In front of a large crowd, the Aggies – in their final home series of the season – won two of three games against the now-24-28 (9-6) UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. UC Davis 20-26 (10-5), which came into the weekend in a four-way tie for first place in the Big West Conference, now trails California State University, Long Beach and University of Pacific by just one game for the league lead with six games left in the season. The Aggies took the first two games of the series thanks to fantastic play by junior Kelly Schulze, who drove in four runs off of three hits in Saturday’s two games. Starting pitchers freshman Justine Vela and junior Jessica Tweatt also gave great performances on the mound, combining for 35 strikeouts and only seven runs allowed in the weekend’s games. With Sunday’s game being the final home contest of the season, seniors Kylie Fan, Kelly Harman, Rachel Miller, Heather Zimmerman and Allison Smith were honored before the game in front of their... ...

Teams: UC Davis vs. No. 19 Stanford; at UC Santa Barbara Records: Aggies, 18-25 (8-4); Cardinal 32-16; Gauchos 23-26 (8-4) Where: Smith Family Stadium — Stanford, Calif.; LaRue Field When: Today at 6 p.m.; Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday at noon Who to watch: Despite getting just one hit in the weekend series against Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, junior JJ Wagoner is providing solid offense for the Aggies this season. The outfielder from Napa, Calif. is hitting .275, has the second-highest batting average of all UC Davis starters and has a hit in eight of the last 10 games. Wagoner is also one of the most composed players at the plate as she has struck out just eight times this year — tied for the lowest amount by any starter. “She’s been working extremely hard,” said Head Coach Karen Yoder. “And it’s always nice to see when a player puts in the hard work and sees results.” Production from upperclassmen like Wagoner will be critical when the... ...

After losing possession of first place following last week’s series against Long Beach State, UC Davis, which holds a 18-25 (8-4) record, is now back in command and in the Big West Conference championship hunt. With two impressive shutout victories against the now-12-28 (4-8) Cal Poly Mustangs, the Aggies find themselves in a four-way tie for first place in the conference with nine Big West games left in the season. Starting freshman pitcher Justine Vela continued her extraordinary first-year campaign, totaling 19 strikeouts and allowing zero runs in her two weekend victories. Vela kept Cal Poly’s batters off balance all series long, surrendering only five hits in her 14 innings of work. In the Aggies’ loss, junior Jessica Thweatt also pitched well as she struck out seven and gave up only two earned runs in over four innings pitched. Unfortunately, the Mustangs would score three unearned runs in their 7-2 win, as four defensive errors crippled UC Davis. Saturday — UC Davis 4, Cal Poly 0 UC Davis got off... ...

Teams: UC Davis at Cal Poly Records: Aggies, 16-24 (6-3); Mustangs 11-26 (3-6) Where: Bob Janssen Field — San Luis Obispo, Calif. When: Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday at noon Who to watch: After having some tough starts in preseason competition, junior starting pitcher Jessica Thweatt is having a fantastic season. In the Sacramento native’s last five appearances, she has averaged more than a strikeout per inning and has posted a 2.76 ERA. Thweatt was locked in during the weekend series against Long Beach State, shutting out the 49ers through six innings in the Aggies’ 3-0 loss before earning a save in the Aggies’ 3-1 victory on Sunday. “Her ball was just moving and dancing,” said Head Coach Karen Yoder. “I complimented her in front of the whole team [following the win].” Did you know? The Aggies are in a three-way tie for second place in the Big West Conference. UC Davis, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara — all with 6-3 conference records — trail first-place University of Pacific by one game. The conference season... ...

