Beavers Prepare for Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament

THIS WEEK:
• The Beavers jet off to the Aloha State for a six game stretch. OSU will be taking on Hawaii, Nevada and Seattle in two games a piece over the course of three days.

Thursday, February 27
Oregon State vs. Nevada - 5:30 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu
Oregon State vs. Hawaii - 8:00 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu

Friday, February 28
Oregon State vs. Seattle - 4:30 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu
Oregon State vs. Hawaii - 9:00 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu

Saturday, February 29
Oregon State vs. Seattle - 12:00 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu
Oregon State vs. Nevada - 2:30 p.m. PT
Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium - Honolulu, O'ahu

FOLLOW THE BEAVS:
• Live stats will be available this weekend through Statbroadcaster.com
• Links to live stats will be available on the softball schedule page at OSUBeavers.com
• Follow @BeaverSoftball on Twitter for the most up-to-date news on all things Beaver Softball.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW:
• Tickets for Oregon State's 14-home games are on sale now at BeaverTickets.com/softball.
• Season tickets are available for $50 for adults and $30 for youth and seniors. Single game tickets can be purchased at $7 for adults and $5 for youth.
• Tickets for the Oregon State vs. the USA National Softball Team in Hillsboro, Ore. on March 17 at Ron Tonkin Field can be purchased today on the Hillsboro Hops website.

MIGHTY MAZON:
• Junior Mariah Mazon is dominated both in the circle and at the plate for the Beavers.
• Mazon has thrown two no-hitters this season (at UNLV to open 2020 and at Houston in five innings).
• On the season, Mazon maintains a 1.16 ERA wtih 89 strikeouts through 72.1 innings of work. She is holding opponents to a .133 BA through 13 appearances.
• At the Mary Nutter, Mazon posted a .88 ERA, had one shutout, picked up a save and held opponents to a .170 BA.
• This season, Mazon has three saves - the season record is seven. On her career, Mazon has eight saves - the career record is 13.
• At-the-plate, Mazon leads the team with a .442 BA with 19 hits - including five double and two home runs - with five runs scored and eight RBI.
• She also leads the team in slugging pct. (.698) and on-base pct. (.490) and has one stolen base on the season.
• In the NCAA, Mazon sits: T-No. 3 in saves, T-No. 4 in shutouts and No. 4 in strikeouts.
• In the Pac-12, Mazon is: No. 1 in opponent BA, No. 1 in saves, No. 2 strikeouts, No. 6 in ERA, No. 7 in batting average and No. 9 in slugging pct. (.698).

NUNES KNOWS:
• Junior Missy Nunes has started every game this season for the Beavers.
• Nunes is batting .375 with 18 hits this season - including five double and three home runs.
• Nunes leads the team with 14 RBI and 10 runs scored.
• Nunes has been a crucial part for the Beaver's defensively playing in three different positions this season based on the team's needs - Right field, third base and catcher.

FRESHMAN FOCUS:
• Xiao Gin and Grace Messmer have secured their spot in the Beaver's lineup being the starting second baseman and shortstop, respectively.
• Gin is batting .326 with 15 hits, eight runs scored and six RBI. She also leads the Beavers with four stolen bases. Gin is also at the top of the team list for sac bunts with two.
• Gin is currently tied for fifth in the NCAA in sac bunts.
• Gin has made two appearances in the circle for OSU picking up a save and her first career victory with six strikeouts on the season in 5.2 innings of work.
• Messmer maintains a .229 BA with 11 hits and seven runs scored. She has two RBI and has turned four double plays defensively.
• Messmer sits at fifth in the Pac-12 in fielding double plays.
• Val Pero and Ivana Perez have also made appearance at catcher and in the outfield, respectively, for the Beavers this season.

SOPHOMORE SPLENDOR:
• Izzy Owen and Maia Rader are bringing their freshman success back for another year.
• Rader has started 14 games for the Beavers at third base. She is batting .333 with 11 hits, four runs scored and two RBI. She has also stolen two bases.
• Owen has appeared in 13 games making 11 starts. She has six hits on the season with four runs scored and two RBI. She is also tied at the top of the team with two sac bunts.

FALLON FRENZY:
• Senior Fallon Molnar made her first collegiate start against Houston as the designated player. She has appeared in 11 games this season as a pinch hitter with four starts at DP.
• Molnar is batting .263 on the season with five hits - including three home runs - with seven RBI and four runs scored.

