SERIES PREVIEW
GAME 1: Fresno State at UNLV (April 6, 2023 – 6 p.m. PT)
GAME 2: Fresno State at UNLV (April 7, 2023 – 3 p.m. PT)
GAME 3: Fresno State at UNLV (April 8, 2023 – 12 p.m. PT)
LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nev. (Eller Media Softball Stadium)
TV/WEB:Mountain West Network
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network – 1130 AM (Matt Norville)
LIVE STATS: Sidearm Stats
FIRST PITCH
The Fresno State softball team visits the UNLV Rebels for a three-game series, starting Thursday in Las Vegas.
Fresno State (15-19, 4-2 Mountain West) enters the series with UNLV (17-17, 3-6 MW) on a four-game winning streak and has won seven of its last 10 games.
Fresno State is currently in a tie for second place in the MW standings and a half game back of first place Boise State.
Last weekend, Fresno State swept New Mexico (3-1, 1-0, 4-1) with three complete games tossed by its pitchers.
15 of Fresno State's first 34 games this season were decided by two or fewer runs, including 11 by a single run (5-6 in one-run games).
Fresno State is seeking its first series win against UNLV since winning two out of three at UNLV in 2019.
MARTINEZ NAMED MOUNTAIN WEST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Fresno State freshman second baseman Emma Martinez was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday. This is the first career MW weekly honor for Martinez.
Helped Fresno State to a 4-1 record on the week, which included a series sweep over New Mexico, 3-1, 1-0, 4-1, and a nonconference split with Santa Clara, 10-12 (8 innings), 5-4
Batted .500, 7-for-14, with four runs, seven hits, one double, and one RBI
Went 2-for-2 on stolen bases
Posted a .571 slugging percentage and .529 on-base percentage
AT THE PLATE
Fresno State's Keahilele Mattson leads the team with a .382 batting average and a .469 on base percentage as a starter in all 34 games.
Fresno State's Juliana Wilson sports a .324 batting average and has homered five times this season.
Fresno State's Emma Martinez owns a .305 batting average with 18 runs scored this season.
Fresno State's Alesia Denby is batting .288 and leads the Bulldogs with six home runs, nine stolen bases (in 10 attempts), 23 runs scored, 22 RBIs, seven doubles and three triples entering the series.
Fresno State freshman catcher Kennedy Bunker has caught all 34 games for the 'Dogs and has 15 RBIs with six doubles and eight 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 34 of Fresno State's games this season.
IN THE CIRCLE
In 2023, Fresno State has mostly pitched by committee, but got three impressive complete games from its staff in last weekend's sweep of New Mexico.
Senior pitchers Taylor Gilmore (Colorado State) and Shelbi Denman (Stony Brook) transferred to Fresno State for the 2023 season and own the team's top two ERAs (Gilmore: 2.81 ERA • Denman: 3.50 ERA).
Gilmore secured two complete game victories with wins in game one and three over the Lobos and Denman threw a complete game shutout in game two. Gilmore and Denman have each registered two complete games this season for the team's four total complete games this season.
Taylor Gilmore leads the squad with a 2.81 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 29 appearances (seven starts).
Shelbi Denman is 6-3 on the season with a 3.50 ERA in 18 appearances (seven starts).
Freshman pitcher Serayah Neiss has recorded 51 strikeouts over the course of 59.1 innings of work in 20 appearances (15 starts) during her first collegiate season.
Hannah Ortega owns a 4.15 ERA in 28.2 innings over 16 appearances (two starts).
BULLDOGS PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
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.
The top six teams in conference play will qualify for the 2023 MW Softball Championship, which will be held May 11-13, 2023 at SDSU Softball Stadium in San Diego. The hybrid single and double-elimination event awards first-round byes to the top two seeds with the other four seeds playing single-elimination contests to advance to the double-elimination format.