PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers softball heads to its final nonconference tournament at Fresno State against CSUN, Nevada and the host Bulldogs and will take on No. 16/18 UCLA and Cal Baptist in mid-week contests and end its trip with a three-game series at San Diego.
 

TOURNAMENT/SCHEDULE INFO

 

Tournament/ Games:	BULLDOG CLASSIC Fresno, Calif. | Margie Wright Diamond at UCLA Los Angeles, Calif.| Easton Stadium at CAL BAPTIST Riverside, Calif. | John C. Funk Stadium at SAN DIEGO San Diego, Calif. | USD Softball Complex
Game Notes:	Rutgers | CSUN | Nevada | Fresno State | UCLA | Cal Bapist | San Diego
Statistics:	Rutgers  | CSUN | Nevada | Fresno State | UCLA | Cal Bapist | San Diego | Big Ten
Live Stats & Video:	Saturday, Mar. 9 1 p.m. - Rutgers vs. CSUN - Live Stats   Saturday, Mar. 10 7 p.m. - Rutgers vs. Nevada - Live Stats Monday, Mar. 11 3 p.m. - Rutgers vs. Nevada - Live Stats 6 p.m. - Rutgers at Fresno State - Watch | Live Stats -------------- Tuesday, Mar. 12 10 p.m. - Rutgers at UCLA - Live Stats -------------- Wednesday, Mar. 13 9 p.m. - Rutgers at Cal Baptist - Watch | Live Stats -------------- Thursday, Mar. 14 9 p.m. -  Rutgers at San Diego - Watch | Live Stats Friday, Mar. 15 7 p.m. -  Rutgers at San Diego - Watch | Live Stats Saturday, Mar. 16 6 p.m. -  Rutgers at San Diego - Watch | Live Stats * - All times listed ET
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ABOUT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

• The Scarlet Knights head into the weekend at 13-7 overall coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Mizuno Invitational in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Scarlet Knights picked up a 7-1 win over Lafayette, a 4-0 shutout over host UNC and a 10-2 run-rule victory over Rider. RU's lone setback was 3-2 loss to 2024 Big South champion Campbell in extra innings.
• On the stat sheet, Kyleigh Sand leads the bats hitting .412 with 24 runs, 28 hits, five doubles, and 10 RBIs. She currently leads the Big Ten in runs scored and hits. Sand stands at the top of the Rutgers career batting average list having hit .389 thru her three seasons "On The Banks". Additionally, Sand is 8-11 in stolen bases this season and is third all-time at Rutgers with 57 in her career.
• Two weeks ago at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Kayla Bock went 9-for-19 weekend and hit .474, and checks into the weekend currently batting .375 with five runs, a pair of doubles and 17 RBIs.
• Morgan Smith continues to shine both at the plate and inside the circle. Smith comes into the weekend batting .365 with 19 runs, 23 hits, three doubles and is tied for the team-leading with eight home runs and 21 RBIs. When pitching, Smith is holding own a 2.32 ERA with a 4-2 record. She has tossed four complete games, including a complete game shutout last weekend against UNC. Altogether she has posted 41 strikeouts.
• Katie Wingert continues to chase the Rutgers home run record. The Scarlet Knight, who earlier this week was named the No. 8 catcher in Softball America's March report, is three long balls away from tying the record of 40 set by Jackie Bates (2012-15) and four away from becoming the all-time leader. Wingert is currently hitting .339 and is tied alongside Morgan Smith with a team-high eight home runs and 21 RBIs.
• The Scarlet Knights will also look to Mattie Boyd inside the circle who has six complete games and a team-leading 53.0 innings pitched and 46 strikeouts. She is 7-3 on the year with a 3.04 ERA.

