BERKELEY – The California softball team returns to Levine-Fricke Field for its fifth straight nonconference game on Wednesday with a 2 p.m. PT first pitch vs. Santa Clara.
 
The matchup between the Golden Bears and Broncos will air live on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
MIDWEEK LINEUP

• Teams: Cal (28-12-1) vs. Santa Clara (18-20)
• Location: Levine-Fricke Field | Berkeley, California
• First pitch: Wednesday, 2 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Wednesday: Live Stats | Pac-12 Networks

SERIES AT A GLANCE

• Cal leads the all-time series against Santa Clara 87-0 with the last matchup coming on March 10, 2021, a 21-4 Golden Bear victory.    

QUICK HITS

• The Bears check in at No. 27 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 two weeks ago for the first time since the 2018 season, checking in at No. 25 in the D1Softball rankings. The Bears are also receiving votes in the NFCA Coaches poll and the ESPN.com/USA Today poll.
• Makena Smith was selected with the 15th pick in the Women's Pro Fastpitch draft on Monday by the Smash It Sports Vipers out of Oxford, Alabama. Smith was the fourth Pac-12 player selected and one of five total student-athletes from the conference.
• 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 sit atop the Pac-12 in both home runs and doubles with three weeks left in the regular season. Cal has crushed 56 long balls to rank 11th in the NCAA and is 23rd nationally with 63 doubles.
• Cal's 56 home runs are fourth on the team single-season record list. The Bears hit 57 home runs as a team in 2022, ranking third in school history.
• With 1.37 home runs per game, Cal ranks 10th in the country and leads the Pac-12.
• Cal's 123 extra-base hits (56 HR, 63 2B, 4 3B) lead the Pac-12 with Arizona (116) in second and Washington (115) in third.
• Cal has five players with at least five home runs - Smith (11), Sophie Medellin (8), Kacey Zobac (8), Butler (7) and Tianna Bell (5). The Bears have three more players with at least three long balls – Sona Halajian (4) Acacia Anders (4) and D'Asha Saiki (3).
• Zobac has been hot of late, hitting .600 with 3 HR, 2 2B and 9 RBI in her last five games. Zobac's .517 OBP is third in the conference and her .706 SLG ranks sixth in the Pac-12.
• Zobac is in a five-way tie for first in the Pac-12 with 11 doubles and is second with 27 walks.
• Smith is tied for third in the Pac-12 with 11 home runs. Her 41 career home runs are one away from tying for fifth all-time at Cal (42 – Lindsey Ziegenhirt, 2010-13).
• Smith has 150 career RBI, three short of tying for fifth on Cal's all-time list (153 – Melanie McCart, 1994-97).  
• Tatum Anzaldo has been on a tear since returning to the lineup on March 3 against Miami (Ohio), going 31-for-80 (.388).
• Zobac (.385), Anzaldo (.381), Mika Lee (.349) Smith (.347) and Saiki (.319) are all above .300 to lead the Bears offensively.   

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