Oregon State Set for Third-Straight Weekend on the Road
CSU Game Notes | UNC Game Notes | SDSU Game Notes | Live Stats (@UNC) | Live Stats (@CSU) | CSU Live Stream
CORVALLIS, Ore. - For its third weekend of play, the Oregon State softball team will head to Colorado for the Colorado Classic. Starting on March 5, Northern Colorado will host days one and three with Colorado State hosting day two.
GAME INFORMATION
Colorado Classic - Mar. 5-7
RECORDS:
OREGON STATE: 6-2, 0-0 Pac-12
COLORADO STATE: 2-6, 0-0 Mountain West
NORTHERN COLORADO: 2-7, 0-0 Big Sky
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: 4-1, 0-0 Summit League
SERIES RECORDS:
COLORADO STATE: Oregon State leads 7-2
NORTHERN COLORADO: Oregon State leads, 3-2
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: Oregon State leads, 2-0
Oregon State vs South Dakota State
DATE: Friday, March 5
TIME: 9:00 AM PT
SITE: Gloria Rodriguez Field - Greeley, Colo.
STATS: UNCBears.com
STREAM: UNCBears.com
Oregon State vs Colorado State
DATE: Friday, March 5
TIME: 3:00 PM PT
SITE: Gloria Rodriguez Field - Greeley, Colo.
STATS: UNCBears.com
STREAM: UNCBears.com
Oregon State vs Northern Colorado
DATE: Saturday, March 6
TIME: 9:00 AM PT
SITE: Ram Field - Fort Collins, Colo.
STATS: CSURams.com
Oregon State vs Colorado State
DATE: Saturday, March 6
TIME: 11:30 AM PT
SITE: Ram Field - Fort Collins, Colo.
STATS: CSURams.com
STREAM: CSURams.com
Oregon State vs Northern Colorado
DATE: Sunday, March 7
TIME: 8:00 AM PT
SITE: Gloria Rodriguez Field - Greeley, Colo.
STATS: UNCBears.com
STREAM: UNCBears.com
*records as of 3/4/21
Oregon State notes | Colorado State notes | Northern Colorado notes | South Dakota State notes
ABOUT THE BEAVERS
• Oregon State opened the season with five straight wins before earned a 1-2 record in its second weekend of play.
• The Beavers won all four of their games at the Easton Invitational (Feb. 12-13) with their final win coming against Loyola Marymount on Feb. 15.
• At the Wildcat Invitational (Feb. 26-28), OSU saw a win over BYU with losses to Seattle and No. 3 Arizona.
• Junior Missy Nunes leads the team with a .400 batting average and a .880 slugging percentage.
• Nunes' eight hits, nine RBIs, and four home runs also sit at the top of the team.
• Sophomore Frankie Hammoude and junior Mariah Mazon follow Nunes with two home runs each for 13 total RBIs. Hammoude batted in seven runs with Mazon hitting for six RBIs.
• Freshman Madison Simon has served as the leadoff batter in all eight games on the season. In 28 at bats she's notched eight hits, including one double and one triple.
• In the field, redshirt-sophomore Rylee Maston leads with 44 putouts while Simon leads with 14 assists.
• Freshman Xiao Gin and junior Burden have each played for multiple double-plays. Gin has played for three with Burden compiling two.
ON THE MOUND
• Junior Mariah Mazon has won four games for the Beavers with seniors Nerissa Eason and Trystan Melancon each earning one win.
• Earning the team's first shutout of the season, Mazon also pitched her first no-hitter of the season against Utah State (2/13).
• In 31 innings pitched, Mazon has notched 37 strikeouts from 116 batters.
• Eason follows with 12.1 innings pitched for a 0.57 ERA with 12 strikeouts from 44 batters.
• Melancon has seen 34 batters with 12 strikeouts made for a 1.40 ERA in 10 innings pitched.
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW
• The Oregon State softball team was in Tuscon, Ariz. for its second weekend of play. Seeing three full games, the team won once and lost twice.
• OSU opened the weekend with a 10-3 win over BYU (2/26). The Beavers notched two unearned runs in the fourth inning before BYU tied the score in the bottom half of the fourth. Oregon State gained the lead in the fifth inning with six RBIs before Mazon added to the lead with a 2-RBI home run.
• The Beavers saw Seattle take an early lead in their second game of the weekend on Saturday (Feb. 27). Sophomore Frankie Hammoude hit a home run but it wasn't enough to overcome SU's lead and Oregon State fell, 2-1, for their first loss of the season.
