Stanford (19-4, 0-0 Pac-12) at
California (19-9, 1-2 Pac-12)
Saturday • 2:30 p.m. PT • Berkeley, Calif.
TV • Pac-12 Networks
Live Statistics • CalBears.com
QUICK HITS
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Stanford owns the #22 RPI in the nation this week ... is receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA (13) and ESPN.com/USA Softball (10) polls ... earned a national ranking (#22 according to Softball America) on March 5 for the first time since April 1, 2014 (#24 in NFCA and USA Softball) ... has had 12 games decided by two or fewer runs this year (10-2), including going 7-2 in one-run contests ... won 12 straight games from February 21-March 8 ... 12-game win streak was the longest since the 2014 squad began the year 13-0 ... 19-4 start is the best since 2012 (20-3) ... has delivered 42 two-out RBI and is batting .289 (57x197) when hitting with two out ... is 9-for-22 with the bases loaded (2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR) ... has put the leadoff hitter on base 39% of the time (56-for-143) ... leads the Pac-12 in triples (14) and is second in the nation in triples per game (.61) ... 14 triples are tied for fifth in Stanford single-season record book ... has scored first in 15 of the 23 games this year, and is 14-1 when scoring first ... is tied for third in the Pac-12 in hit-by-pitches (17) ... has swiped 31 bases in 36 attempts to place fifth in the Pac-12 in stolen bases ... ranks second in the Pac-12 in ERA (1.75) ... is 2-0 against ranked opponents this year ... is 10-0 when hitting a home run this year.
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Teaghan Cowles was named Pac-12 and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on March 5 after hitting .818 with an .889 OB% and 1.455 SLG% at the Stanford Invitational ... raised her batting average 102 points over five games from March 1-3 (.271 to .373) ... hit safely in 10 straight games from February 22-March 8 (.500, 15x30, 16 R, 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI) ... is fourth in the Pac-12 in triples (3) ... is hitting .500 (14x28), slugging .929 and reaching at a .600 clip with 14 runs scored, three triples, two homers, four stolen bases and four RBI over the last 10 games.
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Montana Dixon reached in 10 straight games from February 22-March 8 ... has been hit by six pitches this year to rank first in the Pac-12 ... is hitting .385 (10x26) with runners in scoring position ... is 12-for-26 (.462) when hitting with two out.
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Maddy Dwyer is 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA and one save over 11 appearances (10 starts) ... ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in ERA.
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Taylor Gindlesperger is a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases.
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Alyssa Horeczko is a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases ... ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in stolen bases ... is hitting .400 (10x25) with runners on base.
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Hannah Howell has reached safely in 13 of her 15 games played.
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Kristina Inouye is 14-for-42 (.333) with runners on base this year, including 12-for-30 (.400) with runners in scoring position ... launched a grand slam vs. Cal Poly on March 3 ... is fourth in the Pac-12 in triples (3).
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Emily Klingaman ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in triples (2) ... has reached base in 21 of her 23 games played this year, including nine straight.
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Carolyn Lee ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in ERA (1.39) ... is 2-1 with a .88 ERA over her last three starts, striking out 15 in 16 innings of work.
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Kiana Pancino is 6-0 with five saves and a 1.56 ERA over 15 appearances (one start) ... leads the Pac-12 and is second in the nation in saves (5) ... ranks seventh in the Pac-12 in ERA.
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Emily Young connected for a two-out inside-the-park grand slam in the bottom of the third against Seattle University on February 9 ... is fourth in the Pac-12 in triples (3) ... was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on March 5 ... is hitting .429 (6x14) with a triple and three runs scored over the last five games ... carries a six-game hit streak into Pac-12 play.
THIS WEEK
Having not competed since March 10, Stanford will return to action this week, opening Pac-12 play with a three-game set at California starting on Saturday. All three games in the series will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks. The Cardinal had last week off from competition in advance of finals week this week. Saturday's opener is slated for a 2:30 p.m. first pitch, followed by 2 p.m. starts on Sunday and Monday.
