HONOLULU, Hawai'i – The UC Santa Barbara Softball team (24-18, 13-5 Big West) won their fifth consecutive Big West series last weekend after taking two games from Long Beach State. The Gaucho remain atop The Big West standings with three series left to play before the inaugural Big West Softball Championships. This week the Gauchos travel to Hawai'i who sit 2.5 games behind the Gauchos in the standings.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend the Gauchos earned their first series win over Long Beach State since 2017. Santa Barbara won both games of the doubleheader on Saturday but fell in the series finale on Sunday. Emily Carr ended her slump with a 5-for-10 (0.500) weekend with three home runs and 10 RBIs. One of her home runs was a grand slam in the third inning of game three to bring the Gauchos within two of the Beach.
 
SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i enters the weekend with a 25-14 overall record and 11-6 in The Big West. The Rainbow Wahine, along with the Gauchos and Cal State Fullerton, are one of three teams with 20 or more wins on the season.
 
Offensively the Wahine is led by Izabella Martinez who is hitting .357 through 39 games. The senior leads the team in hits, doubles, walks and on-base percentage. Martinez is also named The Big West Field Player of the Week on April 7 following her performance against UC Riverside. The only other hitter that sports an above .300 average for Hawai'i sophomore Jamie McGaughey who is hitting .336. McGaughey is a power threat with 10 home runs, eight doubles and 30 RBIs.
 
The Rainbow Wahine have two pitchers that have thrown over 100 innings so far this season. Addison Kostrencich and Macy Brandl have combined for 222.1 innings of 265.1 total innings. Both athletes hold a sub 3.75 ERA and have struck out a combined 107 batters.
 
CONFERENCE STANDINGS
T-1. UC Santa Barbara (13-5)
T-1. Cal State Fullerton (13-5)
3. Hawai'i (11-6)
4. CSUN (10-7)
T-5. Long Beach State (9-9)
T-5. UC Riverside (9-9)
7. UC San Diego (8-10)
8. UC Davis (7-11)
9. Cal State Bakersfield (6-12)
10. Cal Poly (3-15)
 
FOLLOW ALONG
All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available. Friday's single game will begin at 9 p.m. Pacific time while the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday will start at 5 p.m. Pacific time.