MAGNIFICENT MELANCON:
•, Grad-transfer Trystan Melancon has been OSU's other starting pitcher.
• Melancon has a 4-0 record in six appearances with one shutout.
• She has pitched 25.2 innings with 35 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .240 BA.
• She opened her career in the Orange and Black with 13 strikeouts against Southern Utah on Feb. 7.

COACHING PROFILES:
• Head coach Laura Berg hung up her cleats after nearly 20-years of playing softball and spent a year with the LAPD in 2010-11 before returning to the game as an assistant coach for the 2012 season at Oregon State.
• Berg picked up her 200th career victory as a head coach earlier this season against Idaho State at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on February 20th. All 200 wins have come at OSU.
• Berg enters her eighth season at the helm of the Oregon State program, recording four NCAA Tournament appearances. Find more about Berg on the last page of these notes.
• Associate head coach Marcie Green also has experience with law enforcement. Green studied criminology at Fresno State and spent five years as a prison guard at Corcoran State Prison in California following graduation before starting to coach. Green works primarily with the pitchers.
• Assistant coach Eric Leyba returns for his second season on staff working with the infielders and batters. Under his first season working with the infielders, Leyba coaches Hammoude and Rader to All-Freshman honors at first base and shortstop.
• Volunteer Assistant Coach Shelly Prochaska is new to the coaching staff, but not the Orange and Black. Prochaska played for former Beaver head coach Kirk Walker from 2000-03 before becoming an undergraduate assistant in 2004. Prochaska most recently served a stint as an assistant coach for the Sonoma State softball program during the 2018-19 season.
• Heather Smith also returns for her 19th season as Director of Operations.

NATIONAL SOFTBALL:
• Coach Berg is the most decorated USA Softball Olympic Athlete after joining the National Team in 1994. Berg won three gold medals for the United States (1996 - Atlanta, 2000 - Sydney, 2004 - Athens) and one silver (2008 - Beijing).
• Berg joined the Women's National Team coaching staff in 2012 and has served as an assistant before being named the head coach for the Junior WNT in 2017. Most recently, Berg was an assistant with the WNT that won Gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
• On November 14, 2019, Berg was named an assistant to the 2020 WNT's coaching staff. She will join the Stars and Stripes on staff in the pursuit of another Olympic Gold Medal as softball makes a return at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
• Sophomore Frankie Hammoude made her National Team debut in the summer of 2019 after trying out and making the Junior Women's National Team.
• Hammoude helped the the JWNT to become the 2019 U-19 WBSC World Cup Champions after hitting a three-run home run to tie things up in the championship game against Japan. USA went on to capture the title.
• Freshman Grace Messmer was a member of the Junior National Canadian Team in the summer of 2019.
• Messmer helped Canada to a Bronze Medal finish at the WBSC World Cup after recording a sac fly against Australia.
• Freshman Xiao Gin is trying out for the Chinese National Team.
• Berg recently signed Tarni Stepto to the 2021 class. Stepto helped Australia qualify for the 2020 Olympics as a pitcher/hitter and was named one of 20 finalists for the Australian Olympic Team that will be announced later in June.

NCAA TOURNAMENT:
• The Beavers have reached the NCAA Tournament four times under the direction of head coach Laura Berg. As a program, OSU has made a postseason appearance 13 times.
• The Beavers are 30-22 all-time in their 13 tournament appearances following two wins and two losses at the Tuscaloosa Regional in 2018.
• The last time OSU won a regional was in 2006 when it played Nevada and No. 19 Baylor twice. OSU went on to play in the Women's College World Series that year.
• Berg and former head coach Kirk Walker (1995-2012) are the only head coaches in program history to reach the NCAA Tournament.

KNOW WHAT IT TAKES:
• Oregon State's coaching staff is no stranger when it comes to the NCAA Tournament and WCWS.
• Both Berg and Green played at Fresno State in the '90s and gained plenty of experience in the path to the WCWS.
• Coach Berg played from 1994-95 and 1997-98 making it to the WCWS three times and won the national championship in '98.
• Coach Green played from 1990-93 and appeared in three WCWS, including a runner-up finish in 1990.
• Volunteer assistant coach Shelly Prochaska made a NCAA Regional appearance in all four seasons at Oregon State.

For more information on the Oregon State softball team, visit OSUBeavers.com or follow the team @BeaverSoftball on Twitter and Instagram.

OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).

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Players Mentioned

Xiao Gin

Frankie Hammoude

Mariah Mazon

Trystan Melancon

Grace Messmer

Fallon Molnar

Missy Nunes

Izzy Owen

Ivana Perez

Val Pero

Maia Rader