MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's softball team will kick off their 2020 season this week as they will travel to Davis to take on five different schools in the three day UC Davis Kick Off Tournament.
The tournament will begin on Thursday with a doubleheader against Boise State and UC Davis with the first game starting at 9 a.m. On Friday, the Gaels will face another doubleheader against California Baptist at 9 a.m. and Sacramento State at 2 p.m. On the final day of play, Saint Mary's plays Idaho State at 9 a.m.
LAST SEASON
Last year, SMC won more conference games in 2019 than the previous two years combined and it marked the first time since 2016 that the team has finished fourth or better in the conference standings. The Gaels posted a 14-37 overall record while going 7-8 in West Coast Conference action with a fourth place conference finish.
With a roster full of talent, Saint Mary's will welcome ten newcomers for the 2020 season: Kayla Scott, Alex Casas, Reyna Heredia, Gabrielle Perez, Vanessa Richie, Marissa Woolsey, Bry Waters, Jordyn Oliver, Indya Smith, and Maddie Gallagher.
ABOUT BOISE STATE
Boise State recorded a historic season last year as they owned a 36-16 overall record while going 12-12 in the Mountain West. The Broncos competed in the NCAA Gainesville Regional where they made it to the elimination game but ultimately fell to fifth-seeded Florida. Kora Wade was at the forefront of the Broncos' efforts as she posted a .401 batting percentage while tallying 49 runs with 177 at bats.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
UC Davis went 39-14 overall last season and finished third in the Big West Conference with a 13-8 record. Alyse Rojas and Marisa Given were the lone Aggies to post a batting average above .300 while making an appearance in all 53 contests. In the circle, Brooke Yanez led the conference in ERA (1.03) and strikeouts (273) while owning a 25-7 record.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
Last season, CBU owned a 21-33 (8-10 WAC) overall posting for a fourth-place finish in the conference. Caitlyn Lloyd led the team as she collected 23 runs, six of which were home runs, with a .331 batting average. Kellye Springstead was a key component in the circle for the Lancers as she earned a 18-18 record while notching a 2.81 ERA in just over 216 innings pitched.
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
Sacramento State recorded a 31-25 overall record last season while going 9-8 in the Big Sky. Nene Alas owned the best at bat on the team as she tallied 66 hits with a .359 batting average and a .459 on base percentage. The senior ranked first in the conference for runs scored (46) and was second for total stolen bases with 16.
ABOUT IDAHO STATE
Idaho State owned a 20-27 record last year and finished second in the Big Sky Conference with a 10-7 posting. Emma Bordenkecher led the team's efforts as she ranked fifth in the conference in batting average (.372) while tallying 25 runs and recording a .424 on base percentage. In the circle, Autumn Pease ranked second in the conference with a 2.36 ERA while owning a 10-5 record and pitched just over 121 innings.
