SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Softball team (11-11) continues their homestand this weekend as they host UC Riverside in the first week of Big West competition. The Gauchos are coming off a 2-4 weekend after playing Saint Mary's, UNLV and Creighton two times.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Parking Impacts to Lot 30 — Due to ongoing construction, parking in Lot 30 next to Caesar Uyesaka Stadium will be extremely limited. Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 22, the garage next to the Thunderdome. UC Santa Barbara Athletics will provide assistance getting to and from the ballpark for seniors and people with mobility issues.
 
Introducing the Yardi Youth Pass — In partnership with Yardi Systems, UC Santa Barbara is offering free admission to all home baseball games for young Gauchos in 6^th grade or below. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning 60 minutes prior to each game from the Yardi Youth Pass table outside the front gate of Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. Availability may be limited due to the stadium's capacity.

LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos hosted Saint Mary's, UNLV and Creighton last weekend as part of their UC Santa Barbara Tournament. The Gauchos came away with two victories, both decided by one run. Over the weekend, the Gauchos hit 0.259, fielded .941, and the pitching staff had an earned run average of 5.25. Coming into the weekend, the Gauchos were hitting .297 as a team, while field .962 over their first 16 games.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside comes into this weekend with a 9-13 overall record. Despite the lowly record, the Highlanders have played against some of the West Coast's top competition, including games against UCLA, Stanford, Washington and San Diego State.
 
The Highlanders are led by junior, Rebeca Cabezas, who, through 20 games, is hitting .400 with eight extra base hits and only three strikeouts over 45 at bats. Also a threat at the plate is senior Kamryn Davis. The outfielder is the only other player hitting above .300, carrying a .365 batting average of 74 at bats. She has recorded eight extra base hits, scored and 11 times over the Highlanders 22 games.
 
In the circle, the Highlanders carry a 4.84 earned run average while allowing teams to hit .323 against them. They have allowed 192 hits batters over 141.2 innings pitched, including 49 extra base hits. The Gauchos themselves have already clubbed 47 extra base hits through their 22 games, averaging over two per contest.

FOLLOW ALONG
The Gauchos and Highlanders will begin their three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8 with the first game set to begin at 12 p.m. The second game will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Santa Barbara and Riverside will conclude their series with a single-game on Sunday, with first pitch at 1 p.m. For those unable to attend all three games will be broadcast through ESPN+ with live stats available.
 
UP NEXT
Following the three-game series against UC Riverside, the Gauchos will hit the road for six straight Big West games. They start their road trip with Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, March 15.