After mixed results in the Mizuno Invitational, the Long Beach State softball team hopes to find consistency as it travels to Las Vegas for the Easton Desert Classic.
The 49ers (3-2) will begin the tournament Friday with a double-header against Ohio State (1-4) and Utah Valley (0-5).
Each of the five opponents the 49ers will play have a losing record. Head coach Kim Sowder, however, doesn’t plan on taking any team lightly.
“Every Division I team can beat any other team on any given day,” Sowder said. “We have some tough opponents. I know they may not have won as many as they’d liked but some of them played very tough competition and had very close games.”
“Every game’s a new game and you got to be prepared and focused on yourselves. We want to play the best that we can play.”
The 49ers have already shown the offensive firepower they displayed last year, scoring 25 runs in three victories. Leading the way is senior Ashley Holmes, who has two of the team’s five home runs.
Heading to a more hitter-friendly environment, Sowder knows there are much more runs to be had.
“The difference in Vegas is obviously the ball will carry a lot more than it does here,” Sowder said.
After enjoying the first five games at home, the tournament will mark the first road games of the season for the 49ers. Sowder said she believes there could be more benefits to road games.
“There’s a lot more room for distractions when we’re home than when we’re away because when we’re away they’re with us, with a curfew,” Sowder said. “There’s not the option of having social opportunities to go out with friends…they actually get a lot of studying done and just seem to be rested and less distracted.”
Despite an up-and-down weekend that featured a rare poor performance from senior Erin Jones-Wesley, Sowder remains confident in her squad overall.
“I don’t think there’s one thing I’m more concerned about than anything else,” Sowder said. “We saw great things from all of them. We saw great pitching at times, we saw great offense and great defense. It’s just a matter of being consistent; putting all those together.”
The 49ers will also play a double-header on Saturday against UTEP (1-4) and Utah (2-3), and wrap up the tournament against UNLV (1-4).