MIZUNO INVITATIONAL RECAP

• The Scarlet Knights picked up a 7-1 win over Lafayette, a 4-0 shutout over host UNC and a 10-2 run-rule victory over Rider. RU's lone setback was 3-2 loss to 2024 Big South champion Campbell in extra innings.
• Payton Lincavage and Kyleigh Sand both hit .583 on the weekend with seven hits, four runs and two RBIs each. Lincavage captured a double, triple and home run and posted a 1.083 slugging percentage.
• At the plate, Morgan Smith hit. 375 with a triple, home run and team-leading seven RBIs, while inside the circle she captured a complete game shutout of host UNC with six strikeouts.
• In the 7-1 victory over Leopards, Rutgers reached double-figure hits for the sixth time this season. Jillian Anderson, Sand and Leilani Chavez were all 2-for-2 in the game. Anderson plated a pair of runs, Chavez scored one and Sand registered an RBI. Lincavage scored twice and Lauren Punk collected a two-RBI double. Laurelai DePew garnered her first start as a Scarlet Knight while Georgia Ingle got the win. Both pitchers struck out two along the way.
• Against the host Tar Heels, Rutgers only needed two pitches to take the lead and shutout its ACC host behind a complete game shutout from Smith. Smith went the distance inside the circle for her first shutout of the 2024 campaign giving up five hits, none for extra bases, while fanning six Tar Heels. At the plate, the senior Scarlet Knight connected for her seventh home run of the year. Sand went 2-for-3 scoring the game's opening run, while Lincavage was 2-for-4 including a double with a run scored. LA Matthews and Kayla Bock each had RBI doubles in the win, Chavez added an RBI hit and Anderson went 2-for-2 at the plate.
• In the 3-2 eight-inning setback to the Camels, Rutgers held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth when the Camels tied the game and forced extra innings before plating two with two outs in the eighth for the win. Sand and Matthews scored both RU runs. Matthews was 2-for-3 while five other Scarlet Knights registered a hit. Mattie Boyd tossed 7.2 innings giving up five hits and one earned run while striking out eight Camels.
• RU returned to the win column in a 10-2 win in five innings over the Broncs.  

MARY NUTTER RECAP

• Rutgers went 4-2 at the prestigious Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with victories over Hawaii, UC Riverside, Cal Poly and CSUN.
• Kayla Bock led RU at the pate hitting .474 with nine RBIs on nine hits.
• Katie Wingert also smacked a pair of home runs on the trip hitting .353 with six runs batted in.
• Kyleigh Sand added eight runs and two stolen bases on her return to her home state.
• Morgan Smith hit .400 with three home runs and eight RBIs while tossing 17.0 innings with nine strikeouts and a 3.71 ERA.
• Mattie Boyd finished the California trip 3-1 inside the circle throwing 19.0 innings with 10 total strikeouts.
• Tournament action opened with RU coming back from a 6-1 deficit to take a 14-7 win over Hawaii and open up with a 4-1 edge after one inning in a 7-5 win over UC Riverside.
• RU split day two action dropping an 11-7 decision to LMU before returning to the field to defeat Cal Poly breaking open the game in the top of the third on a two-run blast from Morgan Smith and Kayla Bock adding on with a two-out, two-RBI single.
• Play concluded with the Scarlet Knights exploding for six runs in the ninth for an 8-3 extra innings loss to CSUN before falling 9-1 to BYU.

PANTHER INVITATIONAL RECAP

• Rutgers softball split day one of the Panther Invitational with a no-hitter against Army West Point and a loss to No. 10 Duke with the two squads coming in tied 1-1 into the game's final inning. 
• The Scarlet Knights opened the tournament with a 2-0 victory over the Black Knights behind a no-hitter from Mattie Boyd.
• RU went in front against the top ten Blue Devils early as Katie Wingert's sixth home run in seven games put RU up after two innings. Duke, however, tied the game up in the fifth on a home run of their own and added three unearned runs in the seventh to avoid an upset loss.
• Rutgers dropped a pair of contests with host FIU on day two. FIU topped RU in game one, 4-3 and got past the Scarlet Knights in extra innings, 3-2, in bracket play in the No. 2 vs No. 3 game. 
• In game one, Morgan Smith went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs while Kyleigh Sand was 1-for-3 with two runs and moved into a tie for fourth on the career stolen base leaders list. LA Matthews was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Mattie Boyd, meanwhile, went 5.1 innings in her first loss of the season with two strikeouts.
• In game two, Morgan Smith made it back-to-back games with a home run and added a double while tossing a complete game with four strikeouts. She was responsible for both RU's runs scored. She dropped to 2-2 in the circle.
• Rutgers softball closed out its trip to the Panther Invitational with a run-rule shutout of Army, 9-0. Mattie Boyd got the win in the circle while Katie Wingert had hits on all three trips to the plate and knocked in a pair of runs. Wingert was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. The Scarlet Knight catcher also posted her third double of the season. Kyleigh Sand collected a triple, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Kobie Hura was also responsible for a pair of runs coming across home plate. Boyd tossed three innings with four strikeouts as she improved to 4-1 inside the circle.

