Games #6 & 7
ART U Urban Knights (2-3) vs. Cal State East Bay Pioneers (2-0)
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats

Game #8
ART U Urban Knights (2-3) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (3-2)
Saturday, February 12, 2018 at Noon
Turlock, Calif. – Warrior Softball Field
Live Stats

Games #9 & 10
ART U Urban Knights (2-3) vs. Saint Martin's Saints (1-4)
Sunday, February 11, 2018 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Brisbane, Calif. – Mission Blue Field
Live Stats

ACADEMY OF ART WELCOMES WEST REGION OPPONENTS, MEETS WARRIORS IN TURLOCK
Coming off a 2-3 run through the Desert Stinger that culminated with a decisive 7-0 shutout of Central Washington (predicted to win the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in the preseason coaches poll), Academy of Art University softball now gets set for its home opener against Cal State East Bay as well as road games at Stanislaus State and another home series with Saint Martin's this weekend.

FIRST PITCH
ART U's home opener features a doubleheader hosting CSUEB on Wednesday, Feb. 7 out at Mission Blue Field in Brisbane. A weekend loaded with action then sees the Knights travel to Turlock for a single game against Stanislaus State at Warrior Softball Field on Saturday, Feb. 12 before returning home to play Saint Martin's on Sunday, Feb. 11. All doubleheaders are slated to begin at noon. Live coverage will be available via the links above. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights on Twitter & Instagram and "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps.

KNIGHT WATCH
As a team, ART U currently ranks third in the Pacific West Conference in home runs (5) and runs batted in (25). The five homers are already just one shy of last year's total and junior infielder Brenna Youngquist's grand slam was the first for Academy of Art since Haily MacDonald achieved the rare feat against Chaminade on Mar. 29, 2015. Youngquist ranks 12th in the PacWest in with five RBIs. Both currently riding three-game hitting streaks, senior infielder Samantha Klune and freshman catcher Lauryn Henderson launched back-to-back homers to help the Knights defeat SF State and Klune homered again in the win over CWU. On the year thus far, Klune ranks among the Pacific West Conference's top 15 in batting average (.467), is tied with Henderson for the third-most homers (2), and ranks top 10 in slugging percentage (1.067). Freshman infielder Jayda Alaan holds a resounding PacWest lead with eight times hit by a pitch and is halfway to the program's single-season record (15).

Pitcher Brooke Larsen (1-1), the PacWest Conference Freshman of the Week, highlighted the weekend with her first collegiate complete game shutout against Central Washington. In 7.0 innings of work, the Graphic Design major allowed just five hits and no walks with nine strikeouts. Five games into the season among starters with at least 10.0 innings pitched, Larsen is ranked first in the PacWest in complete games (2) and second in both earned run average (1.24) and strikeouts (19). 

EAST BAY COMES WEST
After opening their season at home against Dominican, Cal State East Bay won very different games, but both by one run. Their first contest was a 1-0 victory led by an impressive start from Abby Greer (1-0) and the second was a 10-9 final decided by an error. Picked to finish seventh in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Preseason Coaches' Poll, CSUEB begins anew after a 27-25 campaign in 2017. Three hits in five at-bats gives Jennifer Palmares the team's highest batting average (.600) along with two doubles while Greer has done the most work in the pitcher's circle with no runs allowed in 7.2 innings pitched, a win, and a save. The Pioneers are 9-3 against ART U all-time.

THE STATE OF STANISLAUS
Also in the Desert Stinger this year, Stanislaus State exited 3-2 with wins over Western Washington, Northwest Nazarene, and Fort Lewis. The Warriors, who play Holy Names on Feb. 9 prior to meeting Academy of Art, went 23-32 overall last year and are picked to finish eighth in the CCAA this season on the preseason coaches' poll. To date, Stanislaus State is led by two hitters with identical batting averages (.417) in Alexus Martinez and Aliyah Garvin while Kristin Borst (1-0) had the best weekend with a complete game victory in her lone start for a 1.00 ERA and four strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Historically, the Warriors are 7-3-1 all-time against ART U.

SAINTS GO MARCHING IN
Saint Martin's was alongside Academy of Art and Stanislaus State in the Desert Stinger and also ended on a winning note, defeating UH Hilo 2-1 after taking four losses to CCAA schools prior to that. Like Stanislaus, the Saints will play Holy Names on Feb. 10 before taking on the Knights. The GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll has SMU slated to tie for a third-place finish after they did just that in 2017 with a 17-11 conference record. Through their first five games, Lauren Diuco comes in with the team's highest batting average (.438) and Devyn Connolly adds the most RBIs (4). In the circle, Kim Nelson (1-1) offers a 2.23 ERA in 22.0 innings pitched which is more than double the number of any of her three teammates who have made appearances. ART U and SMU have met three times prior and the Saints hold a 2-1 lead all-time in those games.

KNIGHTS STAND TRIUMPHANT OVER CWU 7-0 TO FINISH STINGER
Up against one of the top offenses at the MSU Billings Desert Stinger on Feb. 4, Academy of Art University Softball combined an inspired pitching performance from freshman Brooke Larsen (1-1) with rallies in five of six innings for a 7-0 victory over Central Washington. Larsen delivered her first collegiate complete game shutout, striking out nine, and senior infielder Samantha Klune championed 11 ART U hits with a 3-for-3 day that saw her finish just a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

LOOKING AHEAD
After a week off from competition, the Urban Knights will travel to Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 18 then start PacWest Conference play by hosting Dominican on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m.