• Eryka Gonzales fired a complete game to lead Long Beach State to a 2-1 upset of No. 20 Baylor to begin its involvement in the Louisville Slugger Invitational at the LBSU Softball Complex on Thursday afternoon and pick up a first career Big West weekly distinction.
• In a lone appearance for the week, the right-hander out of Oxnard scattered four singles and allowed one run, striking out three against one walk in earning the winning decision to improve to 3-3 on the year.
• Gonzales threw 93 pitches in the contest, inducing 13 ground-ball outs to go along with the three on strikes. The Bears notched two singles in both the first and seventh frames, finally pushing a lone run across in that final inning before a groundout ended the game with runners stranded at second and third. A popout had left the bases full in the first.
• Gonzales is Long Beach State’s first Big West Pitcher of the Week since Samantha Fowler last April 4, 2022. Teammate Carly Robbins was this year’s first Big West Field Player of the Week on Feb. 13, with Makayla Medellin already a two-time Freshman of the Week.