Cal Poly Completes Road Trip with April 15-16 Series at CSU Bakersfield

Friday, April 15

Bakersfield, CA

1 p.m.

CSU Bakersfield

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Completes Road Trip with April 15-16 Series at CSU Bakersfield

4/12/2022 2:15:00 PM | Softball

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Winners of five straight matchups, the Cal Poly softball program completes a six-game road trip when visiting CSU Bakersfield April 15-16. The three-game series opens with a Friday, April 15 doubleheader before concluding with a Saturday, April 16 single contest. First pitch on ESPN+ is 1 p.m. both afternoons for Cal Poly (11-21, 6-6), which returned to the mainland Monday after producing its first Big West Conference road series sweep in six years at Hawai'i (April 8-9). The Mustangs now occupy a share of fifth place in the Big West standings alongside UC Davis (18-18, 6-6) and UC Riverside (15-19, 6-6). The three programs trail second place Long Beach State (19-17, 9-3) by just three games with five regular season series remaining. CSU Bakersfield (8-22, 3-9), which did not play a 2021 schedule after joining the Big West in 2020, earned its first series win as a member program after taking two of three games at UC Santa Barbara (April 8-9).

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Daniel Gillman provides the play-by-play for ESPN+ HERE for all three series games at CSU Bakersfield … live stats will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS CSU BAKERSFIELD: California Collegiate Athletic Association foes from 1985-94, CSU Bakersfield leads the all-time series against Cal Poly, 39-35. The pair last met on Feb. 8, 2020 with Cal Poly winning an 11-3 decision at UCLA. With the two programs meeting for the first time as Big West opponents, the upcoming series marks Cal Poly's first appearance at Roadrunner Softball Complex since splitting a March 24, 2015 doubleheader.

CLOSE, BUT …: Thirteen of Cal Poly's 32 games – 41 percent – have been decided by a single run with the Mustangs holding just a 3-10 mark in such matchups. Cal Poly's three one-run victories include a 2-1 home triumph against Nevada (March 12), a 7-6 home win versus UC Santa Barbara (April 2) and 8-7 decision at Hawai'i (April 9).

BIG WEST BATTING RACE TAKES SHAPE: Senior shortstop Maddie Amos and freshman left fielder Jessica Clements take identical .400 (42-for-105) batting averages into the April 15-16 series at CSU Bakersfield, a mark that ranks second among Big West players behind only a .405 (30-for-74) figure by Cal State Fullerton's Peyton Toto. Also ranked 88th among NCAA Division I players, Amos and Clements currently have the fifth highest single season average in Cal Poly program history.

AMOS ROUNDING OFF STANDOUT CAREER: Cal Poly's co-leading hitter and ranked second among Big West players with a .400 (42-for-105) mark, senior shortstop Maddie Amos enters the April 15-16 series at CSU Bakersfield having hit safely in 19 of her last 22 outings. Also ranked second among Big West players in total bases (66), fourth in RBI (29), sixth in homers (five) and eighth in doubles (seven), Amos has struck out just 10 times in 114 plate appearances, averaging one every 10.5 at-bats. Owner of 11 multi-hit games (including a four-hit performance at Hawai'i on April 8 and three further three-hit efforts), Amos – the March 7 and April 11 Big West Field Player of the Week honoree – ranks 10th in program history with a .324 (115-for-355) career batting average. Amos has started 122 of a possible 139 games during her career and all 67 since the start of the 2021 season.

CLEMENTS DEBUT A HIT: Having hit safely in 24 of 32 games – including career best four-hit outings against San Diego State (Feb. 13), San Jose State (Feb. 25) and at Hawai'i (April 9) – freshman left fielder Jessica Clements ranks second among Big West Conference players with a .400 (42-for-105) batting average and 42 hits and fourth with 24 runs. Also Cal Poly's leader with 12 multi-hit games, Clements – the Feb. 14 and April 11 Big West Freshman Player of the Week honoree – is one of four Mustangs to start all 32 games this season alongside senior shortstop Maddie Amos, senior designated player Lily Amos and junior second baseman Xiara Diaz.

ALLMAN IN THE CIRCLE: With victories in two of her last three appearances, senior lefthander Krystyna Allman ranks second among Big West pitchers with 19 starts, third with nine complete games and fifth with a 2.72 ERA and 97.2 innings pitched. Tossing a complete-game, four-hitter to earn her fifth win of the year in a 7-1 decision against UC Santa Barbara (April 3), Allman struck out a season best nine against Penn (March 5).

JUDY MAKES HER MARK: Now Cal Poly's leader with 58 strikeouts following a career high 12-strikeout performance at Hawai'i (April 8), freshman righthander Kate Judy has allowed just 11 earned runs in her last 42.1 innings. Judy, who also struck out 10 Nevada hitters during a March 13 loss, has produced all four of her victories this season in her last five appearances.

SIBLINGS IN THE FOLD: Among the 293 Division I programs for the 2022 season, Cal Poly – alongside Indiana State and IUPUI – is one of just three teams to feature multiple pairs of siblings on the roster. With seniors Maddie and Lily Amos each starting all 32 games, freshman third baseman Caroline Allman – a starter in 11 of 23 appearances – has entered the lineup alongside senior lefthander Krystyna Allman.

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP: Three of Cal Poly's opening 13 games occurred versus programs ranked or receiving votes in the Feb. 15 edition of the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. After falling against Stanford (receiving votes) on Feb. 13, the Mustangs sustained setbacks versus No. 5 UCLA (March 3) and No. 23 Arizona State (March 4).

CAL POLY SELECTED SIXTH IN BIG WEST POLL: Earning one first-place vote in the 2022 Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, Cal Poly was selected for a sixth-place finish following Monday's release. The Mustangs, who finished seventh in the standings last year, earned 42 votes in Monday's poll to finish seven points behind Hawai'i and UC San Diego and one point ahead of UC Santa Barbara. Cal State Fullerton was selected first in the poll with 77 points and five of 10 first-place votes.

LOOKING AHEAD (APRIL 19, 23-24): Cal Poly returns home to open a four-game home stand when hosting Fresno State for a Tuesday, April 19 matchup before resuming to Big West play with a three-game, April 23-24 series versus second place Long Beach State.