Baseball
Senior infielder Zack Domingues runs across home plate in the Dirtbags’ 4-1 win over Cal Poly on Sunday at Blair Field.
Who: Hawai’i (18-23, 7-8)
When: Friday and Saturday at 9:35 p.m. PST and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. PST
Where: Les Murakami Stadium, Honolulu, Hawai’i
Need to know: The Long Beach State baseball team heads to Honolulu looking to continue its four-game winning streak in conference play. The Dirtbags (26-17, 9-6) also hope to avenge a sweep at the hands of the Rainbow Warriors on May 1-3, 2015.
LBSU leads the all-time series 10-6; Hawai’i won the first-ever meeting 10-0 in 1979.
Senior shortstop Jacob Sheldon-Collins and freshman catcher Kekai Rios lead the Rainbow Warriors this season. Sheldon-Collins ranks first on the team, and in the Big West, with a .411 batting average.
Rios is second on the team and seventh in the Big West with a .342 average, but the first year player is also a force behind the plate. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission named Rios on the Johnny Bench Award watch list. The award goes to the best catcher in the nation.
Softball
Sophomore first baseman Julia Lombardi throws to second base in the 49ers’ 1-0 loss to Cal Poly on April 17 at the LBSU Softball Complex.
Who: UC Riverside (31-17-1, 7-8-0)
When: Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Where: LBSU Softball Complex
Need to know: Fresh off a series win against rival Cal State Fullerton and a 4-2 road trip, the Long Beach State softball team hosts UC Riverside.
The 49ers (28-18, 8-7) lead the all-time series against the Highlanders 50-9; however, UCR took the series 2-1 last season on April 3-4, 2015.
The Highlanders are on a three-game losing streak after suffering a sweep against Cal State Northridge on Saturday and Sunday. Outfielders Maddie Richard and Jenna Curtan lead UCR offensively.
Richard ranks first on the team and in the Big West with a .478 batting average. The junior also ranks second in the conference with 34 stolen bases. Curtan ranks second the team with a .360 average and 23 stolen bases. Her 23 swipes are also good for third in the conference.