BERKELEY, Calif. -- The Pacific softball team returns to action as the Tigers face-off against California in a non-conference contest at Levine-Fricke Field on Wednesday, March 2.
 
The Tigers are returning to Northern California after a three-day stint in Phoenix, Ariz., at the Lopes Up Classic. Carly Lucchetti leads the Tigers in multiple statistical categories throughout the first 13 games of the season, including batting average (.455) and On-Base Percentage (.471). Lucchetti recorded seven hits during the weekend, which included five singles and two extra-base hits. The senior from Linden, Calif., recorded two multi-hit games and tallied crucial RBI hits to give the Tigers early leads against Colorado State and Grand Canyon.
 
Rian Dirmeyer continues to excel early in the season and tallied her fourth home run against Colgate on February 27. Dirmeyer is the lone Tiger with double-digit RBI in the first 13 games, totaling 12 to lead the team. The sophomore from Phoenix, Ariz., has hit a career-high in batting average through the first 13 games of a season with .319. She recorded a .289 batting average through the first 13 games during the 2021 season.
 
Vanessa Strong has been the Tigers' workhorse in the circle at the start of the season as she has accumulated a team-high 2.55 earned-run average. Strong, who leads the team in starts (five) and innings pitched (33.0), has recorded a team-high 26 strikeouts.
 
This past weekend, Hannah Glad earned her first career win in the circle, pitching seven strong innings, allowing only one earned run on five hits against Colgate. The freshman from Camarillo, Calif., also tallied a career-high two strikeouts in the win over the Raiders on February 25.
 
California enters Wednesday's contest with a 12-3 record and sits in second place in the Pac-12 Conference with a 12-3 record. The Golden Bears have won six-straight games and have defeated West Coast Conference foes Saint Mary's and San Diego in their first 15 games this season. The team has two players in, Makena Smith and Kacey Zobac, who are batting over .500. Smith leads the team with a .548 batting average and 18 RBI, while Zobac is second with a .500 batting average and leads the team in doubles with six.
 
Since the 2008 season, the two programs have faced off 13 times, with California having the edge in the series. Pacific last earned a win on March 30, 2011, defeating the nationally-ranked Golden Bears, 13-2, in five innings. Trailing after the top half of the first inning, the Tigers used a six-run second inning and a five-run third to blow open the game and cruised to victory.