerous accolades during her prep career at Bear River High School including being named the 2012 ESPN Gatorade Player of the Year, a 2012 Wendy's Heisman State Finalist, as well as capturing various MVP awards and three consecutive state titles. As a senior, Theurer posted a .517 batting average to go along with a 1.83 ERA in the circle. She cemented her name in the Utah high school record books with 16 doubles, 48 RBI, 11 shutouts and three no-hitters in a single season, four perfect games and 20 career shutouts.

TRANSFER TALENT
The SUU roster will include seven junior college transfers this season, four of which join the Thunderbirds from nationally recognized softball powerhouse Salt Lake Community College. Coach Magnusson was a fomer coach with the Bruins who have appeared in the NJCAA national championship game in each of the past four seasons.

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