LAST TIME OUT
Stanford went 3-2 as the host of the Cardinal Classic from March 8-10, collecting a pair of victories over UMass Lowell and a win over Bucknell, while dropping two close contests to UNLV. The 1-0 loss to UNLV on March 9 snapped a 12-game win streak for the Card. Four of the five games played at the tournament were decided by one run, with Stanford going 3-1 in those contests.
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
» Stanford faculty/staff members can claim up to four (4) tickets to the March 27 doubleheader against Saint Mary's by participating in the BeWell program and completing their SHALA.
SCOUTING THE BEARS
Cal enters the week sporting a 19-9 overall record, including a 1-2 mark in the Pac-12 after salvaging a series with Utah by way of an 8-7 win on Sunday. The Bears will meet Sacramento State on Wednesday before opening the three-game set with the Card. Lindsay Rood paces the offense with a Pac-12 best .485 batting average, 35 runs scored, 10 doubles, four triples and four homers to the tune of 20 RBI. She also leads the team in stolen bases, boasting an unblemished 19-for-19 clip in that department. Mikayla Coelho has driven in a team-high 25 runs, highlighted by seven round-trippers. California is hitting .325 as a team. On the pitching side, Cal has worked to a 2.49 team ERA, led by Kamalani Dung at 2.17 over 17 appearances and 10 starts. Dung has compiled 74.1 innings of work with 86 strikeouts. Diane Ninemire is in her 31st season at the helm of the program.
QUITE THE LEADER
Junior
Teaghan Cowles has emerged as a stellar leadoff option at the top of the order, hitting first in each of the 23 games this year. Cowles is hitting .355 overall this year, including .378 (17x45) with the bases empty. Furthermore, she is reaching at a .531 clip (17x32) when leading off an inning. In true leadoff at bats to start a game, Cowles is hitting .333 (7x21) with two home runs and a triple.
EARLY RUNS
Stanford is outscoring opponents, 22-2, in the first inning this year. The Card has hit .295 (28x95) with six doubles, four triples and three homers in the opening stanza. Reaching base at a .387 clip, Stanford has also drawn 14 walks. On the other side, Stanford's pitching staff has amassed a .61 ERA over the 23 first innings.
TWO-OUT HITTING
Stanford is hitting .289 (57x197) with two out this year, as four players with at least 15 at bats are batting .350 or better in the situation. Junior
Montana Dixon paces the way, connecting for a blistering .462 average (12x26), followed by
Hannah Howell (.375),
Alyssa Horeczko (.353) and
Teaghan Cowles (.350). Digging deeper into the clutch situation, the Card has delivered 42 two-out RBI, including nine from Dixon and eight from
Whitney Burks. Dixon is hitting 600 (9x15) with two doubles, a homer and nine RBI when batting with two out and runners in scoring position, guiding Stanford to a .265 average as a team.
COWLES NAMED PAC-12 & NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
After batting .818 to guide Stanford to a 5-0 record the previous week, junior
Teaghan Cowles was tabbed Pac-12 and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on March 5. The National Player of the Week selection was the first for the Cardinal since Kelsey Stevens captured the honor from the NFCA on February 26, 2013. Cowles, who shared the honor with NC State's Brigette Nordberg, also became the ninth player in Stanford history to claim a National Player of the Week selection. Cowles went 9-for-11 over the five games, including a victory over then-No. 23 Northwestern on March 1. Serving as the leadoff hitter in the order, she reached base at an .889 clip and slugged 1.455 while collecting 11 runs scored, two triples, a homer and two RBI. Cowles' on-base percentage was strengthened further by six walks and one hit-by-pitch. Once aboard, Cowles was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts. The native of Ridgefield, Wash. batted 3-for-3 with four runs scored, a double, a homer and two RBI against Montana on March 1, finishing a double short of the cycle. She closed the week with a perfect 2-for-2 day on March 3 against Cal Poly, scoring four times and drawing three walks – two intentional. All told, Cowles reached safely in 16 of 18 plate appearances, including 15 of her final 16.