HOUSTON INVITATIONAL RECAP

•  Rutgers softball celebrated opening day 2024 with a pair of victories. The Scarlet Knights took down Colgate 9-1 in a run-rule five-inning contest and wrapped up the day powering to a 14-5 victory against Indiana State.
• Katie Wingert managed home runs in both contests to move into third all-time at Rutgers in the category while Kyleigh Sand's five runs scored against the Sycamores tied for the most runs in a game in records dating back to 2004.
• In the 9-1 win over Colgate, Mattie Boyd made her Rutgers debut inside the circle allowing only one hit while racking up 11 strikeouts. Kayla Bock was 2-for-2 with 3 RBIs, while Both LA Matthews and Payton Lincavage were 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Katie Wingert gave RU its first home run of the year with a two-run shot to move up on the Rutgers all-time list on her second pitch of the year leading to a 4-1 lead for the Scarlet Knights at the end of one.
• In game two, a 14-5 win over Indiana State,  Kyleigh Sand ended the night going 3-for-5 with five runs and three RBIs. Sand's five runs scored were the most since Stephanie Huang's five scored in a 22-17 win over Michigan State on April 4, 2015. Sand's and Huang's five runs are the most by a Scarlet Knight in a single game in stats dating back to 2004. Adding to the victory was LA Matthews with another strong performance at the plate also going 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs while adding a pair of runs. Maddie Lawson went 2-for-3 with a career-high three runs and two RBIs. Meanwhile, Katie Wingert's first plate appearance of the game resulted in another two-run home run.  Morgan Smith got the win by tossing 4.0 innings with seven strikeouts while adding a two-RBI double. Georgia Ingle threw the final three innings to garner the save, the third of her career.
• On day two, Katie Wingert added three more home runs and five more RBIs in helping lead Rutgers softball to a 4-0 start with a 10-2 victory over the host Cougars and a 7-4 win against Colgate. Mattie Boyd and Morgan Smith both pitched complete game victories while the Scarlet Knight bats produced 26 hits in the day's two games.
• In the first game of day two RU was down early against Houston with the Cougars taking a 2-0 lead in their first at-bat before Rutgers took the lead in the third scoring 10 unanswered runs. Katie Wingert made it the third-straight game with a dinger and ended the game 3-for-4. Morgan Smith posted her first home run of the season and totaled a team-leading three runs. Altogether, 10 different Scarlet Knights registered a hit. Mattie Boyd registered her second-straight complete game allowing two runs on three hits along with a pair of strikeouts to improve to 2-0 inside the circle.
• The Scarlet Knights overcame a 4-0 deficit in game two of day two versus Colgate tying up the game in the top of the fifth and getting three runs in the sixth to take the lead. Katie Wingert helped Rutgers come from behind with a 3-for-3 performance including a pair of home runs and three RBIs to move into a tie for second-all time at Rutgers. Morgan Smith got the win inside the circle tossing a complete game with six strikeouts to up her mark to 2-0 while going 3-for-3 at the plate with her first home run of the season. Kyleigh Sand and LA Matthews also had a pair of hits in the win.
• Rutgers dropped the finale, a 6-3 decision, to Houston. Kayla Bock led RU going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, while Katie Wingert was 1-for-4 with a double. Georgia Ingle made her first career start going 3.2 innings.

