California Bears
Pac-12 (50-4, 21-3)
Cal started their 2012 season with a bang by going 23-0, taking their first loss to Hawai’i at the Hawai’i Spring Fling in Honolulu. The Bears have maintained the number one spot in the rankings since the first week of the season and show no signs of slowing down. Cal is also a powerhouse at the plate averaging over seven runs per game giving their outstanding starting pitching, Valerie Arioto and Jolene Henderson provide all they need to shut down opposing offenses.
Big Wins: 3/15 vs Texas (6-3), 3/25 vs Stanford (8-0), 4/1 vs. Washington (6-4)
Bad Losses: 3/15 vs Texas (1-3), 4/14 vs Arizona (3-8), 4/21 vs Oregon (0-1)
Coach: Diane Ninemire (25 seasons at California)
Why They Can Surprise:
Valerie Arioto (20-2) and Jolene Henderson (30-2) are the dynamic duo that is leading the Bears to their 50-4 record. After redshirting her true senior year due to a broken leg, Arioto has showed no signs of being pedestrian, leading the team at the plate by hitting .390, smashing 22 homeruns and driving in 57 runs. Henderson’s continues to dominate the circle with a 1.22 ERA in 211.2 innings pitched and racking up 249 strike outs. Offensively they are a scoring machine averaging just over 7 runs per game which makes them 4th in team scoring in the country. The potent offense delivers a team batting average of .322 that is ranked 9th overall and is gifted with speed from Jaimia Reid hitting .391 with 45 stolen bases.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Can the Cal Bears maintain this momentum through the post season? It is very possible given the fact that they have conquered the Pac 12 where 8 out of 9 teams are ranked in the top 25. The big question is, can the bats stay hot? If they can maintain their pitching prowess and offensive domination then they will be difficult to keep them out of the Women’s College World Series Championship. However, in playoffs anything can and often does happen…
Key Field Players:
Valerie Arioto, Senior, UTL, .390 BA, 22 HR, 57 RBI
Jamia Reid, Senior, OF, .391 BA, 12 RBI, 45 SB
Frani Echavarria, Senior, OF, .362 BA, 4 HR, 27 RBI
Britt Vonk, Sophomore, SS, .331 BA, 18 RBI
Breana Kostreba, Freshman, IF, .318 BA, 12 HR, 38 RBI
Danielle Henderson, Freshman, 3B/C, .299 BA, 14 HR, 41 RBI
Cheyenne Cordes, Freshman, IF/OF, .275 BA, 6 HR, 30 RBI
Key Pitchers:
Jolene Henderson, Junior, Pitcher, 1.22 ERA, 30-2 W/L, 26 CG, 211.2 IP, 249 SO
Valerie, Arioto, Senior, Pitcher, 1.22 ERA, 20-2 W/L, 15 CG, 126.2 IP, 155 SO
By the Numbers:
Batting Average: .322 (9th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Earned Run Average: 1.22 (3, 1)
Fielding Percentage: .980 (2, 1)
Scoring Offense: 7.02 (4, 2)
Home Runs per Game: 1.41 (7, 3)
Doubles per Game: 1.24 (63, 5)
Triples per Game: 0.08 (209, 8)
Stolen Bases per Game: 1.53 (34, 1)
Slugging Percentage: 539 (7, 3)
Double Plays per Game: 0.33 (60, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2011 | Regional | defeated Jacksonville State, defeated Louisville, defeated Louisville |
| 2011 | Super Regional | defeated Kentucky |
| 2011 | WCWS | lost to Alabama, defeated Oklahoma State, eliminated by Florida |
| 2010 | Regional | defeated Bucknell, defeated Kentucky, defeated Ohio State |
| 2010 | Super Regional | eliminated by Georgia |
| 2009 | Regional | defeated Mississippi State, defeated Oklahoma State, defeated Oklahoma State |
| 2009 | Super Regional | eliminated by Florida |
| 2008 | Regional | defeated San Diego State, defeated Fresno State, lost to Fresno State, defeated Fresno State |
| 2008 | Super Regional | eliminated by Florida |
| 2007 | Regional | defeated Florida State, lost to Tennessee Tech, eliminated by Alabama |
*all team stats through 5/6
See All Softball Postseason Capsules
