WEEK 5: BULLDOG CLASSIC
March 7 – 9, 2025 • Fresno, Calif. • Margie Wright Diamond
Watch: Mountain West Network
Listen: KRDU 1140, the iHeartRadio App & Varsity App (Only Friday)
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
Tournament Central: Here
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateSB
SCHEDULE
Friday: vs. Saint Mary's, 6 p.m.
Saturday: vs. Pacific, 3 p.m. (doubleheader)
Sunday: vs. Saint Mary's, 2 p.m. (doubleheader)
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State softball team is set to host the Bulldog Classic at Margie Wright Diamond, March 7-9. The Bulldogs will face Saint Mary's and Pacific over the weekend.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State is 6-2 at home this season.
Fresno State went 2-2 at the Fresno State Invitational, defeating CSU Bakersfield and Southern Utah, while dropping their two games against Cal.
Kennedy Bunker owned a .538 (7-for-13) over the weekend with three RBIs.
Four Bulldogs are batting above .300 in Bunker (.395), Natalie Elias (.355), Alyssa Rebolledo (.303) and Lauren Almeida (.302).
Pitcher Serayah Neiss leads the 'Dogs with a 2.37 ERA and a 4-3 record this season.
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll.
This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.
Neiss was named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection.
Neiss posted a 2.58 ERA over 152 innings last season, recording 105 strikeouts.
She also set a program record with five saves in a single season.
Fresno State returns 18 players, including seven starters.
Fresno State bolstered its roster with 12 newcomers, including three Division I transfers.
OPPONENTS OFF THE BAT
Saint Mary's is 1-4 on the road this season.
The Gaels have dropped their last two games.
The Bulldogs have won three out of the last four games against th Gaels.
Pacific is 4-1 on the road this season.
The Tigers have won their last three games.
The Bulldogs opened the 2025 season against the Tigers, winning 5-1.
Fresno State has won 11 out of the last 12 games.
LAST WEEKEND
Fresno State went 2-2 at the Fresno State Invitational, defeating CSU Bakersfield and Southern Utah, while falling to Cal.
Kennedy Bunker owned a .538 (7-for-13) over the weekend with three RBIs.
Key-Annah Campbell-Pu'a finished the weekend with a 0.00 ERA, recording one win through six innings.
INFIELD SHIFT
There was very little change in the infield personnel last season, with first base, second base, and shortstop remaining unchanged throughout the year.
However, following the departure of Sophia Medellin, who started all 52 games at first base, and Bella Rocco, who appeared in 35 games with 27 starts at third base, along with the addition of transfer Marissa Montelongo, there will be new faces around the diamond this season.
Emma Martinez, who started every game at second base in 2024, has moved to shortstop in the offseason, while Montelongo will take over at second base. Lauren Almeida, who started at shortstop in 2024, shifted to third base.
With the unexpected absence of Martinez (injury) in the lineup to start the season, freshman Kiara Sipe has taken over at shortstop for the Bulldogs.
First base saw an open competition during the offseason, and Madison Rey, who did not appear in the infield last season, made her first career start on opening day.
After the first four games of the season, Almeida and Rey swapped positions. Almeida has been at first and Rey has been at third since.
Montelongo suffered an injury at the Mary Nutter Classic, forcing the Bulldogs to change their infield again.
Taryn Irigoyen, who had made eight starts in the outfield before last weekend, played all four games at shortstop. It was her first start in the infield since 2022.
OUTFIELD SHUFFLE
Fresno State is searching for the right combination of outfielders this season.
While the outfield saw frequent rotation throughout 2024, left field had been solidified for the past four seasons, with Keahilele Mattson starting all 203 games of her career in that position.
The only remaining true outfield starter was Natalie Elias, who started 49 games in the outfield last season.
In addition, four returners brought experience to the outfield: Taryn Irigoyen, Alyssa Rebolledo, Kealani Nitta, and Alyssa Orr.
Through 16 games this season, Fresno State has had nine different outfield combinations in its starting lineup.
RACKING UP WINS
Since being named head coach, Stacy May-Johnson has steadily improved her team's performance each year.
In 2022, her first season, the Bulldogs finished with a 19-36 record (10-14 MW). The team showed growth in 2023, posting a 23-31 record (10-12). The momentum continued in 2024, with a significant leap to a 33-19 record (13-9 MW).
1ST IN OUR HEARTS, 2ND IN THE PRESEASON POLL
Fresno State was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's nine head coaches.
This marked the highest preseason ranking for Fresno State since 2021, when the Bulldogs were selected as the conference favorite.
NEISS EARNS PRESEASON ALL-MW HONORS
Junior left-handed pitcher Serayah Neiss was named a Preseason All-Mountain West selection, the Bulldogs' sole representative on the list.
Neiss posted a 2.58 ERA over 152 innings last season, recording 105 strikeouts. She also set a program record with five saves in a single season.