FRESNO STATE (17-6, 0-0 MW) at NEVADA (20-6)
March 15-16, 2024 • Reno, Nev. • Christina M. Hixon Softball Park
SCHEDULE:
Friday: 3 p.m. PT
Saturday: 1 p.m. PT
Sunday: 12 p.m. PT
COVERAGE:
Listen: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Watch: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
Tickets: Here
Tournament Central: Here
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateSB
THE MATCHUP
All-Time: Fresno State leads 56-23
Last Meeting: Fresno State swept Nevada in the 2023 regular season series.
Current Streak: Fresno State, W3
RENO, Nev. – The Fresno State softball team will open Mountain West play on the road against Nevada.
OFF THE BAT
Fresno State is 17-6 this season, and 0-1 on the road.
Fresno State finished MW play in 2023 with an overall record of 10-12.
Fresno State owns a batting average of .330 on the season.
Fresno State has outscored its opponents 115-76.
Six Bulldogs are batting over .300.
Sophomore Natalie Elias leads the 'Dogs at the plate with a .427 batting average and 32 hits.
The bullpen owns an average ERA of 2.80.
Senior Taylor Gilmore leads the 'Dogs in the circle with 1.93 ERA and an overall record of 9-2.
DEATH. TAXES. ELIAS GETS A HIT.
Sophomore Natalie Elias has been a major addition to the Bulldogs offense this season, transferring in from Cal Baptist. Elias has become the team's go-to lead-off hitter.
Elias has recorded a hit in 18 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team. She owns a .427 batting average with 32 hits this season.
THE DEALIN' DUO
Senior Taylor Gilmore and sophomore Serayah Neiss have been a one-two punch for the Bulldogs in the circle this season.
Gilmore owns a 9-2 record, with three saves and two complete games. She owns a 1.93 ERA. The Broomfield, Colo. native has dished 63 strikeouts in 69.0 innings.
Neiss has a 7-3 record with one save. She owns a 2.13 ERA. The Newberg, Ore. native has pitched 62.1 innings for the Bulldogs this season.
MATTSON MAKING HER MARK
Keahilele Mattson has etched her name in the program's record book. Mattson currently sits at No. 3 in career all-time slugging percentage with a .603, and No. 8 in career home runs with 27.
PRESEASON POLL
The 2024 MW predicted order of finish, voted on by the league's nine head coaches, had the Bulldogs picked to finish fourth after receiving 41 points. San Diego State was picked to finish first with 64 points and eight first-place votes, followed by Boise State with 57 points and one first-place vote, and Colorado State rounded out the top three with 46 points.
PRESEASON ALL-MW SELECTIONS
Fresno State earned a pair of preseason selections in left fielder Keahilele Mattson and right-handed pitcher Taylor Gilmore.
Mattson, a two-time All-Mountain West selection, has started all 151 games of her career at Fresno State. The senior owns a .343 career batting average and a .603 career slugging percentage.
The Alta Loma, Calif., native had a breakout freshman season in 2021, she was named the MW Player of the Year and MW Co-Freshman of the Year, the first player to receive both honors in the same season. She was a 2021 NFCA All-Region Second Team honoree. Mattson was a MW First Team selection in both 2021 and 2023. Last season, Mattson led the Bulldogs in hits (66), RBIs (32) and on-base percentage (.435).
Gilmore joined the Bulldogs last season after spending four seasons at Colorado State. She made an immediate impact in the circle, pitching a team-high 136.1 innings with 10 starts. The Broomfield, Colo., native finished the season with a 3.18 ERA. Gilmore dished 86 strikeouts, pitched two complete games and recorded one save.