Long Beach State announced Monday that lower tiers in statewide COVID-19 pandemic monitoring means it can have limited in-person attendance at athletic events. They will be able to provide seating for households of up to four people in socially distanced pods six feet apart.
The first priority for tickets will go to families of the student-athletes, and both indoor and outdoor sports will be subject to the same conditions.
Softball
This is the hottest team on campus right now after sweeping UC San Diego over the weekend at the LBSU Softball Complex. The four wins moves the Beach to 16-5 on the season and 11-1 in the Big West — in second place just a half game behind Cal State Fullerton.
LBSU has now won seven straight games and is 11-0 at home this season after racking up 36 runs against the Tritons while six players hit over .500 on the weekend.
The Beach visits UC Santa Barbara for another conference series this weekend.
Men’s Volleyball
No. 6 LBSU (5-3) won its 22-straight home conference match over the weekend by sweeping No. 12 UC San Diego twice. The home winning streak dates back to 2017.
The Beach hit an impressive .368 while holding Tritons to a .176 attack percentage. Senior Ethan Siegfried and freshman Clarke Godbold led the way. Siegfried served up a career-high five aces on the road Friday, and Godbold was named Big West Freshman of the Week for the third straight week. He’s only the second player to do that in conference history. Godbold averaged three kills per set on a .405 attack percentage for the week.
LBSU takes on Cal State Northridge in home-and-home Big West games this weekend.
Baseball
The Dirtbags (8-8) got a phenomenal start from pitcher Jonathan Lavallee in their series opening win over Cal Poly last weekend, but ended up splitting the four-game Big West set.
Lavallee had a no-hitter through the first 6.1 innings of the game before giving up a double in the seventh inning. The junior struck out a career-high eight batters and walked just two. LBSU went on to win 7-0 for its first Big West shutout since May 19, 2018, and Lavallee was named Big West Pitcher of the Week.
The Dirtbags are off this weekend.
Women’s Water Polo
First-year coach Shana Welch picked up her first win last week when LBSU took down Loyola Marymount 8-6 at Ken Lindgren Aquatics Center. Elena Kotanchyan and Sarah Barker each scored two goals to help the Beach snap a six-game losing streak.
The Beach hosts UC San Diego this Friday and Saturday.
Beach Volleyball
LBSU (11-10) dropped three of its four matches last week while the duo of Emily Mattoon and Jillian Rodriguez went 3-1 in their four duals. The Beach hosts Saint Katherine’s and Concordia on Thursday.
Track & Field
The LBSU men finished third at the Fullerton Spring Invite last week, and this weekend the whole program will host the Long Beach Invitational at Jack Rose Track on campus.
Women’s Golf
Angelina Kim and Holland Shourds led LBSU to a Black and Blue Challenge win over UC Irvine last week.
