BERKELEY – The California softball team takes a break from Pac-12 Conference play this week with a Tuesday midweek game at Sacramento State followed by a three-game series at UNLV on Friday-Sunday.
 
First pitch between the Golden Bears and Hornets is set for 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday. The Bears and Rebels open with a 6 p.m. PT start on Friday, 3 p.m. PT first pitch on Saturday and the two teams wrap up the series in Las Vegas at noon on Sunday.  
 
MIDWEEK LINEUP

• Teams: Cal 7, Sac State 0
• Location: Shea Stadium | Sacramento, California
• First pitch: Tuesday: 4 p.m.

WEEKEND LINEUP

• Teams: Cal (25-12-1) at UNLV (19-20)
• Location: Eller Media Stadium | Las Vegas, Nevada
• First pitch: Friday: 6 p.m. | Saturday: 3 p.m. | Sunday: noon

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Friday: Live Stats | Mountain West Network
• Saturday: Live Stats | Mountain West Network
• Sunday: Live Stats | Mountain West Network

SERIES AT A GLANCE

• Cal leads the all-time series against Sac State 68-23 but the Hornets won last year's matchup in Berkeley, 5-4.   
• The Bears lead the series history with the Rebels 17-6; the teams haven't matched up since 2015 when Cal prevailed with a 9-1 victory in five innings.

QUICK HITS

• The Bears check in at No. 29 in this week's NCAA RPI ratings after reaching No. 20 last month, their highest standing since the 2018 season.
• California entered a national poll last week for the first time since the 2018 season, checking in at No. 25 in the D1Softball rankings. The Bears also received votes in the NFCA Coaches poll and the ESPN.com/USA Today poll.
• Elon Butler was named the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week on April 3 after hitting .500 with five RBI, two home runs and a double in the series against then-No. 24 Utah. Butler blasted a 3-run shot in the third inning and a solo shot in the sixth frame that turned out to be the game-winner in Cal's series-clinching win over the Utes.   
• Cal took down then-No. 2 UCLA on March 11 in an 8-0 run-rule victory in five innings for its first win over a top-5 team since the 2012 season, when the Bears swept No. 3 Washington in three games March 30-April 2 in Berkeley.
• The Bears are second in the Pac-12 in both home runs and doubles. Cal has crushed 49 long balls to rank 12th in the NCAA and is 38^th nationally with 54 doubles.
• Cal's 49 home runs are tied for seventh on the team single-season record list. The Bears hit 57 home runs as a team in 2022, ranking third in school history.
• With 1.32 home runs per game, Cal ranks 12th in the country and second in the Pac-12, trailing only ASU (1.41).
• Cal's 107 extra-base hits (49 HR, 54 2B, 4 3B) are third in the Pac-12 behind Arizona (112) and Washington (109).
• Cal has five players with at least five home runs - Makena Smith (11), Sophie Medellin (8), Butler (6), Kacey Zobac (5) and Tianna Bell (5). The Bears have three more players with at least three long balls – Sona Halajian (4) Acacia Anders (3) and D'Asha Saiki (3).
• Smith is tied for third in the Pac-12 with 11 home runs (27th NCAA). Her 41 career home runs are one away from tying for fifth all-time at Cal (42 – Lindsey Ziegenhirt, 2010-13).
• Smith has 146 career RBI, seven short of tying for fifth on Cal's all-time list (153 – Melanie McCart, 1994-97).  
• Zobac is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with 10 doubles and is third with 24 walks.
• Tatum Anzaldo has been on a tear since returning to the lineup on March 3 against Miami (Ohio), going 26-for-68 (.382).
• Mika Lee (.363), Zobac (.351), Smith (.324) and Saiki (.313) are all above .300 to lead the Bears offensively. 
• Anzaldo (.376), a 2022 first-team all-conference selection, hasn't had enough plate appearances to qualify for official stats after missing 10 games earlier this season.

 
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