• After a hard-fought battle, the Beavers held on for a close loss to No. 3 Arizona (2/28) when junior Mariah Mazon hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning. Headed into an extra inning, freshman Charity Sevaaetasi hit a double for an RBI but the Wildcats were able to come back and win, 3-2.
FIRST MARKS
• Junior Mariah Mazon hit her first home run of the season against BYU before hitting a second against No. 3 Arizona.
• Sophomore Ashton Zeiher saw her first game of 2021 against Seattle while freshman Katie Hicks and sophomore Maia Rader pinch-hit for the first game appearance this season against Seattle and Arizona, respectively.
• Freshmen Charity Sevaaetasi and Madison Simon hit their first career doubles against Arizona.
PAC-12 TEAM RANKINGS
Hitting:
• 5th; 11 doubles
• 5th; 2 triples
Pitching:
• 3rd; 1.16 ERA
• 3rd; 9 earned runs
• 4th; 7.99 strikeouts/seven innings
Fielding:
• 2nd; 163 putouts
• 2nd; 50 assists
• 5th; .964 field percentage
• 5th; 3 double plays
PAC-12 INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Nerissa Eason
• 3rd; 0.57 ERA
• 14th; 6.81 strikeouts/seven innings
• T-16th; 12 strikeouts
• 19th; 12.1 innings pitched
Xiao Gin
• T-4th; 4 doubles
Frankie Hammoude
• 12th; 43 putouts
Rylee Maston
•11th; 44 putouts
Mariah Mazon
• 2nd; 4 complete games
• T-3rd; 4 pitching wins
• 4th; 37 strikeouts
• 5th; 31.0 innings pitched
• 10th; 8.35 strikeouts/seven innings
• 11th; 1.35 ERA
Trystan Melancon
• 9th; 8.40 strikeouts/seven innings
• 12th; 1.40 ERA
• T-16th; 12 strikeouts
Grace Messmer
• 9th; .520 on-base percentage
Missy Nunes
• T-6th; 4 home runs
• 5th; .880 slugging percentage
• T-18th; .400 batting average
Madison Simon
• 14th; 14 assists
THE ROSTER
• Due to the shortened season of 2020, all members of the 2020 softball team have received another year of eligibility. Each of the members of the 2020 team has kept their athletic years from last season.
• All but one member of the senior class will be returning. Trystan Melancon, Fallon Molnar, and Nerissa Eason will play for Oregon State in 2021 while Karla Calderon graduated in 2020.
• All but two members, Paige Goodrich and Izzy Owen, of the rest of the team have chosen to return for the 2021 season.
• The fall of 2020 brought four new additions to the team: Charity Sevaaetasi, Jade Soto, Katie Hicks, and Madison Simon are all the newcomers for the 2021 season.
• Though 2020 was cut short, the Beavers were able to play 26 games. Four student-athletes - Xiao Gin, Mariah Mazon, Grace Messmer, and Missy Nunes - all started in all 26 games while Morgan Allen missed just one game and Ashton Zeiher and Maia Rader missed two games.
• 12 of the 16 returning softball players on the 2021 team competed in at least five games for the Beavers last season with six of those returning from 2019 seeing action in at least a third of the last full season's games.
• The Beavers have one player that hails from the state of Oregon, Ashton Zeiher (Scio), with one player that comes from outside the United States, Grace Messmer (British Columbia).
• California is the highest represented state on the 2021 Oregon State softball team with 13 student-athletes coming from the state to our south. Two players come from Washington with one student-athlete from Florida, Nevada, and Texas.
LAST SEASON
• Despite the 2020 season being cut short, the Beavers were able to play 26 games for a record of 17-9 record. The team was unable to start conference play before the season ended.
• Eight players participated in at least 75 percent of the games, with seven returning to the team in 2021. Mariah Mazon, Xiao Gin, Missy Nunes, and Grace Messmer started all 26 games with Morgan Allen starting 25 and Maia Rader and Ashton Zeiher starting 24.
• Nunes led the team with five home runs and 22 RBIs.
• Mazon and Fallon Molnar followed Nunes with four home runs. Mazon notched 15 RBIs while Molnar earned 11.
For those who competed regularly, Mazon's .377 batting average (29 hits, 77 at bats) led the 2020 squad.
