April 27, 2011

April 27, 2011

Complete Release in PDF Format

• The Schedule
Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 1 & 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, 2011 - 1 p.m. 
UC Santa Barbara (24-20, 8-4) vs. Long Beach State (30-14, 8-4)
All-time series record vs. 49ers: 29-69-1
Last series vs. 49ers: 3-0 (May 1-2, 2010)

To follow this weekend's games on Gametracker, click here.

• This Week In Gaucho Softball
After a two week home stand, the Gauchos will hit the road this weekend and head to Long Beach State for a three-game Big West Conference series. The pairing will be a battle between the league's third place teams, both of which are just one game out of first place, which is currently occupied by Cal State Fullerton and Pacific.

• For The Record
UCSB has posted a 24-20 overall record and an 8-4 mark in Big West play. This marks the Gauchos' best start to conference play since 2008 when they also went 8-4 in their first four series. UCSB has won its last three consecutive conference series against Cal Poly, UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge, respectively. The last time the program recorded three-straight league series wins was in 2004 when they defeated Northridge, Pacific and UC Riverside consecutively.

• Krista Cobb Named Big West Pitcher of the Week
Junior Krista Cobb was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week on Monday after helping lead the Gauchos to a 2-1 series win over visiting Cal State Northridge last week at Campus Diamond. The West Hills, Calif. native went 2-0 in three appearances over the weekend, starting two games and coming out in relief in another. Cobb's first start was a test of endurance as she went eight innings for the win in the series opener. She allowed nine hits, four earned runs, walked five and struck out six in the 5-4 victory. After 2.1 innings of perfect relief in a game two UCSB loss, Cobb came through with an excellent effort to win game three. She went seven innings and allowed just three hits, two unearned runs and struck out three. In all, Cobb posted a 1.62 ERA in her 17.1 innings of work. This marks Cobb's sixth conference Pitcher of the Week honor and her first this season.

• Two For One
The Gauchos currently rank third nationally for double plays per game. They are averaging 0.57 per game and have tallied a school-record 25 so far this season.

• Offensive Behavior
UCSB rates as one of the top teams in the league offensively, ranking second in batting (.282), slugging (.392), runs (202), hits (335), total bases (465) and stolen bases (39). Meanwhile, UCSB leads the league with its 60 doubles this season, which is just four away from tying the school record, which was set during the 2000 season. In conference games, UCSB paces the league in runs (64), hits (104), RBI (57) and total bases (147).

• Gauchos Go Yard
UCSB has been hitting the long ball on a frequent basis as of late. Of the Gauchos' 18 home runs this season, 10 have been hit in their last nine games. The Gauchos have already surpassed their 14 home runs hit last season and have tied their 2009 output.

• In The Circle With Krista
Krista Cobb has been outstanding in league play. The junior owns a 6-1 record in Big West games and a 2.12 ERA, which ranks fourth among conference players. She leads the league in innings pitched (62.2), batters struck out looking (11) and wins in BWC games. Her opposing batting average of .205 ranks third. For the season, she owns a 3.67 ERA and 12-9 record. She is also moving her way up in the UCSB record books and ranks fifth in career wins (38), seventh in shutouts (13), eighth in complete games (4), ninth in strikeouts (238) and 10th in innings pitched (410.1).

• Triple Time
Junior Brooke Putich hit her fifth triple of the season in Saturday's series closer against Cal State Northridge. The outfielder currently ranks 17th nationally for triples per game (0.11) and has moved to fourth on the UCSB career triples list (7). In the opening game of the series with the Matadors, Putich posted her second consecutive three hit game, tying her career-high for hits. She is currently third on the team with her career-best .315 batting average and is second on the team and fourth in the conference with 11 stolen bases on the year.

• Popping Pilpils
Second baseman Kathryn Pilpil stretched her hit streak to 12 games - the longest by a Gaucho this season - before it was snapped in game three against the Matadors. The freshman ranks sixth in the Big West in stolen bases (10), and seventh in RBI (27) and doubles (8). She is currently fifth on the team with her .292 batting average and leads the squad with 30 runs and 22 walks. Since league play has begun, she is batting .326.

• Taylor Made
Junior Allison Taylor brought her team-leading multiple RBI games to eight after driving in three runs in Saturday's 4-2 win over Northridge, one shy of her career-high four RBI (recorded against Ohio State on Feb. 26). Taylor is amidst a five game hitting streak and has driven in six runs across those contests. She is batting a career-high .299 this season and ranks sixth in the conference in RBI (28) and seventh in doubles (8). Taylor is also second on the team with her four home runs, the first four of her career.

• Catching Up With Our Catcher
Junior catcher Lainey DePompa has come on strong in the second half of this season. She has registered a hit in 13 of the last 16 games and is third on the team with her .351 batting average in Big West games. Overall, she is batting a career-best .278 and has more than doubled her career totals in doubles and RBI, with six and 16, respectively, this year.

• Kane Is Able
Freshman McKenzie Kane leads the Gauchos in batting average (.344) and hits (54), which is second the Big West. She leads the conference in stolen bases (13) and is eighth in runs (26). The center fielder has posted a team-high 15 multiple-hit games and has had a hit in all but eight games.

• Jennings Out for the Remainder of the Season
After suffering a knee injury in the final game of the UC Riverside series, sophomore shortstop Keilani Jennings will be forced to sit out the remainder of this season. This is her second season-ending injury of her career; she broke her leg early in the 2009 season and had to use a medical redshirt year. Jennings ended her season with a .344 batting average, 27 runs, 15 doubles, six home runs and 31 RBI. She still leads all Big West players in slugging (1.107), on-base percentage (.559), runs (12), home runs (4) and total bases (31) in league games despite missing last weekend's series. This season she tied the program's single season doubles record, set by Tiffany Wright in 2008. Jennings is two doubles away from cracking the UCSB top-10 list and tying 10th-ranked Natalie Adame's (2000-03) career output (21).

• Super Senior
Senior Jessica Beristianos continues to carve out her place in the UCSB record books. With just nine regular season games left in her career, she is second in career doubles (39) and needs just three more to tie Mandy Edwards' (1997-2000) school record. She is also tied fourth in career RBI (89) and tied ninth in career runs (74), both with Kendra Singley (2004-06).

• The Galicinao File
Head coach Brie Galicinao, who is now in her fourth season at the helm of the UCSB softball program, has coached the Gauchos to a 96-106 cumulative record for a .475 winning percentage, the second-best since the softball program went Division I in 1982. Galicinao has coached three players to All-Region honors, two players to Big West Field Player of the Year accolades, one Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year and 16 All-Big West Conference selections. In 2008, Galicinao was named the Big West Co-Coach of the Year after her first season leading the Gauchos.

• Gauchos.360
The Gaucho softball team has entered the blogsphere. Several members of the team are contributing regularly to "Gauchos.360" filling in UCSB fans on their student-athlete experience. To check it out visit click here.

• Tweet, Tweet
Head coach Brie Galicinao is on Twitter. To get her insights and updates throughout the season (and the rest of the year), follow her here.

• Get Your Tickets
Tickets for all of the Gauchos' home contests this season are now available. To purchase tickets, please call (805) 893-UCSB, visit the Ticket Office located inside the Intercollegiate Athletics building on campus or click here.