120417_sp_SoftballRecap Edit: RT JC Notes: Headline: Aggies cool down after hot conference start Layercake: UC Davis wins one of three against Long Beach State   By DOUG BONHAM Aggie Sports Writer   Entering this weekend’s home series in sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference, UC Davis was slowed down by the great pitching of Long Beach State. Despite dropping the first two games of the series to the 18-21 (6-3) 49ers, the now-16-24 (6-3) UC Davis pulled out a big victory on Sunday to keep within one game of new conference leader University of Pacific. The series opener was plagued with defensive mistakes as four errors by the Aggies led to three unearned runs and a two-run loss to Long Beach State. UC Davis settled down after the opener, and the second game featured a fantastic battle with last year’s Big West Conference pitcher of the year, 49er Erin Jones-Wesley. The Long Beach State ace outlasted Aggie junior Jessica Thweatt in the 3-0 pitchers’ duel. The... ...

Teams: UC Davis vs. Long Beach State Records: Aggies, 15-22 (5-1); 49ers 16-20 (4-2) Where: LaRue Field When: Saturday at noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday at noon Who to watch: Freshman starting pitcher Justine Vela is coming off a huge week after allowing only one run in 20 innings pitched against UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge. With these performances, the Bakersfield, Calif. native was named Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season. Vela, with her 2.71 ERA, has the third-best earned run average in the Big West out of pitchers who have thrown over 100 innings. “She is a huge impact on our pitching staff,” Coach Karen Yoder said. “Anytime that you can have 24 strikeouts in two games … [it] definitely puts us in a position to be successful.” Did you know? UC Davis ranks first in the Big West in striking out opponents with 279 on the year, or an average of 7.5 strikeouts per game. Both Vela and junior starting pitcher Jessica Thweatt have been successful... ...

After a difficult preseason schedule where they played six top-25 teams, the Aggies have exploded into conference play. With three wins against Cal State Northridge over the weekend, UC Davis moved into first place in the Big West Conference with a 5-1 conference record and a 15-22 record overall. Starting pitchers freshman Justine Vela and junior Jessica Thweatt dominated the now 7-27 Matadors as they combined for 34 strikeouts and no runs allowed in the Aggies’ three shutout victories. On the other side, Cal State Northridge’s pitching was also outstanding. In the first two games of the series, both teams were held off the board through seven innings. Fortunately for the Aggies, clutch hitting in the eighth innings allowed UC Davis to squeak out victories. In the final game of the weekend, the Aggies were able to avoid needing late-game heroics as their three runs by the fourth inning were enough to comfortably put them ahead for the rest of the game. Friday — UC Davis 1, Cal State Northridge... ...

Teams: UC Davis at Cal State Northridge Records: Aggies, 12-22 (2-1); Matadors 7-24 (2-1) Where: Matador Diamond — Northridge, Calif. When: Friday at noon and 2:00 p.m.; Saturday at noon Who to watch: Cassandra Ginnis has needed little time to adjust to the college game. The freshman sensation ranks second on the team with 25 hits on the season, and is also tied for the team lead in runs scored with 11. The Santa Ana, Calif. native hopes to continue her success near her hometown when the Aggies travel down to Southern California to play Cal State Northridge in their second Big West Conference series of the year. “It is a really good feeling to start freshman year on the field,” Ginnis said. “Especially during conference [play].” Did you know? In the Big West Conference, Pacific is the only team to maintain a winning record after finishing pre-conference play. With the conference title up for grabs, UC Davis will certainly hope to continue the momentum from its two conference victories against UC Riverside. To do this,... ...

After an impressive home stand against conference opponent UC Riverside, the 12-22 Aggies proved that they are a real threat in the Big West Conference. UC Davis won the bookends of the three-game series against the now 18-17 Highlanders who came into Davis with a five-game win streak. Freshman pitcher Justine Vela was fantastic over the weekend with 20 strikeouts and only two earned runs allowed in the Aggies’ two wins. Although UC Davis was shutout in the second game, the Aggies furiously responded in the rubber match, winning 9-1 in the shortened five-inning game. The experience from junior Megan Guzman and seniors Kelly Harman and Rachel Miller proved vital as they combined to tally 13 of the team’s 18 hits in the series. The series win gave UC Davis a 2-1 Big West Conference record to start the league campaign. Sunday — UC Davis 3, UC Riverside 1 Vela dominated from the start with four straight strikeouts and would not allow a Highlander hit until the sixth inning in... ...