B1G AWARDS

• Katie Wingert was named Big Ten Player of the Week and Louisville Slugger/Wilson Selected Top Performer on Feb. 13 after helping Rutgers to a 4-1 opening weekend hitting .444 with five home runs going long in four of five games to move into second all-time at Rutgers in home runs. She also added eight hits, five runs and 10 RBIs and held down a 1.333 slugging percentage in wins over Houston, Colgate and Indiana State.
• Wingert opened the weekend taking her second pitch of the 2024 season deep for a two-run shot and a lead RU would not relinquish in a 9-1 run-rule victory over Colgate.
• Game two saw Wingert with a 3-run blast in her first plate appearance in RU's 14-5 win over Indiana State.
• The home runs continued for Wingert on day two with three total. She went 3-for-4 smacking her first pitch of the third inning over the wall to give Rutgers the lead at 3-2 in the eventual 10-2 victory versus weekend host Houston. Wingert followed with two more dingers in the game that immediately followed in a 7-4 victory over Colgate. Wingert initiated RU's comeback from a four-run deficit with a solo long ball in the third. After RU took the lead in the sixth, Wingert added some cushion with a two-run bomb.
• Her streak of home runs marked the second time Katie Wingert has had at least three consecutive games with home runs. She also went over the fence in consecutive games against Tennessee Tech on March 9, 2018 and Saint Joseph's on March 15, 2019 in her freshman campaign.
• This marks Winger's second Big Ten Weekly Award. She was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week back on April 19, 2019 after hitting three home runs and driving six during a Big Ten series sweep of Penn State.

PRESEASON PRIMER

• The Rutgers softball team returns 12 letterwinners, including seven starters, and adds seven newcomers to this year's roster. 
• A year ago, Rutgers picked up a 30-win season for the first time since 1994 ending the year at 32-25 overall with its best start since 1980.
• The Scarlet Knights captured its first top-25 victory since 2012 with a win over #18/19 Northwestern, a team that ultimately reached the NCAA Super Regionals.
• RU opened the year at 8-0 for the first time in 43 seasons and finished the nonconference schedule at 23-11.
• The squad returned to the Big Ten Tournament behind a victory over No. 18/19 and Big Ten champion Northwestern, along with Big Ten series sweeps of Illinois and Maryland.
• The Scarlet Knights earned five conference post-season honors with three named Second Team All-Big along with nods to third baseman Payton Lincavage, outfielder/pitcher Morgan Smith and shortstop Kyleigh Sand. Smith was also named Big Ten All-Defense. Morgan Smith and Kyleigh Sand were also named All-Region honorees
• Payton Lincavage was bestowed the prestigious Rawlings Golden Glove Award as the nation's top third baseman having committed only one error the entire season.

ABOUT CSUN

Head Coach: Charlotte Morgan (Alabama '10) - 72-78 Overall (Fourth Season)/72-78 at CSUN (Fourth Season)
2024 Record: 14-4

All-Time Series: Rutgers trails 2-3 (Last Meeting: February 24, 2024 - W, 8-3 (9))

Top Matadors:
Batting

• Mikayla Carman - .340 BA, 8 runs, 17 hits, 2 doubles, 1 triple 7 RBIs
• Kaylee Escutia - .333 BA, 7 runs, 17 hits, 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs
• Shaylan Whatman - .333 BA, 17 runs, 17 hits, 2 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HRs, 7 RBIs

Pitching

• Lauryn Carranco - 8-2 W-L, 1.94 ERA, 5 CG, 2 shutouts, 57.2 IP, 49 Ks
• Isabella Alonso - 5-2 W-L, 2.46 ERA, 3 CG, 2 shutouts, 48.1 IP, 23 Ks

ABOUT NEVADA

Head Coach: Marina Demore (Oregon St. '14) - 15-5 Overall (First Season)/15-5 at Nevada (First Season)
2024 Record: 15-5

All-Time Series: Rutgers Trails  1-2 (Last Meeting: March 10, 2013 - L, 1-2)

Top Wolf Pack:
Batting

• Gabby Herrera - .500 BA 12 runs, 31 hits, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs, 26 RBIs
• Taryn Jenkins - .421 BA, 18 runs, 24 hits, 6 doubles, 7 HRs, 30 RBIs
• Cheli Senini - .409 BA, 21 runs, 27 hits, 1 double, 1 triple, 5 RBIs

Pitching

• Tyra Clary - 4-2 W-L, 1.11 ERA, 2 CG, 1 shutout, 31.2 IP, 23 Ks
• Blake Craft - 6-1 W-L, 1.47 ERA, 4 CG, 2 shutouts, 47.2 IP, 50 Ks
• Carley Brown - 4-1 W-L, 2.43 ERA, 3 CG, 1 shutout, 40.1 IP, 24 Ks

