Mountain West Series: Fresno State vs. UNLV
May 12-14, 2022 • Fresno, Calif. (Margie Wright Diamond)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN) KRDU-AM and the iHeartRadio App (Matt Norville)
LAST SEASON: UNLV was the only series loss that Fresno State had last season.
THE BREAKDOWN
Fresno State will celebrate seven seniors over the weekend.
Fresno State will have its Senior Day ceremony on Saturday, May 14.
Fresno State Athletics is celebrating its centennial year and the 2022 softball season is the 45th season in program history (inaugural season 1978).
Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson is in her first season coaching the Bulldogs.
Fresno State is the reigning MW Champions, after finishing the 2021 season with a 20-4 MW record to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State has two players batting over .300.
Fresno State's Alesia Denby leads the Bulldogs with nine home runs and 30 RBIs during the 2022 season.
Keahilele Mattson has a team-best 11 doubles. Bailey Williams and Mattson and each have a team-best three triples.
In the circle, Cassidy West and Casey Dixon and each have made 39 and 40 appearances, respectively.
West enters the series with nine wins and 144 strikeouts.
15 Bulldogs on the 2022 roster experienced postseason play in 2021.
BIG BATS BACK
Fresno State brings back nine players including its big bats in Keahilele Mattson, Adrianna Noriega and Vanessa M. Hernandez.
Mattson was named the MW Player of the Year, MW Co-Freshman of the Year, an All-MW First Team selection and a NFCA All-Region honoree during her first season with the Bulldogs in 2021. She became the first player in MW history to be named both the MW Player of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year.
The Alta Loma, Calif. native became the backbone of the Bulldogs' offense leading the team in batting average (.358), hits (49), doubles (10), home runs (12), slugging percentage (.737) and RBIs (41). Mattson's 2021 slugging percentage ranks No. 6 in the program's record book.
Noriega, an All-MW selection, and Hernandez, a NFCA All-Region selection, also add veteran depth.
NEW FACES
Fresno State revamped its roster with 10 newcomers.
May-Johnson added eight Division I transfers in Alana Cobb-Adams (Southern Illinois), Emery Nielson (Utah Valley), Casey Dixon (Louisiana), Abby Doughty (Utah Valley), Alyssa Orr (Iowa State), Bailey Williams (Texas), Marley Hanlon (UIC) and Kacey Hvitved (Ole Miss).
The 'Dogs also added two freshmen in Alex Wright and Taryn Irigoyen.
DENBY EARNS MOUNTAIN WEST ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM HONORS
Fresno State junior infielder Alesia Denby was named the 2022 Mountain West All-Conference First Team, announced by the conference on Wednesday morning.
The Murrieta, Calif. started all 21 games at shortstop. Denby led the Bulldogs through conference play with a .391 batting average, 25 hits, five home runs and 19 RBIs. The junior owned a .719 slugging percentage and a .446 on-base percentage.
She had nine multi-hit games including five with multiple RBIs. Through the final 11 games of MW play, Denby logged at least one hit in 10. She recorded a season-high five RBIs on three hits against Nevada on May 7.
This is the first All-MW award of Denby's career.