Games #7 & 8
ART U Urban Knights (3-3) vs. Cal State East Bay Pioneers (2-1)
Wednesday, February 13, 2024 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Hayward, Calif. – Pioneer Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Games #9 & 10
ART U Urban Knights (3-3) vs. Simon Fraser Red Leafs (2-4)
Friday, February 16, 2024 at Noon & 2 p.m.
Hayward, Calif. – Pioneer Field
Live Stats | Live Video

ROAD TRIP TO EAST BAY, HOME OPENER ON TAP FOR ACADEMY OF ART
Emerging from the North Bay Challenge with a win, a loss, and an unfinished contest, Academy of Art softball refocuses on a road doubleheader at Cal State East Bay followed by the Urban Knights' first two home games of the season as they host Simon Fraser.

FIRST PITCH
The final four games before the start of Pacific West Conference action come this week as Academy of Art matches up with CSUEB at Pioneer Field in Hayward for a noon doubleheader on Wednesday, Feb. 14 then hosts Simon Fraser this Friday, Feb. 16 once again at Pioneer Field at noon. Remember to follow @ARTU_Knights via the athletics app (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) and on Twitter & Instagram, as well as "Like" the Urban Knights on Facebook for score updates, videos, and recaps. 

KNIGHT WATCH
ART U remains well in front of the pack with the highest combined batting average (.321), runs scored (32), triples (3), stolen bases (10), and runs batted in (27) totals  in the PacWest. Of the eight Urban Knights hitting .300 or better on the team, sophomore infielder Audrey Allen (.478) not only paces the team, but also the PacWest among student-athletes with 10 or more at-bats this year. She has begun the year with a six-game hit streak (10 games combining with last season) and has at least one RBI and multiple hits in all but one of those contests, giving her eight RBIs (second in PacWest) plus three doubles (first in PacWest) thus far. Also with a six-game hit streak is junior utility Alexis Folks whose .450 average is ninth in the conference and comes with three driven in. Senior infielder Katie Humphreys (.368) and senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki (.364) follow with the former on a six-game reached base streak and the latter's six runs scored and two triples both pacing the PacWest. The six RBIs for senior infielder Haley Randall (.350) are tied for third in the conference while freshman outfielder Lida Wos' four stolen bases in four tries are first in the PacWest.

In the pitching circle, freshman Alyssa Fullmer (2-0) tossed her first collegiate complete game, holding Chico State scoreless for six of seven innings in a 6-1 victory on Feb. 10. She is tied with four others for the conference lead in wins while freshman Kayla Vaughan (1-2) comes off a historic complete game in which she became just the fourth ART U pitcher ever to throw 9.0 innings against Cal State Monterey Bay on Feb. 11. Vaughan's 16 strikeouts in her first 18.0 collegiate innings are fifth overall in the PacWest, but first among non-seniors/grad students.

PIONEER PARTICULARS
Picked to finish eighth by the California Collegiate Athletic Association coaches, Cal State East Bay began the 2024 season 2-1 with wins over MSU Billings and Azusa Pacific along with a loss to No. 21 Colorado Christian. The tandem of Annelise Garcia and Kyana Elder are both hitting .500 on the year, combining for eight RBIs, five extra-base hits, and six runs scored while the Pioneer pitching staff has combined for a 1.59 earned run average led by Ashlee Toy (1-0) and her zero runs allowed over her first 7.0 innings pitched. Despite the teams nearly splitting their total previous meetings over the last six years, it is CSUEB ahead of ART U 16-7 all-time.

SIMON SAYS
In the seventh spot of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, Simon Fraser collected two wins to four losses to start the year, defeating Fort Lewis and Western New Mexico on either end of the South Central Regional Challenge. Cassidy Affeldt has done it all for the Red Leafs thus far, hitting .571 with three home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, and five runs scored. Meanwhile, no SFU pitched has an ERA lower than 5.02 with Monica Bourque (1-1) owning that mark through 15.1 innings of work. Facing one another for the first time in 2012, Academy of Art and Simon Fraser have only ever faced on neutral fields (primarily in the Tournament of Champions) with the Red Leafs slightly ahead 4-3 historically.

CSUMB WINS IN EXTRAS BEFORE DARKNESS HALTS LEAD OVER SSU
A lengthy day of action for Academy of Art softball nearly ended on a victorious note, but after narrowly falling to Cal State Monterey Bay 4-3 in extra innings, the Urban Knights held a 9-7 lead versus Sonoma State only to have darkness force the game to be halted at Marv Mayes Softball Field at Santa Rosa Junior College as part of the North Bay Challenge on Feb. 11.

ON THE HORIZON
PacWest Conference play is next as ART U will host Biola for four games across Feb. 23-24.