WEEK PREVIEW
GAME 1: Nevada at Fresno State (April 21, 2023 – 6 p.m. PT)
GAME 2: Nevada at Fresno State (April 22, 2023 – 12 p.m. PT)
GAME 3: Nevada at Fresno State (April 23, 2023 – 11 a.m. PT)
LOCATION: Fresno, Calif. (Margie Wright Diamond)
TV/WEB: CW59 [April 22 & April 23] & Mountain West Network [All Games]
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network – 1130 AM (Matt Norville) [All Games]
LIVE STATS: BulldogsLive.com
FIRST PITCH
The Fresno State softball team hosts Nevada for a three-game series, which starts on Friday at 6 p.m. PT.
Fresno State (17-24, 6-7 Mountain West) enters the week having won six of its last 11 games.
Fresno State is currently in a tie for fifth place in the MW standings.
Last weekend, Fresno State defeated Utah State 10-9 in nine innings on Saturday and then lost 8-2 in Sunday's series finale.
19 of Fresno State's first 41 games this season were decided by two or fewer runs, including 14 by a single run (6-8 in one-run games).
AT THE PLATE
Fresno State's Keahilele Mattson leads the team with a .348 batting average, seven home runs and 25 RBIs as a starter in all 41 games.
Fresno State's Juliana Wilson sports a .315 batting average and has homered seven times this season.
Fresno State's Emma Martinez owns a .303 batting average with 22 runs scored this season.
Fresno State's Alesia Denby is batting .293 and leads the Bulldogs with seven home runs, nine stolen bases (in 10 attempts), 28 runs scored, 25 RBIs, eight doubles and three triples entering the week.
Fresno State freshman catcher Kennedy Bunker has caught all 41 games for the 'Dogs and has 16 RBIs with seven doubles and 10 runs scored in her debut season in a Bulldog uniform.
Four Bulldogs – Mattson, Denby, Bunker and Bella Rocco – enter the week having played and started in all 41 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 the Bulldogs' home sweep of New Mexico (March 31-April 2).
Taylor Gilmore leads the squad with a 3.40 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 36 appearances (11 starts) and 103.0 innings of work.
Shelbi Denman is 6-3 on the season with a 4.41 ERA in 24 appearances (nine starts).
Freshman pitcher Serayah Neiss has recorded 63 strikeouts over the course of 74.1 innings of work in 25 appearances (17 starts) during her first collegiate season.
Hannah Ortega owns a 4.06 ERA in 29.1 innings over 17 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.