HAYWARD, Calif. – Cal State East Bay returns to Pioneer Softball Field to battle Holy Names on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and conference foe Humboldt State over the weekend. The Pioneers won their first five home games and split their recent 8-game road swing with Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State.

East Bay's Gabby Gonzalez enters Wednesday on a team-best 6-game hitting streak. She is second on the squad with her .300 batting average, raising that mark 86 points during that stretch.

Catcher Ali Cerminara has collected at least one base hit in 12-of-14 games this season and has reached base safely in all 14 contests. Her .409/.460/.682 slash line is either tops or second best in all three categories of batting average, slugging percentage, and on base percentage.

Pitcher Sierra Clark has thrown nearly half of the team's inning in the circle this season. She has posted a 5-1 record, one save, and a 3.27 ERA in eight appearances. Clark has earned three of the team's four conference wins thus far.

Holy Names (1-7) picked up its first win of the season defeating Central Washington 6-5 on Sunday, Feb. 22. It snapped a 7-game season opening losing streak and a split in the team's home debut against CWU.

Last season Cal State East Bay defeated HNU by 8-0 and 5-4 margins in Hayward. It was the first time these two squads had met since the Hawks held the Pioneers to three runs during a four game sweep.

Julianna Waller leads the team with 10 hits, four runs scored, and a .435 batting average. She has accounted for nearly a quarter of the team's base hits through eight games. Lyveana Ilayan has supplied the powered contributing both of the team's homers. She is tops on the club with seven RBI, five hits, and three runs scored.

Last year Lauren Vestal went 6-for-8 with three RBI to cap off a streak of four straight multi-hit games. She led the Pioneer offense which went 23-for-52 (.442) at the plate during the 2014 doubleheader.

No. 20 Humboldt State (7-4, 4-0 CCAA) enters this weekend off the heels of a four game road sweep over San Francisco State. The Jacks outscored the Gators 28-3 overall and halted both of Saturday's games shy of the full seven innings due to the mercy rule.

Through 11 games HSU currently has six qualified players hitting .324 or better. Julie Pena leads the Jacks with her .472 batting average and boasts a .472/.548/.806 slash line. Teammate Tiffany Hollingsworth is tied for the team lead with three homers and five doubles. Nine of her 14 hits have gone for extra base hits and she is best on the roster with 14 RBI.

Humboldt State's ace Katie Obbema is coming off First Team Daktronics All-West Region and CCAA Second Team season in 2014. The junior hurler has gone the distance in each of her six starts this season and boasts a 4-2 record with a 1.58 earned run average. She was walked only two hitters in 40 innings thus far.

Cal State East Bay took the series ending contest 5-1 in Arcata last year to avoid back-to-back season sweeps. It snapped a 7-game skid to the Jacks, who had been swept by the Pioneers in 2012 and had lost seven of eight before regaining control of the series