Cal Poly Hosts Big West Leader Long Beach State for April 23-24 Series

Saturday, April 23

San Luis Obispo, CA

1 p.m.

Long Beach State

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Hosts Big West Leader Long Beach State for April 23-24 Series

4/21/2022 2:23:00 PM | Softball

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Sitting three games behind Big West co-leader Long Beach State in the conference standings, the Cal Poly softball program hosts the Beach for a three-game series that opens with a Saturday, April 23 doubleheader before concluding with a Sunday, April 24 matchup. First pitch each afternoon is 1 p.m. for Cal Poly (14-22, 9-6), which has won eight straight Big West games to climb from eighth place in the conference standings to third alongside Hawai'i in just two weekends. Both Cal Poly – second in the Big West with a .288 team batting average – and Hawai'i trail Long Beach State (22-17, 12-3) and Cal State Fullerton (28-15, 12-3) by three games in the Big West standings. Long Beach State, meanwhile, has retained a share of first place after winning eight of its last nine games.

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

CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH STATE: The Beach has captured the last four series against Cal Poly, taking two of three matchups in 2018, 2019 and 2021 after sweeping the Mustangs in 2017. Cal Poly's last series win against Long Beach State was a 2016 road sweep while the program's last home series victory came in 2009. Dating to the first meeting between the two programs on April 22, 1978, Long Beach State leads the all-time series, 52-29.

CLOSE, BUT …: Thirteen of Cal Poly's 36 games – 36 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: With Cal Poly featuring the Big West's top two hitters, freshman left fielder Jessica Clements ranks 43rd among NCAA Division I batters with a .420 (50-for-119) mark while senior shortstop Maddie Amos sits 73rd with a .403 (48-for-119) average. Clements currently features the third highest single season average in program history while Amos is fifth.

AMOS ROUNDING OFF STANDOUT CAREER: Cal Poly's second leading hitter and ranked 73rd among NCAA Division I players with a .403 (48-for-119) average, senior shortstop Maddie Amos enters the April 23-24 series versus Long Beach State having hit safely in 23 of her last 26 outings. The Big West's leader with 38 RBI, 80 total bases and a .672 slugging percentage after matching an NCAA single game record with two grand slams at CSU Bakersfield (April 16), Amos also ranks third among conference players with seven homers and nine doubles and fourth with 48 hits. Owner of 13 multi-hit games (including a four-hit performance at Hawai'i on April 8 and three further three-hit efforts), Amos – the March 7, April 11 and April 18 Big West Field Player of the Week honoree – has struck out just 11 times in 130 plate appearances, averaging one every 10.8 at-bats. Ranked ninth in program history with a .328 (121-for-369) career batting average, Amos has started 126 of a possible 143 games during her career and all 71 since the start of the 2021 season.

CAREER DAY: With two grand slams and eight RBI during Cal Poly's 14-2, five-inning victory at CSU Bakersfield, senior shortstop Maddie Amos …
– Tied an NCAA single game record with two grand slams;
– Set a new program single game record with eight RBI;
– Tied a Big West Conference record eight RBI;
– Became the sixth Division I player during the 2022 season with eight RBI.

CLEMENTS DEBUT A HIT: Having hit safely in 27 of 36 games – including career best four-hit outings against San Diego State (Feb. 13), San Jose State (Feb. 25), at Hawai'i (April 9) and at CSU Bakersfield (April 16) – freshman left fielder Jessica Clements ranks 43rd among NCAA Division I players with a .420 (50-for-119) batting average. Also Cal Poly's leader with 15 multi-hit games, Clements ranks second among Big West players with 50 hits and fourth with 29 runs. The Feb. 14 and April 11 Big West Freshman Player of the Week honoree, Clements is one of four Mustangs to start all 36 games this season alongside senior shortstop Maddie Amos, senior designated player Lily Amos and junior second baseman Xiara Diaz.

ALLMAN IN THE CIRCLE: With just nine earned runs conceded in her last 22.0 innings, senior lefthander Krystyna Allman ranks second among Big West pitchers with 20 starts, third with nine complete games, fifth with a 2.65 ERA and sixth with 105.2 innings pitched. In her most recent start, Allman struck out a season best 10 CSU Bakersfield field hitters, but took an April 15 no decision. She also struck out nine Penn hitters on March 5.

JUDY MAKES HER MARK: Tenth among Big West pitchers with 65 strikeouts following a career high 12-strikeout performance at Hawai'i (April 8), freshman righthander Kate Judy has allowed just eight earned runs in her last 29.1 innings. Judy, who also struck out 10 Nevada hitters during a March 13 loss, has produced all five of her victories this season in her last seven 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 24 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 30-MAY 1): Two of Cal Poly's final three Big West series take place away from home with the Mustangs visiting conference co-leader Cal State Fullerton for a three-game, April 30-May 1 series. After dropping eight of its last nine meetings against Cal State Fullerton, Cal Poly seeks its first series win versus the Titans since taking two of three road matchups in 2017.