Game #5 *CANCELED*
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Stanislaus State Warriors (0-3)
Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Novato, Calif. – San Marin High School
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #5
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Chico State Wildcats (0-0)
Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Novato, Calif. – San Marin High School
Live Stats

Game #6
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Cal State Monterey Bay Otters (2-1)
Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Santa Rosa, Calif. – Marv Mays Softball Field
Live Stats | Live Video

Game #7
ART U Urban Knights (2-2) vs. Sonoma State Seawolves (2-1)
Saturday, February 11, 2024 at 3 p.m.
Santa Rosa, Calif. – Marv Mays Softball Field
Live Stats | Live Video

CCAA QUARTET AWAITS ACADEMY OF ART IN SONOMA
After closing out its season-opening series versus Menlo with a doubleheader sweep, Academy of Art softball now matches up with four NCAA Division II opponents from the California Collegiate Athletic Association as part of Sonoma State's North Bay Challenge this weekend.

FIRST PITCH
In the North Bay Challenge, ART U will first match up with Chico State (2 p.m.) on Saturday, Feb. 10 after the Knights' first game of the tournament was canceled. The second and final day of the weekend tournament, Sunday, Feb. 11, sees Academy of Art match up with Cal State Monterey Bay (12:30 p.m.) followed by host Sonoma State (3 p.m.) with the first two games being played at San Marin High School in Novato and the final two games being played at Marv Mays Softball Field on the campus of Santa Rosa Junior College in Santa Rosa. 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
Well in front of the rest of the Pacific West Conference in batting average, Academy of Art is collectively hitting .331 with the most runs scored (23) and triples (2) in the PacWest through the first week of action. Atop the individual leaderboard is junior utility Alexis Folks' .583 (7-for-12) clip which has come with three runs scored and three runs batted in, the latter of which is tied with senior infielder Haley Randall who is hitting .462 (6-for-13) with one triple and one double. Following that pair still inside the conference's top 10 in batting average, sophomore infielder Audrey Allen checks in at .438 (7-for-16) with the stick while adding four RBIs (second in PacWest) and the Knights' lone home run thus far in 2024. The conference leaders in runs scored are all from ART U as freshman outfielder Lida Wos has four in three games, while adding four stolen bases to pace the PacWest, and junior catcher/infielder Liberty Herrera also has four while Folks, senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki, and senior infielder Katie Humphreys each have three apiece.

Defensively, the freshman pitching duo of Kayla Vaughan (1-1) and Alyssa Fullmer (1-0) both come off their first collegiate victories versus Menlo on Feb. 3, are among the conference's top six in innings pitched, and Vaughan has opened at fourth in the PacWest in strikeouts (9).

STANDING UP TO STAN STATE
Picked to finish ninth in the CCAA in the preseason coaches, Stanislaus State began its 2024 campaign with losses to No. 25 Northwest Nazarene, No. 14 Concordia, and Western Washington in the Concordia Kickoff Classic. The Warriors were led by Payton Applequist's .571 batting average in those contests while Shelby Frutoz (0-2) has offered a 0.78 earned run average in her first 9.0 innings pitched. In 20 previous meetings, Stan State leads ART U 14-4-1.

IN THE WILD
Chico State comes off a 26-26 season in 2023 and has yet to play a game this season after their matchups in the Concordia Kickoff Classic were canceled. The Wildcats, who enter the year in the sixth the CCAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and are set to face Saint Martin's (Feb. 9) and Western Washington (Feb. 10) prior to meeting the Knights, return the team's batting average and RBI leader in Tayler Berens (.321, 23 RBIs) as well as Katelyn Oldwin following her 6-9 record and squad-best 2.31 ERA last year. Chico State's recent success versus Academy of Art has them in front 10-2 historically.

OTTER OBSERVATIONS
Cal State Monterey Bay received one first-place vote in the CCAA Preseason Coaches' Poll but was slated to finish fifth in the standings. However, the Otters already have a win over a nationally-ranked team this season as they topped both Azusa Pacific and No. 16 Oklahoma Christian before falling to Western Washington in the Concordia Kickoff Classic. Two doubles apiece have come from Jaedyn White (.667, 3 RBIs) and Anastacia Alba (.400) while the pitching tandem of Mackenzie Willis (0-0) and Savannah Madrigal (2-1) have struck out 14 while combining to allow just four runs in 16.2 innings of work for the Otters who end the tournament versus ART U after taking on Dominican, Western Washington twice, and Saint Martin's. Regularly facing the Knights over the past 14 years, CSUMB carries a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series.

SEEING THE SEAWOLVES
A near-consensus pick to win the CCAA regular season, Sonoma State received five first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll as well as multiple votes in the NFCA Division II Top 25 rankings. Able to play three games in the Concordia Kickoff Classic, the Seawolves went 2-1, bouncing back from a loss to Colorado Christian with victories over Chaminade and Western Oregon. SSU will also finish its own tournament with Sunday's matchup hosting Academy of Art after challenging Western Washington, Saint Martin's twice, and Menlo. Leading the Seawolves offensively has been the duo of Kaiya Dickens (.571, three runs scored, two extra-base hits) and Giana Hays (.375, four runs scored, two RBIs, one home run) while neither of the team's two starters has an ERA above 2.00 with Charlie Johnson (1-0) and her 1.00 ERA plus one save in 7.0 innings leading the way. ART U knocked off a nationally-ranked Sonoma State team last year, bringing the historical matchup to 17-3 in favor of SSU.

FANTASTIC FRESHMAN PITCHING SENDS SOFTBALL TO SWEEP MENLO
While still delivering 23 hits on Feb. 3, Academy of Art softball was propelled to a sweep of Menlo thanks to the efforts of freshman pitchers Alyssa Fullmer (1-0) and Kayla Vaughan (1-1) who combined to allow just three runs in 11.0 combined innings at Wunderlich Field. ART U never trailed in the day's opening contest as rallies in the second and fourth innings combined with Fullmer's defense toward a 4-2 final. The series finale was tied heading into the sixth frame where a triple by senior outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki helped give the Urban Knights an 8-5 lead Vaughan and those behind her would not relinquish.

ON THE HORIZON
In the Bay Area for the remainder of February, Academy of Art next faces Cal State East Bay in Hayward on Feb. 14 followed by ART U's first home games of the year hosting Simon Fraser on Feb. 16.