{"id":257111,"date":"2026-04-08T06:16:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:16:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/257111\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:16:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:16:17","slug":"softball-continues-homestand-against-uc-santa-barbara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/257111\/","title":{"rendered":"Softball Continues Homestand Against UC Santa Barbara"},"content":{"rendered":"

LONG BEACH, Calif. —\u00a0A seven-game homestand for Long Beach State continues over the weekend as the Beach hosts UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos come in as the co-leaders in the conference while LBSU is tied for third in what should be an exciting series. The teams will play a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday before a Sunday game to close the series at Noon.
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\nLEADING OFF
\n\u2022 The Beach dropped a 12-inning heartbreaker and a 2-1 defeat over the first three games of the homestand against UC Davis, as the Aggies won all three games last weekend.
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\n\u2022 Long Beach State went on the road at UC San Diego and swept the Tritons, winning two games by coming from behind and one in dominant fashion, 11-2. Lina Apodaca<\/a> hit .600 and was on base at a .667 rate, earning Big West Player of the Week honors while two high-leverage relief outings from Kate Barnett<\/a> saw the junior earn Big West Pitcher of the Week honors. Barnett finished the weekend with a win and a save without allowing a run against UCSD.
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\n\u2022 Five different players have won weekly awards for the Beach, with freshman infielder Nina Sepulveda<\/a> and senior pitcher Isabella Alonso<\/a> both earning multiple awards this season.
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\n\u2022 Long Beach State grabbed the national spotlight at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, stunning No. 4 Oklahoma behind a three-run homer from Lina Apodaca<\/a> and strong pitching from Lindsey Cowans<\/a> and Audrey Lopetegui<\/a>.
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\n\u2022 The Beach went 4-1 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, the best record of the four teams in Mexico. The Beach was led by tournament MVP Nina Sepulveda<\/a> along with All-Tournament Team selections Isabella Alonso<\/a> and Avery Weisbrook<\/a>.
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\n\u2022 As a team, Long Beach State is hitting .298 with a consistent lineup providing solid offense for the Beach. Five regulars are hitting over .340, led by Lina Apodaca<\/a> at .374 and joined by Priscilla Iniguez<\/a>, Nina Sepulveda<\/a>, Avery Weisbrook<\/a> and Brooklyn Lee<\/a>.
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\n\u2022 Long Beach State welcomed the return on March 13 of two key juniors, catcher Brooklyn Lee<\/a> and pitcher Kate Barnett<\/a>, but also suffered the loss of junior outfielder Malayna Terrones<\/a> with a torn ACL. Terrones was hitting .353 for the Beach but will miss the rest of the season.
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\n\u2022 The 2026 season marks the first under new head coach Kendall Fearn<\/a>. Fearn becomes just the fifth coach in the program’s 45-year history, assuming the leadership role following the retirement of Kim Sowder at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, her 19th in charge of the program.
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\n\u2022 Fearn comes to Long Beach State following a successful stint at San Diego State as the lead assistant for the Aztecs, seeing the team to three straight NCAA tournament appearances that included a run to the 2023 Super Regionals in her three seasons in San Diego. Fearn also had previous stops at Indiana and Marshall following a standout career as an infielder at UNLV under former Long Beach State coach Pete Manarino.
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\nPLAYER NOTES
\n\u2022 Avery Weisbrook<\/a> is putting up a claim as one of the top players in the Big West. Weisbrook is now batting .354 on the year, starting every game at shortstop and slugging .532 with 29 runs scored. In addition to being one of the top hitters on the team and in the Big West, Weisbrook has been busy in the field, and currently leads the nation in assists with 117 this season.
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\n\u2022 Sophomore Priscilla Iniguez<\/a> had a strong first season at the Beach, also earning Honorable Mention All-Big West honors as well as being chosen for the Big West All-Freshman Team after hitting five home runs. Picking up where she left off, Iniguez reached safely in her first 26 games of the season, has a pair of seven-game hitting streaks and is batting .357 with a team-high four home runs.
