Check in on everything that’s happened with Long Beach State athletics over the past seven days.
Men’s Volleyball
VIDEO: Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Wins National Championship
PODCAST: The LB Fee Show Special National Championship Edition
Women’s Soccer
LBSU 14th-year coach Mauricio Ingrassia will be an assistant coach during the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team during their 10-day training camp from May 8-18 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif. Future 49ers Sierra Castles and Elysia Laramie have also been invited to the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team training camp. Castles and Laramie, who are two of 24 players invited, each signed a National Letter of Intent to attend LBSU in February.
Baseball
The Dirtbags picked up their first weekend sweep of the season at UC Riverside to get out of last place in the Big West Conference. The Dirtbags (21-26, 7-8) scored 19 runs in the three wins over the Highlanders.
“It was nice to get off of the mat,” LBSU coach Troy Buckley said. “We’re still looking to build a championship culture no matter the record. (The players) just took better at bats, and when you give yourself a chance to swing at strikes, you have more chances for success.”
The Dirtbags swept the Big West weekly awards as freshman Leonard Jones was named Field Player of the Week, and junior Clayton Andrews was named Pitcher of the Week.
It’s the first weekly award for Jones, who went 8-for-14 over the weekend with two doubles and a home run. He played a role in 11 of the 19 runs scored by LBSU with eight RBIs and three runs scored. Jones has multiple hits in six of the last seven games.
Andrews won his second weekly award by striking out a career-high 13 batters in Saturday’s victory. He pitched eight innings while scattering five hits and allowing one run. Andrews has issued just one walk in his last 26 innings on the mound, and lowed his ERA to 2.58.
Softball
The 49ers (40-11, 14-4) bounced back from a 2-1 loss in 12 innings at UC Davis to take the series from the Aggies with a pair of shutout wins. LBSU is ranked No. 17 this week, and is on the bubble to host an NCAA Regional.
Cielo Meza and Devyn Magnett combined for the shutout in the 8-0 win that evened the weekend, and the 4-0 victory that clinched the series. The two pitchers racked up 19 strikeouts in 13 innings. First baseman Taylor Rowland and designated player Tierra Falo both had three hits and three RBIs in the 8-0 victory.
Track & Field
The Big West Championships got underway last weekend, and John Broadhead finished third in the decathlon with the seventh highest score in school history. He will be joined by the rest of the 49ers this weekend as the Big West Championships resume at CSU Northridge.
Men’s Golf
LBSU finished fourth at the Big West Championship at Industry Hills Golf Course last week. Joe Fryer finished in a tie for ninth place after a final-round 68.
Women’s Golf
In their first NCAA postseason appearance since 2009, LBSU Women’s Golf finished their first round on Monday 16-over par, and are in 15th place. Cara Barker shot a 1-over par 73, and is currently tied for 33rd place.
