The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2022-23 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
This is arguably the most experienced Long Beach State softball pitching staff ever.
The five pitchers who were in the circle for all 333.2 innings across 51 games last year have returned to lead this 2023 LBSU squad back to the top of the Big West Conference and back into the NCAA Tournament.
Not only is preseason All-Big West selection Samantha Fowler the staff ace again after going 14-7 with a 2.91 ERA and 128 strikeouts last year, LBSU is adding 2021 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Shannon Haddad and 2021 Cal State Northridge ace Eryka Gonzales to the already stacked staff.
Haddad is coming back from injury after an 8-0 record in 2021 with a 2.05 ERA in 13 appearances. Gonzales is a transfer who led CSUN with 70.2 innings pitched two seasons ago before also taking last season off.
LBSU pitchers Fowler, Sophia Fernandez, Shelby Frutoz, Mo Quinlan and Addison Kostrencich also led the Big West with a .211 opponents batting average last season.
The Beach is also returning six offensive starters highlighted by junior outfielder Sara Olson and sophomore infielder Jacquelyn Bickar. Olson hit .299 last year and had a team-high 12 stolen bases. Bickar was named Big West Freshman Player of the Week twice last year, and finished third on the team in batting at .303 in league play while hitting three doubles, a pair of triples and a home run.
LBSU (3-4) opened its season with a 6-5 win over Kansas at the Arizona Candrea Classic last week, and returned to the LBSU Softball Complex to split a doubleheader with San Diego. The Beach is back in action this weekend to host the Wilson Invitational.
The first game of the weekend for LBSU is against Cal on Friday at 6 p.m. and it will be 17th-year coach Kim Sowder’s first shot at reaching 500 career wins at The Beach.
LBSU was picked to finish second in the conference preseason poll. In 2021, LBSU won the Big West title and reached the NCAA Regionals. The Beach hadn’t done that since 2014.
