The Long Beach State softball team, undefeated through six games in conference play, will look to continue its hot play as it prepares to host reigning Big West champion Hawaii.
The 49ers’ (29-9) latest win streak hit eight games last week as they completed a home sweep against UC Riverside. The 49ers dominated the Highlanders, outscoring them 30-4 over the three games.
Even during some early season struggles, the one constant for the 49ers has been their offense. What sets the 49ers’ offense apart from the others is their incredible versatility. They have five players with a batting average of at least .330, and that doesn’t include
Darian Tautalafua, the team-leader in home runs with eight.
While head coach Kim Sowder admits that this is probably the best offense she’s ever coached, she’s not yet ready to say this is her best team.
“There’s still a long way to go,” she said. “We’ve had some really good, talented teams that I’ve either been an assistant on or a head coach. We’ve had some really good teams and this ranks up there with the best.”
The 49ers will look to continue to dominate conference play against Hawaii (19-16), who have not met expectations since winning the conference last year. Despite their subpar season, Hawaii poses a major threat to the 49ers. Their offense is led by Leisha Li’ili’i, who ranks in the top five in the conference in home runs, runs batted in and batting average. Hawaii as a team leads the Big West in home runs with 44.
The common belief among the 49ers’ players is that Hawaii is the team’s biggest rival, according to centerfielder Leilani Tupua-Tautalatasi. Hawaii’s victory over Pacific in the last weekend last season ended the 49ers’ hope for postseason play.
“[Hawaii’s] the one who took it from us last year,” Tupua-Tautalatasi said.
The 49ers’ depth has been tested this season, with several players going down due to injury. The most recent injury was to infielder Ashlynn Booker, who missed 11 games due to a concussion. Booker returned last week against UC Riverside, playing in all three games while collecting four hits over the weekend.
“She’s just a really good hitter with good power,” Sowder said. “She adds a lot to our lineup. Any time you can add another great hitter it just gives you depth. It takes pressure off some of your other hitters. She’s a big difference maker.”
As always, Sowder doesn’t like to look too far into the future. The focus is always at the team they’re playing next, a message she tries to instill in her players.
“We’re definitely headed in the right direction,” Sowder said. “I love the way the team’s playing right now. We got Hawaii coming in and it’s going to be the toughest opponent, I think, we’ve seen in a while. It’ll be good competition, a good challenge.”
The 49ers and Rainbow Wahine will play a doubleheader on Saturday, with games at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the 49er Softball Complex. They will then play the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday.