The Long Beach State softball team will begin its pursuit of a third straight Big West Conference championship and NCAA tournament bid when it opens its season on Friday.
The 49ers have won the Big West title each of the past two years, but that hasn’t translated to success in the NCAA tournament. LBSU was eliminated in regional play both times.
Head coach Kim Sowder, however, said her goal is simply to win the Big West once again.
“We expect to win conference,” Sowder said. “Our focus right now is to get off to a better start than we did last year.”
The 49ers started the 2012 season in an 8-17 slump before turning it around at the start of conference play. They captured wins in 16 of their final 20 games and catapulted into the Tempe Regional of the NCAA tournament.
It was the second year in a row that LBSU extended its season on the final day of regular season play, as well as the second consecutive year that their season ended in the opening Tempe Regional.
The 49ers will return many key players from last year’s squad, but they also lost one major contributor in the pitching staff.
A crucial area of focus for Sowder is finding a replacement for pitcher Taylor Petty, who graduated after last season. Petty missed the team’s first 32 games of the season with various injuries while the team struggled to develop a winning groove, but she came back in time for Big West play and posted a 1.24 ERA in 68 innings.
“Taylor was a very solid pitcher and certainly will be missed,” Sowder said. “You knew everyday what you were going to get from Taylor. That’s definitely a position that we’re going to need to fill.”
Sowder has five pitchers on her roster this year and plenty of options to protect junior Erin Jones-Wesley. Jones-Wesley was named Big West Pitcher of the Year in 2011 and was appointed to the Big West All-Conference first team in each of her first two collegiate seasons. Those two years are highlighted by a 1.92 ERA, a 44-21 record, 348 strikeouts and two no-hitters.
“I think we have a lot of depth this year, so I don’t think the lineup is ever going to be completely set,” Sowder said. “If someone struggles, we do have players that are very experienced who are capable of stepping in at any time and be the starter.”
Of the eight 49ers selected to all-conference teams last year, six are returning in 2013. The ‘Niners are returning second baseman Cya Neal, third baseman Hannah De Gaetano, utility and designated player Karli Sandoval, center fielder Leilani Tupua-Tautalatasi, shortstop Shayna Kimbrough and Jones-Wesley.
Past seasons indicate that De Gaetano will once again be one of the team’s top hitters. In two seasons at LBSU, she has produced a .326 career batting average and hit seven home runs. Also providing power are Nalani St. Germain, a senior who has a team-leading 20 home runs in three seasons, and senior infielder Ashlynn Booker, who had six homers last year.
Four players will be wearing the 49er jersey for the first time this season. Sophomore infielder Ashley Holmes, a Tennessee transfer, and fellow sophomore Arianna Erceg, a pitcher who transferred from Cal, will debut for the 49ers. Freshmen Selene Pola, a right-handed starting pitcher, and infielder Darian Tautalafua will be starting their collegiate careers at LBSU.
Holmes can play anywhere in the infield, but Sowder said she sees her sharing duties with St. Germain at first base. Holmes needed almost no time to fit in with the team, as she contributed a very productive fall season.
Erceg was Cal’s secondary pitcher as a freshman in 2011, earning big wins against ranked teams in Oregon and Arizona. Her experience and success in big games could make her a valuable addition to the 49er pitching staff.
Pola will be tried out in the closer role, according to Sowder. Pola was named Golden West League Pitcher of the Year in both her junior and sophomore years at Segerstrom High School.
Tautalafua comes to LBSU from Carson High School. She brings a powerful bat to the lineup, as she set the state record for home runs during her senior year. Defensively Tautalafua plays third base and could be used in right field as well. Sowder is looking for her to contribute right away.
The outfield will consist of junior Emily Gregorio in left, Tautalatasi in center, and Tautalafua or St. Germain in right. Sowder calls Tautalatasi a “triple threat,” meaning she can threaten any defense with effective bunting, slapping and power. Brie Stephan will provide great depth in the outfield as a player that can step in for anybody.
“She’s probably the healthiest she’s ever been in the four years,” Sowder said. “She’s a phenomenal defensive outfielder that can play any of the outfield positions.”
After a big 2011 season during which she hit .325 in 47 games, junior utility player Sarah Carrasco suffered a back injury last year that limited her to start only 18 games. Sowder said she is healthy again and believes she is ready to produce big moments for the 49ers with her big bat again in 2013.
“When she did get healthy toward the end of the season, she came through like she always does,” Sowder said. “Sarah seems to find a way to come through with big hits in really big ballgames for us.”
Carrasco’s bat extended the 49ers’ season last year, as she belted a three-run home run against Pacific in what would have been the last game of the season. The 4-2 win carried The Beach to the NCAA Tournament and sealed its Big West championship.
LBSU’s goal is to reach the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year. The 49ers will take on a challenging schedule, as they will play games against 10 ranked teams. Among those teams is Big West newcomer Hawaii, which is ranked 23rd in the nation and was picked to win the Big West in the conference’s preseason coaches poll. LBSU was picked as the runner-up and received four of the nine first place votes.
LBSU will also face tough opponents in No. 5 Tennessee, No. 6 Oregon and No. 10 Texas A&M. The 49ers will play the Aggies in the back end of a double header Friday at the UCLA Tournament.
Sowder said she believes the team has a lot of depth and experience. Her approach for the 2013 season is to play each game one at a time and let the team be who they are out of what they mold themselves into.
“We have a lot of experience in certain areas, offensively and defensively,” Sowder said. “We have great leadership in all classes. We’re going to go out and see what we’re all about. You never know until you get out on the field, and we don’t like to talk about too much of the stuff we can’t control. We just want to go out and play our best ball and play as one unit.”
The 49ers will open their season Friday morning against Wright State at the UCLA Tournament.
