HAYWARD, Calif. – The Cal State East Bay softball team will return to the diamond for a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) weekend road series against Chico State in Chico, CA.
 
CSUEB will battle the Wildcats in with doubleheaders on Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25. Friday's doubleheaders set to begin at 12 noon and Saturday's series will start at 11:00 a.m.
 
This will be the Pioneers fist game since February 12 after having their previous three home doubleheaders cancelled due to field conditions caused by the extremely rainy start to February. Makeup dates for East Bay's series against Humboldt State, the top ranked team in the nation, will be announced if it can be arranged to fit both squads' schedules.
 
PIONEER POINTS
The Pioneers are off to a 6-2 record to start the 2017 season. After sweeping series' over Academy of Art and Holy Names, East Bay is 2-2 so far in conference play this season after splitting their CCAA opener with SF State.
 
Even with their series against Humboldt State and Dominican being cancelled due to inclement weather, East Bay is still 5th in the conference with a .333 batting average, 2nd with 57 RBIs and a .719 slugging percentage.
 
The Pioneers are tops in the conference with 13 home runs, 2nd with 63 runs scored and 123 total basses.
 
Senior Marisa Lerma is 8th in the CCAA batting .474 through eight games. She is tied for the team lead with nine hits. Lerma has racked up five runs, eight RBIs 16 total bases and two home run blasts. She is slugging .842 through eight starts this season, ninth in the CCAA. Lerma is also 3rd in the conference with a .667 on-base percentage.
 
Junior Ashley Allen is 15th in the conference batting .429 so far on the season. She has a team leading nine hits and eight runs scored. Allen has compiled 10 total bases, two RBIs and a .476 slugging percentage.
 
Freshman Jennifer Palmares currently has a .375 batting average. Palmares has tallied nine hits, six runs scored, 15 total bases and six RBIs. She is tied for 4th in the CCAA with three doubles and has hit one homer on the season with a .625 slugging percentage.
 
Sophomore Tanya Galvan has added eight hits, six runs scored, six RBIs and 10 total bases. She has a .333 batting average and a .417 slugging percentage. Galvan is tied for 2nd in the conference with one triple.
 
Freshman Sarah Fukushima is 10th in the CCAA with a .840 slugging percentage and a team leading four home runs, which is 2nd in the conference. Fukushima has eight hits, eight runs scored and 21 total bases. Her 12 RBIs is 6th in the CCAA.
 
Ali Cerminara, the all-time leader in home runs, added to her career mark with two homers on the season (26). She also moved into 9th all-time with 28 doubles and 6th all-time with 95 RBIs. She is batting .318 with seven hits, seven runs scored, seven RBIs, 12 total bases and a .519 slugging percentage.
 
SCOUTING CHICO STATE
The 2017 Chico State softball team was tabbed to finish 2nd in the CCAA Softball Preseason Coaches Poll. The Wildcats finished with a 40-16 record and 27-11 mark in CCAA action. It was just the second 40-win season in the school's history. Chico State is off to a 5-0 start to the season after winning the Montana State University Stinger to open the season. Ari Marsh leads the Wildcats with a .467 batting average with seven hits, four runs scored, six RBIs, 11 total bases and one home run. Cailin Garmon is batting .444 for Chico State with eight hits, nine runs scored and eight total bases.
 
Chico State took the season series 3-1 over East Bay in 2016.