SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Softball team returns to Campus Diamond following a four game road trip to Northern California. UC Santa Barbara hosts Lehigh and Utah Tech in their second tournament before beginning Big West play next week. The Gauchos will play the two aforementioned schools twice between March 8 and 10.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE GAUCHOS
The Blue and Gold continued a successful run of stealing bases going 8-for-8 on the weekend and now have 24 total - already over half as many as last season. Madelyn McNally's great senior season continues as she recorded hits in 16 of 17 games. She has added five RBI, eight stolen bases on eight attempts, and defensively has recorded no errors – all while hitting .466 for the Gauchos. Elicia Acosta leads the Gauchos with three home runs, and is tied with Ainsley Waddell for a team-high 14 RBI. Alexa Sams is another Gaucho hitter to watch, over the past weekend she put together an impressive .636 batting average (7-for-11) including a walk, a run scored and an RBI.

LAST TIME OUT
After two of their five previously scheduled Capital Classic games were canceled due to weather conditions, the Gauchos ultimately went 1-3, earning a win against Santa Clara but falling to BYU, Utah State and Sacramento State.. Junior Alexa Sams had a tremendous weekend that featured two doubles, an RBI, run scored, and .636 batting average.

SERIES HISTORY
UTAH TECH: The Gauchos hold a 2-1 series lead over Division I newcomers Utah Tech (formerly known as Dixie State) in the fourth season of their transition period. UC Santa Barbara last defeated the Trailblazers 4-3 when the teams met thrice in Fresno last year.

LEHIGH: Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Mountain Hawks and Gauchos. Lehigh travels from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Founding members of the Patriot League, the softball team plays at Leadership Park. The Mountain Hawks last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2022. School colors are brown, white, and gold.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Gauchos kick off the second UC Santa Barbara Tournament against Utah Tech on Friday, March 8 at 2 p.m. Games will be streamed through ESPN+ for those unable to attend. Live stats will also be available online. Additionally, after their final game on Sunday, March 10 the Gauchos will host a clinic for GVGSA players.

NEXT UP
UC Santa Barbara plays host to Hawai'i for a three-game series to begin conference play on March 15 and 16. The Gauchos and Rainbow Wahine will play a single game on Friday before a doubleheader on Saturday.