The California softball team opens the 2024 season with a trip to Louisiana and an Opening Day Thursday tilt at McNeese before heading to Lafayette for the Louisiana Classics over the weekend.
 
The Golden Bears face the Cowgirls at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday in Lake Charles and open play in Lafayette on Friday with a 9 a.m. PT first pitch vs. Chattanooga, before facing host and No. 21-ranked Louisiana at 11:30 a.m. PT. Cal has another doubleheader on Saturday against Chattanooga (11:30 a.m. PT) and New Mexico (2 p.m. PT), then wraps up opening-weekend action vs. the Ragin' Cajuns at 9 a.m. PT on Sunday. The two games against Louisiana will be the only matchups of the weekend available via live stream on ESPN+.
 
WEEKEND LINEUP

• Teams: Cal vs. McNeese, Chattanooga, No. 21 Louisiana and New Mexico
• Location: Cowgirl Diamond, Lake Charles, Louisiana
• Location: Lamson Park, Lafayette, Louisiana
• First pitch: Thursday: 4 p.m. PT | Friday: 9 a.m. PT • 11:30 a.m. PT | Saturday: 11:30 a.m. PT • 2 p.m. PT | Sunday: 9 a.m. PT  

 HOW TO FOLLOW

• McNeese: Live Stats | Live Stream: N/A
• Chattanooga: Live Stats | Live Stream: N/A
• Louisiana: Live Stats | ESPN+
• Chattanooga: Live Stats | Live Stream: N/A
• New Mexico: Live Stats | Live Stream: N/A
• Louisiana: Live Stats | ESPN+

QUICK HITS

• Cal heads into head coach Chelsea Spencer's fourth season at the helm after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 last spring.
• The Bears advanced to the Norman Regional Final with a thrilling 7-5 win over Missouri to notch their 35th win of the season, the most victories in five seasons. Cal ultimately fell to No. 1 Oklahoma before the Sooners went on to win their third straight national title.
• Two-time First-Team All-Pac-12 selection Tatum Anzaldo is back to lead the team, taking over third base duties that were previously manned by Cal's first two-time NFCA All-American since 2013, Makena Smith.
• Anzaldo led the squad with a .383 average in 2023 as the leadoff hitter. She was second on the team with 59 hits and third in both slugging percentage (.578) and total bases (89).
• Other top returners include Acacia Anders (.284/.381/.481), Mika Lee (.315/.378/.380) and Elon Butler (.272/.305/.506), who was named to the All-Pac-12 Third Team and All-Freshman Team a year ago.
• The Bears are also welcoming a highly touted freshman class with signees across each position on the diamond: Nailyn Marshall (Elk Grove /Franklin HS), Lagi Quiroga (Los Angeles /Warren HS), Carly Raven (Kingsburg /Kingsburg HS), Randi Roelling (Modesto /Central Catholic HS), Kyndal Todd (Hayward /Castro Valley HS), Alyssa Herrera (Winchester /Vista Murrieta HS) and Holly Medina (Hesperia /Oak Hills HS), along with sophomore Rutgers pitcher/utility transfer Ryann Orange.
• Cal returns three pitchers to the squad who all tied for the 2023 team lead with 10 wins in senior Haylei Archer and juniors Anna Reimers and Annabel Teperson.
• The Bears welcome new members to the coaching staff this season in Brandon Telesco (hitting/recruiting coordinator) and Danielle O'Toole-Trejo (pitching), while Kailee Cuico (defensive coordinator) was elevated to a full-time assistant coach heading into her fourth year with the program. Marisa Stankiewicz also joined the Bears as director of player development.  

 
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