• In the field, Morgan Allen led the team with 144 putouts while Nunes followed with 121.
• Allen and Grace Messmer both contributed to five double plays while Messmer led the team with 46 assists.
ON THE MOUND
• All four pitchers who saw action on the mound in 2020 will return for 2021.
• Mariah Mazon, returning to complete her junior season, was the leading pitcher in 2020. Mazon recorded a 1.18 ERA with 10 wins in 20 appearances.
• She pitched a total of 113 innings, 14 complete games, and six shutouts while striking out 130 batters.
• Mazon returns after being named to Softball America's All-America Third Team.
• Second to Mazon was Trystan Melancon, a graduate transfer from the University of Houston. With 11 appearances in 2020, Melancon notched a 1.81 ERA with five wins and three complete games. She earned one shutout and pitched for 67 strikeouts.
• Rounding out the 2020 pitching squad was freshman Xiao Gin and senior Nerissa Eason. Gin earned two wins with a 3.28 ERA and nine strikeouts while Eason pitched for a 1.75 ERA and three strikeouts.
A LOOK BACK AT 2019
• The Beavers finished the 2019 season with 26 wins and 19 losses with an 8-14 record in the Pac-12.
• Frankie Hammoude and Missy Nunes served as a large portion of Oregon State's offensive power, starting all 45 games on the season.
• Hammoude led the squad with 11 home runs and 36 RBIs. She earned 34 hits in 120 at bats for a .283 batting average.
• Missy Nunes followed Hammoude's lead with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. She earned 36 hits in 132 at bats for a .273 batting average.
• In the field, Hammoude led the team with 300 putouts while Nunes was the runner-up with 67 assists, and serves as the returner with the highest assists.
• Hammoude contributed to 12 double plays while Maia Rader helped in eight.
• Radar is the final returner who played in at least 75 percent of 2019's games. She made 38 starts at shortstop and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
ON THE MOUND
• The Beavers returned three pitchers from 2019 to the 2020 season.
• Mariah Mazon was the leading returner for the Beavers. She recorded a 2.70 ERA, posting 17 wins in 30 appearances. She pitched 174 total innings, 20 complete games, and four shutouts while striking out 166 batters.
• Mazon was named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team and Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team in 2018 with a third-team conference nod in 2017, as well as being named to the conference all-freshman team.
• Nerissa Eason posted three wins in 10 appearances in 2019. She pitched 34.1 innings, recording 33 strikeouts, two complete games, and one shutout.
• Sophomore Payton Goodrich, who will not return for 2021, and freshman Xiao Gin rounded out the 2020 pitching lineup.
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
• South Dakota State has one weekend of play under their belt for a 4-1 weekend.
• The Jackrabbits opened with their lone loss to Iowa State before beating Drake (twice), Northern Iowa, and Butler.
• Peyton Daugherty leads the team with a .471 batting average and eight hits.
• Cylie Halvorson and Lindsey Culver have both hit a home run to bat in the most runs with three each.
• Tori Kniesche and Grace Glanzer lead with two complete games on the mound. Kniesche owns a 1.00 ERA from 14 innings pitched with 23 strikeouts for two wins. Glanzer follows with a 4.31 ERA from 13 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts for a 1-1 record.
AGAINST THE JACKRABBITS
• Oregon State leads the all-time series, 2-0.
• The Beavers' first and last meeting with the Jackrabbits was during the 2007 season. On March 16, OSU defeated SDSU, 5-2, with South Dakota State coming back to win the next day, 8-0, in six innings.
ABOUT NORTHERN COLORADO
• Northern Colorado is 2-7 on the season after two full weekends of play.
• The Bears led off with a four-game series against UTEP with two wins and two losses from Feb. 19-20.
• For the final weekend in February, Northern Colorado played Utah State, Weber State, and Dixie State in St. George Utah for a total of five games.
• Katie Simonsguard owns the highest batting average (.385) with Carson Fischer hitting for the most RBIs (6).
• The Bears' six home runs come from Paola Villegas, Mady Young, Emma Brockmann, Dani Young, and Fischer with M. Young hitting two.
• Villegas and Alyssa Wenzel have made 11 hits to lead the team. In 29 at bats, Villegas hit for nine singles, one triple, one home run, and four RBIs. In 31 at bats, Wenzel hit for eight singles, two doubles, one single, and four RBIs.
• With 32.1 innings pitched, Erin Caviness is the Bears' main pitcher. She has a 4.55 ERA with 26 strikeouts.