ABOUT FRESNO STATE

Head Coach: Stacy May-Johnson (Iowa '07) - 92-107 Overall (Fifth Season)/56-72 at Fresno State (Third Season)
2024 Record: 14-5

All-Time Series: Rutgers Trails 0-1 (Last Meeting: February 27, 2015 - L, 1-14 (5))

Top Bulldogs:
Batting

• Kennedy Bunker - .455 BA, 25 hits, 6 doubles, 1 HR, 12 RBIs
• Lauren Almeida - .387 BA, 3 runs, 24 hits, 5 doubles, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs
• Natalie Elias - .361 BA, 9 runs, 22 hits, 4 RBIs

Pitching

• Taylor Gilmore - 7-2 W-L, 2.17 ERA, 2 CG, 2 shutouts, 3 saves, 62.1 IP, 58 Ks
• Serayah Neiss - 6-2 W-L, 2.87 ERA, 2 saves, 47.0 IP, 34 Ks

ABOUT UCLA

Head Coach: Kelly Inouye-Perez (UCLA '93) - 786-203-1 Overall (18th Season)786-203-1 at UCLA (18th Season)
2024 Record: 11-6

All-Time Series: Rutgers trails 0-3 (Last Meeting: March 8, 2008 - L, 0-9)

Top Bruins:
Batting

• Tristen Wren - .417 BA, 2 runs, 5 hits, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs
• Jessie Niegocki - .412 BA, 3 runs, 7 hits, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs
• Kendall Red-Fehsal - .400 BA, 1 run, 6 hits, 3 doubles, 3 RBIs

Pitching

• Megan Grant, .408 GA, 9 runs, 20 hits, 5 doubles, 2 HRs, 11 RBIs
• Maya Brady - .364 BA, 15 runs, 20 hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 19 RBIs
• Sharlize Palacios - .333 BA, 11 runs, 15 hits, 1 doubles, 1 triples, 5 HRs, 11 RBIs

ABOUT CAL BAPTIST

Head Coach: Mike Smith (Master's '92) - 1002-402 Overall (24th Season)/534-121 at Cal Baptist (11th Season)
2024 Record: 9-10

All-Time Series: First Meeting

Top Lancers:
Batting

• Kayla Lyon - .451 BA, 6 runs, 23 hits, 11 doubles, 1 HR, 13 RBIs
• Kalena Burns - .352 BA, 4 runs, 19 runs, 3 doubles, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs
• Matti Severns - .341 BA, 9 runs, 14 hits, 1 doubles, 6 RBIs

Pitching

• Jazmine Cataneda - 2-1 W-L, 0.83 ERA, 1 CG, 1 shutout, 25.1 IP, 15 Ks
• Presley Hosick - 4-2 W-L, 1.94 ERA, 2 CG, 1 shutout, 47.0 IP, 21 Ks
• Morgan McConnell - 3-6 W-L, 2.80 ERA, 4 CG, 1 shutout, 50.0 IP, 25 Ks

ABOUT SAN DIEGO

Head Coach: MJ Knighten (Nebraska '18) - 61-107-1 Overall (Fourth Season)/61-107-1 at Cal Baptist (Fourth Season)
2024 Record: 6-15

All-Time Series: First Meeting

Top Toreros:
Batting

• Arisa Tovar - .375 BA, 5 runs, 15 hits, 1 double, 1 HR, 5 RBIs
• Joecella Roberts - .322 BA, 8 runs, 19 hits, 2 doubles, 3 triples, 11 RBIs
• Tele Jennings - .321 BA, 10 runs, 17 hits, 8 doubles, 9 RBIs

Pitching

• Emma Giame - 1-1 W-L, 2.96 ERA, 24.2 IP, 6 Ks
• Courtney Rose - 3-4 W-L, 6.26 ERA, 1 CG, 34.2 IP, 21 Ks
• Kelsey Tadlock - 0-6 W-L, 7.95 ERA, 22.0 IP, 16 Ks

 

UP NEXT

The Rutgers softball team will head to Virginia on Tuesday, March 19 before opening up both the home and Big Ten schedule with a three-game series against Ohio State beginning on Friday, March 22.

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