YOUNG TABBED TOP FRESHMAN
Freshman
Emily Young garnered Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors on March 5, marking the first selection for a Stanford player since
Teaghan Cowles was tabbed following the first week of the 2017 season. Young batted .462 (6-for-13) with three runs scored, two doubles, a triple and three RBI en route to being named Freshman of the Week. Stanford's starting shortstop posted a pair of multi-hit games, including finishing 2-for-2 with a double, a triple and three RBI against Montana on March 1. The native of Mason, Ohio closed the week by batting 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double in Stanford's 13-5 victory over Cal Poly on March 3. Over the course of five Stanford victories, Young compiled a .769 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage.
DON'T RUB IT
Stanford led the Pac-12 in hit by pitches in 2018, drawing 56. That trend has continued into 2019, as the Card has been hit by 17 pitches so far this season to claim a share of the third-most in the Pac-12. Junior
Montana Dixon leads the way with six hit by pitches, placing first in the Pac-12.
SIXTH INNING IS BIG
Stanford's 5-0 record at the LSU Invitational was highlighted by big sixth innings. The Card outscored opponents 14-2 in the sixth inning that weekend, including posting seven runs in the sixth against #7 LSU and six more against Michigan. Overall this season, Stanford is outscoring opposition 27-6 in the sixth.
ALLISTER AT TIGER PARK
While she is 5-0 at LSU's Tiger Park as head coach of Stanford,
Jessica Allister's success in that venue precedes her move to The Farm. Allister went 9-0 over two trips to Baton Rouge while leading Minnesota, finishing 5-0 in 2014 and 4-0 in 2017, to accumulate a 14-0 overall record at one of the toughest venues to play in the nation.
HAVE A DAY, INOUYE
Junior infielder
Kristina Inouye guided the way for Stanford offensively on Opening Day, finishing the two games hitting .833 (5-for-6) with two runs scored, a double, a triple and nine RBI. She slugged 1.333 and reached at an .857 clip. Overall on the weekend, Inouye batted .467 and drove in a Pac-12 best 11 runs while slugging .867. The native of Huntington Beach, Calif. posted 25 RBI a year ago, but already owns 20 through 23 games this year. She has twice totaled five-plus RBI this season, notching six on February 8 vs. Kansas, and five against Cal Poly on March 3 - four coming by way of a grand slam.
MAKE IT A TRIPLE
Teaghan Cowles had six triples in 2018, tying for second all-time for a single season in Stanford program history. It was the most in a year since Cassandra Roulund also had six in 2013. Cowles did not triple over the first three weekends of this season, but recorded a pair in five games played at the Stanford Invitational. With the three in 2019, Cowles has racked up 13 triples in her first three years on The Farm - third-most all-time. It seems the triple has become contagious in 2019, as Stanford has already racked up 14 through 23 games this year to lead the Pac-12 and place second in the NCAA in triples per game. The 14 triples rank tied for fifth in the Stanford single-season record book.
STOLEN BASE A STAPLE
Stanford's offense got a serious boost from its success on the basepaths last year, ranking fourth in the Pac-12 with 55 stolen bases in 67 attempts. In fact, the Cardinal's 55 steals were more than the entire production from the last three seasons combined (8-10 in 2017, 4-5 in 2016 and 22-26 in 2015 for a total of 34 steals in 41 tries). The running game was anchored by
Teaghan Cowles, who was fifth in the conference going 18-19.
Alyssa Horeczko was 12-16, ranking ninth in the Pac-12, to give Stanford two players with at least 10 steals for the first time since 2014. The Card has seemingly picked up where it left off, swiping 31 bases in its first 36 attempts this year. Horeczko is 8-for-8, freshman
Taylor Gindlesperger is 6-for-6, and Cowles is 6-for-7 to lead the way.
