Teams: UC Davis vs. Cal State Fullerton
Records: Aggies, 22-27 (12-6); Titans 19-29 (7-11)
Where: Anderson Family Field — Fullerton, Calif.
When: Friday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.; Saturday at noon
Who to watch: Kelly Harman, a former Big West Conference Freshman Field Player of the Year and All-Big West Honorable Mention, will possibly be playing her final games as an Aggie this weekend.
With a team-high of 23 walks, Harman maintains a composure at the plate and stands among the best in the league. Her patience and leadership will be critical this weekend for the Aggies if they hope to extend their chances of winning the league title.
Did you know? After sweeping Cal State Fullerton in resounding fashion last weekend, Big West Conference leader Long Beach State holds a 14-4 conference record and leads UC Davis by two games with three remaining.
The Aggies will need some help from fellow second-place team Pacific, who plays the 49ers this weekend, in order to claim a share of the league championship.
With a 22-27 record, UC Davis’ hopes of competing in the NCAA tournament appear slim if it doesn’t win the conference as only one Big West team — CSU Fullerton in 2008 — has made the tournament with a losing record.
Preview: The 2012 regular season has come down to three games for the Aggies as they travel down south to face CSU Fullerton.
“There’s no change at this point,” said head coach Karen Yoder in relation to entering the final series of the year. “It’s just a matter of preparing…and believing in what we’ve worked so hard for.”
Although the Titans have won just three out of their last 14 games, they come in to their home series finale with some impressive seniors who hope to go out on a high note.
Titan seniors Anissa Young, who is second in the league with nine home runs, and Nicole Johnson, who is third with eight long balls, will be major threats to UC Davis’ championship dreams.
On the other side, Aggie freshman starting pitcher Justine Vela will attempt to keep the Aggies’ Big West title hopes alive with some strong performances. Vela’s 248 strikeouts on the year leads second-place Shelby Wisdom of UC Santa Barbara by 21.
— DOUG BONHAM
