GAME 1: Fresno State at San Diego State (March 24, 2023 – 6 p.m. PT)
GAME 2: Fresno State at San Diego State (March 25, 2023 – 4 p.m. PT)
GAME 3: Fresno State at San Diego State (March 26, 2023 – 12 p.m. PT)
LOCATION: San Diego, Calif. (SDSU Softball Stadium)
TV/WEB: YouTube (Game 1) / Mountain West Network (Game 2 & 3)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network – 1130 AM (Matt Norville)
LIVE STATS: BulldogsLive.com
FIRST PITCH
The Fresno State softball team begins Mountain West play by visiting the San Diego State Aztecs for a three-game series, which starts Friday at SDSU Softball Stadium.
Fresno State enters the weekend having won its last two games, which included a 3-2 road win at LMU in 11 innings on March 18 and an 8-2 road win at Sacramento State on March 22.
Fresno State head coach Stacy May-Johnson is in her second season leading the Bulldogs' program.
Fresno State (10-16, 0-0 Mountain West) faces San Diego State (16-9, 1-2 MW) in San Diego for the first time since 2021. SDSU is currently ranked a conference-best 38th nationally in RPI, which has the Aztecs in position for a possible NCAA Tournament at-large bid.
Fresno State leads the all-time series with San Diego State, 67-22.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State's Keahilele Mattson leads the team with a .333 batting average, a .593 slugging percentage, a .443 on base percentage and a 1.036 OPS as a starter in all 26 games.
Fresno State's Juiliana Wilson sports a .326 batting average and has homered in the seventh inning of each of the Bulldogs' last two games.
Fresno State's Alesia Denby is batting .271 and leads the Bulldogs with six home runs, 19 RBIs, five doubles and two triples entering the weekend.
Fresno State freshman catcher Kennedy Bunker has caught all 26 games for the 'Dogs and has 10 RBIs with three doubles and six runs scored in her debut season in a Bulldog uniform.
Four Bulldogs – Mattson, Denby, Bunker and Bella Rocco – enter the series having played and started in all 26 of Fresno State's games this season.
IN THE CIRCLE
In 2023, Fresno State has pitched by committee as all of the Bulldogs' pitchers have registered less than 50 innings so far this season with just one complete game (Shelbi Denman).
Taylor Gilmore leads the squad with a 2.37 ERA in 23 appearances (three starts).
Serayah Neiss has recorded a team-high 46 strikeouts over the course of 48.1 innings of work in 17 appearances (13 starts).
Shelbi Denman is 4-2 on the season with a 4.09 ERA and has limited opposing batters to a .282 batting average in 13 appearances (six starts).
Hannah Ortega owns a 3.77 ERA in 26.0 innings 14 appearances (two starts).
Gilmore and Ortega have each issued only four walks this season.
BULLDOGS EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS
2023 Fresno State Invitational
Most Outstanding Player & All-Tournament Team: Alesia Denby
All-Tournament Team: Juliana Wilson
All-Tournament Team: Emma Martinez
All-Tournament Team: Taylor Gilmore
2023 Bulldog Classic
Most Outstanding Pitcher & All-Tournament Team: Taylor Gilmore
All-Tournament Team: Abby Doughty
'DOGS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH
The Fresno State softball team was picked to tie for fifth in the 2023 Mountain West softball regular season, as voted by the league's nine head coaches.
Boise State was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the 2023 MW softball regular season title.
Boise State tallied 61 points and five of the nine first-place votes. San Diego State was a tight second place with 60 points and the remaining four first-place votes.
UNLV was voted third with 48 points, Colorado State in fourth with 36 points, Fresno State, Nevada, and San José State all tied for fifth with 25 points each, New Mexico in eighth with 23 points and to round out the MW preseason poll was Utah State in ninth with 21 points.