The Easter weekend will be a big one for the eight Big West softball schools as important matchups dot the schedule nearing the midway point of conference play.
League-leading Long Beach State, owners of a 5-1 mark in Big West play, packs its bags for a tough three-game conference set at #RV/#t-25 Cal Poly, which checks in the third weekend of conference play at 4-2. It’s a classic case of something's gotta give as the 49ers are a combined 11-11 in road or neutral contests, while the Mustangs are an impressive 13-0 at home this season and have won 15 in a row at Bob Janssen Field dating back to last season. LBSU leads the all-time series by a 29-13 count, but was swept by Cal Poly in its previous trip to San Luis Obispo in 2007.
The other 4-2 teams in Big West play are in action against one another this weekend as Cal State Fullerton heads north to take on UC Davis. The Titans/Aggies series stands at 9-3 in favor of CSF, but UCD went down to Anderson Family Field a year ago and took two out of three from Cal State Fullerton, an eventual NCAA participant. The site of UC Davis at home has been a rare one this season as the club has played only four home contests to this point due to weather issues earlier in the season. The Aggies have made the most of those four games at LaRue Field, going 4-0 in those opportunities.
After losing three straight for just the second time this season, Cal State Northridge looks to get back to its winning ways with a road series at UC Santa Barbara. The Matadors have been road warriors this season, going a combined 15-10 in road or neutral contests. They will have to contend with a UCSB side that is coming off a Monday split against nationally-ranked Fresno State on the road and owns a 6-1 record at Campus Diamond.
The final league matchup of the holiday weekend will take place in Northern California as UC Riverside heads to Stockton to take on Pacific. The Tigers have struggled at the start of Big West play, going 0-6 at the start of the conference schedule for the first time since 2006. They will look to snap that string against a UC Riverside program that has already toppled league stalwarts Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara this season.
Pacific will also play one non-conference contest this week as the Tigers head to San Jose to take on San Jose State in a single game Tuesday afternoon.