BURKS LAUNCHES A PAIR
Senior
Whitney Burks connected for a pair of home runs in the season-opener on February 8 against Bradley. The team leader in home runs with five in 2018, Burks wasted no time getting her first in 2019, sending a leadoff shot out to straight-away centerfield in the second inning before capping an eight-run seventh with a three-run home run. The native of Fairfax Station, Va. finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored, the four RBI and a pair of walks. The multi-homer game was the first of Burks' career, and the first for the Cardinal since
Kylie Sorenson hit a pair at Hawaii on March 4, 2016.
A LOOK BACK
Stanford finished the 2018 season with a 24-31 overall record and a 3-21 mark in the Pac-12. It was the most overall and conference wins for the Cardinal since 2014. In fact, after the first weekend of conference play, Stanford had already exceeded its win total from 2017. The Cardinal reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2014. Among Stanford's highlights were a six-game winning streak in March, the Cardinal's longest since a 13-game unbeaten stretch to open 2014. The Cardinal also earned wins over UCLA and Arizona in the same season for the first time since 2013.
CARD PICKED EIGHTH IN PRESEASON POLL
Stanford has been chosen by the conference coaches to finish eighth in the stacked Pac-12 Conference this season, the league announced on February 5. UCLA, which received five first-place votes and totaled 61 points overall, edged Washington as the favorite to win the Pac-12 title. Washington received four first-place votes and 60 overall points. The Bruins and Huskies are ranked first and second, respectively, in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top-25 poll to open the season. Arizona is tabbed third with 50 points, followed by Arizona State in fourth with 43 points. California and Oregon State share fifth with 31 points, followed by Utah (19), Stanford (17), and reigning Pac-12 Champion Oregon (12) to round out the poll.
FOWKES, WHITE NAMED TO ISRAELI NATIONAL TEAM
Senior outfielder
Molly Fowkes was added to the Israeli National Softball Team on January 23, joining a squad that already includes former Stanford standout Leah White. Fowkes, White and their teammates will compete at the European Championships in late June. The top six teams will then move on to compete at an Olympic Qualifying tournament in July. In order to play for Israel, athletes are required to have at least one Jewish parent or grandparent and must travel to Israel to receive dual citizenship.
ALL-REGION RECOGNITION
Teaghan Cowles and
Hannah Howell earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-West Region third team honors at third base and outfield, respectively, last season. It was the first career honor for both Cowles and Howell.
ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
Stanford led the Pac-12 with nine all-academic picks last year.
Carolyn Lee,
Victoria Molina and
Lauren Wegner were selected to the first team, while
Whitney Burks,
Teaghan Cowles and
Arden Pettit landed on the second team.
Alyssa Horeczko,
Hannah Howell and
Kristina Inouye were honorable mention. Additionally, Lee was a CoSIDA Academic All-District pick.
SINGLE SEASON MARKS
Stanford's 17 triples and .974 team fielding percentage from 2018 both matched the third-best output in a single season in program history, while the Cardinal's 55 stolen bases tied for 10th. Individually,
Teaghan Cowles's 18 stolen bases tied for the ninth-best mark in a single season.
ALLISTER RETURNS TO THE FARM
Jessica Allister completed her first season at the helm after being named the Cardinal's fourth head coach on July 18, 2017. Allister arrived on The Farm after serving as the head coach at Minnesota for seven seasons, compiling a 290-107 (.730) overall record. Allister led the Gophers to unprecedented heights in 2017, registering a program-best 56-5 record and earning the first No. 1 national ranking in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll in program history. A second-team All-American in 2004 and three-time all-conference selection, Allister helped guide the Cardinal to four NCAA Women's College World Series appearances in 2001 and 2004. A four-year starting catcher, Allister holds the school record for most games played (266) and graduated among the top-10 in numerous career categories.
MILESTONE FOR ALLISTER
Head coach
Jessica Allister registered her 300th career win against Santa Clara on Feb. 25, 2018. Now in her eighth season as a head coach, Allister holds a 314-138 (.695) career record.