AGAINST THE BEARS
• Oregon State leads the all-time series, 3-2.
• The Beavers last met the Bears in 2017 for a five-inning 10-1 victory. Oregon State held off UNC's runs until the final inning.
ABOUT COLORADO STATE
• Colorado State opened the season at the Texas A&M Invitational (Feb. 20-22) with a 1-4 record. The Rams were scheduled to start at the Texas Classic but it was canceled.
• CSU played three games at the Wildcat Invitational for one win against Seattle in eight innings and two losses to No. 3 Arizona and Seattle.
• Ashley York leads Colorado State with a .294 batting average, six RBIs, a triple, and two home runs.
• Corina Gamboa follows closely with a .259 batting average, four RBIs, seven hits, and a homer.
• Jessica Jarecki leads on the mound with three complete games for a total of 23 innings pitched. Throughout her three wins, Jarecki has earned 23 strikeouts.
• Taylor Gilmore and Julia Cabral follow Jarecki. Gilmore found a 3.28 ERA from 10.2 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts. Cabral notched a 3.41 ERA from one complete game and 12.1 innings pitched with 10 strikeouts.
AGAINST THE RAMS
• Oregon State leads the all-time series, 7-2.
• The Beavers and the Rams last met in March of 2018 for the San Diego Classic. OSU took the 1-0 win with Chance Burden scoring the winning run.
NCAA TOURNAMENT
• The Beavers have reached the NCAA Tournament four times under the direction of head coach Laura Berg. As a program, OSU has made a postseason appearance 13 times.
• The Beavers are 30-22 all-time in their 13 tournament appearances following two wins and two losses at the Tuscaloosa Regional in 2018.
• The last time OSU won a regional was in 2006 when it played Nevada and No. 19 Baylor twice. OSU went on to play in the Women's College World Series that year.
• Berg and former head coach Kirk Walker (1995-2012) are the only head coaches in program history to reach the NCAA Tournament.
NATIONAL SOFTBALL
• Head coach Laura Berg is the most decorated USA Softball Olympic Athlete after joining the national team in 1994. Berg won three gold medals for the United States (1996 - Atlanta, 2000 - Sydney, 2004 - Athens) and one silver (2008 - Beijing).
• Berg joined the Women's National Team coaching staff in 2012 and has served as an assistant before being named the head coach for the Junior WNT in 2017. Most recently, Berg was an assistant coach with the WNY that won Gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
• On November 14, 2019, Berg was named an assistant to the 2020 WNT's coaching staff.
• Junior Frankie Hammoude made her National Team debut in the summer of 2019 after trying out and making the Junior Women's National Team.
• Hammoude helped the JWNT become the 2019 U-19 WBSC World Cup Champions after hitting a three-run home run to tie things up in the championship game against Japan. The USA went on to capture the title.
• Sophomore Grace Messmer helped Canada to a Bronze Medal finish at the WBSC World Cup after recording a sac fly against Australia.
ABOUT THE OREGON STATE COACHING STAFF
• Head coach Laura Berg hung up her cleats after nearly 20 years of playing softball and spent a year with the LAPD in 2010-11 before returning to the game as an assistant coach for the 2012 season at Oregon State.
• Berg enters her ninth season at the helm of the Oregon State program, recording four NCAA Tournament appearances. Read more about the Beavers' head coach on the attached game notes.
• Associate head coach Marcie Green also has experience with law enforcement. Green studied criminology at Fresno State and spent five years as a prison guard at Corcoran State Prison in California following graduation before starting to coach. Green works primarily with the pitchers.
• Assistant coach Eric Leyba returns for his third season on staff, working with the infielders and batters. Under his first season with the infielders, Leyba coached Hammoude and Rader to All-Freshman honors at first base and shortstop.
• Volunteer assistant coach Shelly Prochaska is entering her second straight season with the Beavers. Prochaska, a member of the softball team from 2000-03, served as an undergraduate assistant in 2004. Before coming to Oregon State, she was an assistant coach for the Sonoma State softball program during the 2018-19 season.
• Heather Smith also returns for her 20th season as the Director of Operations.
UP NEXT
• Following a weekend in Colorado, the Beavers will host Sacramento State for its first two home games on Saturday (Mar. 12) before playing Oregon and Nevada in Eugene, Ore on Sunday (Mar. 13).
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team on Twitter and Instagram, @BeaverSoftball.
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).