Cal Poly softball team goes to rival UC Santa Barbara for Big West Conference opener

The Cal Poly softball team gets a chance to hit the proverbial restart button this weekend as Big West Conference play begins.

The Mustangs (16-11), coming off an 11-day break from games, have lost five straight heading into their 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara. Cal Poly’s recent skid followed the best 21-game start in program history, a stretch that included wins against Pac-12 opponents Arizona, Oregon State and Stanford.

The Feb. 21 victory over the Wildcats, then ranked No. 9 in the country, started an eight-game winning streak and established junior Sierra Hyland as one of the top pitchers in the conference.

A three-time Big West Pitcher of the Week selection, Hyland (10-4) leads the conference and is eighth nationally with 154 strikeouts. She also ranks first in the Big West in ERA (1.67), opposing batting average (.175), innings (100 2/3 ) and complete games (12).

Though Hyland has not played in the past three contests, she leads Cal Poly in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.403), doubles (six), home runs (three) and RBI (19).

Sophomore third baseman Stephanie Heyward has emerged as a consistent threat offensively as well, having reached base in 23 of 27 games from the leadoff spot. She’s hitting .390 with a team-high 32 hits and 16 runs. Her career batting average of .344 is the second-best mark in program history.

If Hyland is unavailable against the Gauchos (17-17) this weekend, sophomore Lindsey Chalmers will likely make her 13th start of the season. Chalmers owns a 6-6 record and a 4.25 ERA over 59 1/3 innings.

Here’s a look at the rest of the Big West:

Cal State Fullerton (25-10)

Two-time All-American Missy Taukeiaho is among the most experienced players in the conference. The senior third baseman is hitting .365 with three home runs and 15 RBI on a team that enters Big West play with the best overall record. The Titans have won 12 of their past 14 games behind the dynamic pitching tandem of senior lefty Desiree Ybarra and freshman right-hander Sydney Golden.

UC Riverside (23-9)

With several key returners from last year’s 39-win team, the Highlanders could challenge for a conference championship. Sophomore Tayler Misfeldt’s 14 victories in the circle lead the Big West and rank 10th nationally. She’s backed by a potent offense that features Madeline Richard, who is batting .462 with 25 stolen bases, both of which rank second among conference opponents.

Long Beach State (20-11)

The 49ers were the clear favorite in the preseason Big West coaches poll. Senior third baseman Darian Tautalafu, a first-team all-conference returnee, leads the Big West in RBI (36) and is tied for the conference lead in home runs (eight). Long Beach State will lean on 2015 co-Big West Pitcher of the Year Christina Clermont again this spring. She is 12-3 with nine complete games and a 2.69 earned run average.

CSUN (20-14)

The defending Big West champion Matadors have their sights set on a repeat in 2016. Conference player of the year Katie Hooper turned in one of the best offensive seasons in Big West history as a sophomore last year when she hit 16 home runs and drove in 56 runs. Taylor Glover (.495 batting average) and Savannah Horvath (eight home runs) also rank among the top offensive players in the conference this season.

UC Santa Barbara (17-17)

The Gauchos are hitting .319 as a team entering Big West play, the second-highest average in the conference behind UC Riverside (.320). Junior outfielder Kristen Clark has been the driving force offensively, leading the team in batting average (.457), runs (29), hits (53) and stolen bases (14). Pitching remains the biggest question mark. Ashley Ludlow, Veronika Gulvin and Lena Mayer each have five wins to their credit, though Ludlow seems like the leader of the group with 95 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings.

Hawaii (16-17)

Coming off a 32-win season a year ago, the Rainbow Warriors have struggled to find their offensive rhythm in 2016. Hawaii’s .238 team batting average ranks last in the Big West by a wide margin. Freshmen Sarah Muzik and Nicole Lopez are each hitting over .280 for a team that’s played 27 home games to start the season.

UC Davis (11-16)

Junior centerfielder Brianna Warner figures to be one of the bright spots for the sliding Aggies. It took Warner 22 games to set the UC Davis single-season record for stolen bases. She is 27 for 27 in stolen base attempts, leading the Big West and ranking third nationally in that category. Since joining the Big West in 2007, the Aggies are 1-7 during conference openers.

This story was originally published April 1, 2016 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Cal Poly softball team goes to rival UC Santa Barbara for Big West Conference opener."