BERKELEY – The 23rd-ranked Golden Bears are heading to the desert for the first leg of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs.
 
For the second consecutive season, California will participate in the first portion of the two-weekend tournament, opening the premiere weekend with a five game Saturday-Monday slate.
 
To begin, Cal faces Fordham on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. (PT), before squaring up with Loyola Marymount at 1 p.m. for the first of two doubleheader days.
 
On day two, the Bears will face UC Santa Barbara which they shutout in the season opener 2-0 in Sacramento. That matchup will be another early in with a 10 a.m. start time, followed by a 12:30 p.m. contest with Cal Poly.
 
On Monday, the final day of the tournament, Cal faces UC Riverside at 1:30 p.m.
 
"We are going to be facing excellent competition to start things off and continue through the weekend," said head coach Diane Ninemire. "Fordham won the Atlantic 10 title last season so they will be a great test for us."
 
Currently undefeated, the Bears have fared well during the first slate of Mary Nutter in the past with an 11-0 record since 2012. Against this year's lineups, the Blue and Gold hold a 66-14 overall record.
 
Collectively, the Bears are batting .258, recording 20 runs, 32 hits and 18 RBIs through five games, limiting opponents to three runs. Notably, freshmen Karlee Sparacino (.385) and Mikayla Coelho (.357) have led at the plate.
 
Cal's pitching crew ranks fifth nationally holding a 0.21 combined ERA, which has been particularly integral to its unblemished record. With starting pitcher Zoe Conley coming off of a career best 10-strikeout performance and newcomer Kamalani Dung holding her own with a perfect 0.00 ERA, Cal has proven potent in the circle.
  
"We're on track so far this season," Ninemire said. "With a young team we're still feeling ourselves out. We've been tested in several games but have been able to break through in crucial moments so far. We hope to open things up a little bit more this weekend."
 
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