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\n\u2022 Anchoring the leadoff position, sophomore Lina Apodaca<\/a> is another returner for Long Beach State. Apodaca is now batting .374 with a team high 49 hits and 12 doubles, as well as a critical 3-run home run to help Long Beach State defeat No. 4 Oklahoma. In conference play, Apodaca is hitting .462 and is leading the league in hits as well as doubles.
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\n\u2022 Freshman Nina Sepulveda<\/a> is making an early case for Big West Freshman Player of the Year. Starting all 37 games for Long Beach State, Sepulveda is batting .349 with three home runs and a team-high 34 RBI, earning MVP honors at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge and two Big West Freshman of the Week awards as well as a Field Player of the Week selection in her first season.
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\n\u2022 Junior Brooklyn Lee<\/a> earned Honorable Mention All-Big West selection in 2025 but missed the first 24 games of the season with injury. She has hit the ground running though, hitting .368 while starting 13 straight games, hitting four doubles while splitting time between DP and catcher.
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\n\u2022 Emily Dowden<\/a> is in her third season at the Beach but is taking advantage of an opportunity in her junior year. Now having started 25 games this season between DP and the outfield, Dowden is hitting .279 with an on-base percentage of .412.
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\n\u2022 Catcher Audree Mendoza<\/a> has seen nearly every pitch of the season behind the plate for Long Beach State. A transfer from Penn State, Mendoza excelled during the 2024 season before sitting out last year. Making an impact at the Beach, Mendoza has thrown out seven runners and is hitting .226 on the year with six doubles.
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\n\u2022 Redshirt Freshman Miranda Gonzalez<\/a> has gotten an early opportunity to shine. Starting 33 games at second base, Gonzalez has an on-base percentage of .395 and leads the team and the Big West with 22 walks.
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\n\u2022 Under Fearn and pitching coach Shelby Miller<\/a>, the Beach is using all of their pitchers collectively, and as a staff the team has a pair of combined shutouts and four saves, with just one outing of five innings or longer throughout the season.
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\n\u2022 Familiar to fans of the Big West is a veteran pitcher, Isabella Alonso<\/a>. Alonso pitched for three seasons with conference rival CSUN, and is coming to finish her career at the Beach after earning both Honorable Mention All-Big West honors with the Matadors. This year with the Beach, Alonso is 10-4 with a 2.83 ERA, leading the team with 84.0 innings pitched with 32 strikeouts. The senior ranks in the Top 5 in the Big West in wins, ERA and opposing batting average this season.
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\n\u2022 Returning to the pitching staff is graduate Lindsey Cowans<\/a>. Cowans had a successful career at LIU and threw 26.0 innings last season for the Beach. In a bigger role this season, Cowans has made 20 appearances this year with a 3-2 record, pitching 42.0 total innings, including a start and a save against No. 4 Oklahoma.
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\n\u2022 Jailynn Banda<\/a> made 12 appearances in the circle for St. John’s one season ago as a true freshman with a 3.46 ERA, and returns to Southern California for her sophomore season coming from Norwalk High School. Banda had a standout performance against Southern Illinois, striking out 5 in 4.0 innings of scoreless relief with just two hits. Banda is second on the team in both innings pitched and strikeouts this season, punching out 30 in 42.1 innings pitched.
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\n\u2022 Returning as an All-Big West selection, earning Honorable Mention All-Big West honors as a sophomore after All-Freshman team recognition in 2024 is junior Kate Barnett<\/a>. Over the last two seasons, Barnett has posted a 13-8 overall record with a 3.46 ERA, consistently playing a major role with the Long Beach State pitching staff. Barnett missed the first 24 games of the season but made her first appearance in a start at UC Riverside and earned Big West Pitcher of the Week honors after a win and a save on the road at UC San Diego.
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\n\u2022 Two freshmen have also played a role in the circle. Pricilla Ramirez<\/a> has a team-low 2.82 ERA over 27.1 innings pitched with 22 total strikeouts, while Audrey Lopegui recorded three saves in the early part of the year for Long Beach State.
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