Event: Desert Classic
Teams: UC Davis vs. Brigham Young; Oregon State; Hawaii; Utah
Records: Aggies, 3-1; Cougars, 4-2; Beavers, 2-2; Warriors, 1-4; Utes, 3-2
Where: Las Vegas, Nev.
When: Saturday at 11:15 a.m., 6 p.m.; Sunday at 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m.
Who to watch: It is known that the Aggies have an array of stars in the pitching circle, but what people may not know is that they also have a group of outstanding hitters.
One of them is senior outfielder Belinda Paine who’s hitting .538 with a .615 slugging percentage through the first four games of the season.
The Lakewood, Calif. native has also scored three of UC Davis‘ 13 runs this season.
Did you know? UC Davis faced Utah twice last season, winning both matchups. As part of Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., the Aggies defeated the Utes, 5-1 and 5-4 in March.
Preview: The Aggies are off to a hot start this season after going 3-1 at the Cathedral City Classic last weekend. This weekend, they’ll be playing a similar schedule.
The first of four games in a little over a 24-hour period pits UC Davis up against BYU.
The Cougars are led offensively by sophomore shortstop Jessica Purcell, who boasts a .368/.478./.947 vital line with three home runs and 11 RBI in five games.
UC Davis will then face Oregon State in the nightcap. The Beavers split four games last weekend in the Cathedral City Classic.
On Sunday, UC Davis has two morning games, the first against Hawaii. The Warriors are off to a slow start with a 1-4 record, including a 6-5 loss to Louisiana State in nine innings.
UC Davis will conclude the weekend with Utah, who averages over eight runs per game through five games this season.
Junior Kara Foster powers the Utes‘ offense as she brings a .500/.556/1.125 vital line to the table with three dingers and seven RBI this season.
Regardless of whom the opponents throw in the batter’s box this weekend, it will be tough to hit off of a UC Davis pitching staff that has a 0.78 ERA after the first four games of play.
Senior Jessica Hancock and sophomore Alex Holmes lead the Aggies pitching staff in most pitching categories. Hancock has thrown a pair of complete games, while Holmes hasn’t allowed a run this season.
–Max Rosenblum