With four home runs, 14 hits and 11 runs scored in the Judi Garman Classic opener, the Aggies seemed primed to take a big step in their last preseason tournament of the year. Unfortunately for UC Davis, it would be outscored 31-1 in their next three games as it must now regroup to improve their 10-20 record when Big West Conference play begins. Entering the tournament in Fullerton, Calif., the Aggies were undoubtedly facing some of the best competition in the country, with games against  23-1 No. 3 Washington, 16-4 No. 13 Arizona and teams on the rise like 16-5 Virginia and 13-7 BYU. After a huge offensive outburst helped UC Davis crush Virginia 11-5, the Aggies struggled mightily to put together any further rallies in their following two games. Thursday — UC Davis 11, Virginia 5 Facing a hot Cavalier team which had won 12 of its last 15 games, the Aggies demonstrated their offensive potential by scoring a season-high 11 runs in the victory. Truly a team effort,... ...

Teams: UC Davis vs. Virginia; vs. No. 3 Washington; vs. No. 13 Arizona; vs. BYU Records: Aggies, 9-17; Cavaliers, 16-5; Huskies, 23-1; Wildcats 16-4; Cougars 13-7 Where: Titan Softball Complex — Fullerton, Calif. When: Thursday at 9 a.m.; at 11 a.m.; Friday at 3:30 p.m.; at 7:30 p.m. Who to watch: Senior Kelly Harman is making a huge impact for the Aggies in her final season at UC Davis. Harman leads the team with a .422 on-base percentage and 10 runs scored on the year. The senior, who split her time between shortstop and first base in the Aggie Stampede II, tallied two home runs in addition to driving in the winning run against Idaho State. “She’s a multi-talented athlete,” said coach Karen Yoder. “I’m proud of her.” Did you know? This weekend’s Judi Garman Tournament in Fullerton will be the Aggies’ fourth tournament in Southern California in just five weeks. Unfortunately for UC Davis, it is only 3-10 when playing in Southern California. With conference play starting on March... ...

Coming off a loss to No. 1 California last Wednesday, the Aggies returned home to host the Aggie Stampede II tournament. Friday’s game was the first home game for UC Davis in over three weeks, and the Aggies welcomed playing at La Rue Field again. “It’s nice,” said coach Karen Yoder. “It’s great to play in front of our home fans and families [as well as] feel the Aggie Pride around us.” The weekend, which consisted of a three-game sweep of Idaho State and two close losses to rival Sacramento State, was full of excitement for the Aggies and their fans. With a walk-off win, close plays at the plate and a no-hitter, the tournament crowd was continuously energized throughout the three days of play. Wednesday — California 11, UC Davis 3 The top team in the nation pounced early on UC Davis’ starting pitcher, junior Jessica Thweatt, and the rest of the Aggies’ pitching by scoring eight runs in the first three innings. Cal would also perplex UC Davis’... ...

Teams: UC Davis vs. Idaho State; vs. Sacramento State Records: Aggies, 6-14; Bengals, 3-13; Hornets 8-8 Where: La Rue Field When: Friday at 2 p.m.; Saturday at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.; Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Who to watch: The Aggies have seen a strong season from junior outfielder Megan Guzman. Hitting .322 on the year, Guzman leads all UC Davis starters in batting average and with eight runs scored. The speedy junior from Long Beach, Calif., who finished second in the Big West Conference last year with 18 stolen bases, continues to be elusive on the base paths with a perfect six for six in stealing attempts. Did you know? Eleven out of the first 20 games for UC Davis have been decided by two runs or fewer. The Aggies, who have gone 5-6 in these contests, will certainly have a lot of experience in tight game situations when they enter conference play. “We weren’t quite as close in [last year's] games as we are this... ...