The Bulldogs did not quite have the fairy tale start to the season they were looking for, allowing nine walks and committing five errors. Despite some strong Bulldog debut performances, it was not enough as Fresno State fell 8-3 to the University of Utah on Friday night at Pete Beiden Field.
Key players
Marcus Nolen: 1-for-3, R, RBI
Moose Cuellar: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
Cam Schneider: 2-for-5, RBI
What happened
Drew Townson made his first start as a Bulldog, after making 20 appearances out of the bullpen last season. The Bakersfield native was not greeted nicely in the first inning. After allowing a leadoff walk, Utes left fielder Jake Long pulled a ball off the athletic weight room building beyond the visitors’ bullpen for a quick 2-0 lead.
Towson loaded the bases in the second allowing a single and a pair of walks, before getting former San Diego State Aztec Nevan Noonan to ground out to third base. Freshman Marcus Nolen reached in the bottom half of the inning on a grounder through the left side, deflected by third baseman Zakye Hawkins. Two batters later, fellow freshman Brady Hewitt laced a ball into the right-center gap for his first collegiate hit, a triple scoring Nolen to get the Bulldogs on the board.
Poor defense would come back to bite the Bulldogs in the third inning. After back-to-back errors to lead off the frame, designated hitter Cal Miller doubled down the right field line, scoring a run. After a walk to Derek Smith, right fielder Bradley Navarro reached on an infield single, scoring another run. Two batters later, Towson plunked Jet Gilliam to bring in another run for Utah. It ended Townson’s day (2.1 IP, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K) after just 69 pitches.
UCLA transfer Moose Cuellar relieved him and would immediately induce a 4-6-3 double play, ending the Utes rally. Cuellar (Tulare Western) HS would pitch three scoreless frames for the Bulldogs on Friday night, including striking out three in the fourth inning.
Bulldog centerfielder Sky Collins tripled to leadoff the bottom of the sixth, before scoring on a sac fly to left from Nolen to make it 6-2. Nolen went 1-fo-3 with a sac fly on Friday, but made hard contact in all four of his plate appearances.
Freshmen Weston Thornbury (1.2 IP, 0 R, K) and Brandon Thomas (1 IP, R, K) also made their collegiate debuts on Friday.
Injury report
Shortstop Lee Trevino is out for the year after tearing his ACL in practice. The redshirt senior is likely to be eligible for a medical redshirt that would allow him to return to the Bulldogs in 2027.
What’s next
Fresno State hosts Utah tomorrow at 3:05 p.m. with Tyler Patrick on the mound. The Clovis West alum had a 4.26 ERA in 38 innings pitched last season as a true freshman.
The Utes will turn to Payton Riske who gave up five runs across 10 innings (two starts) last season. The series will continue with games on Sunday and Monday, both at 2:05 p.m.
Recap written by Al Scott, photos courtesy of Nate Velasco (FSM).
College baseball is back and that means the return of the Diamond Dogs to Pete Beiden Field, in quest of a third straight Mountain West Championship.
Fresno State begins the 2026 season under the lights on Friday, hosting the University of Utah for a 4-game series at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium. First baseman Griffen Sotomayor is fired up to play again.
“We’re just ready to compete. It’s been a long fall, a long spring, early spring, so we’re ready to do it, ready to go compete, play against somebody else,” Sotomayor said.
Offensive outlook
The Bulldogs offense led by third baseman Murf Gray (drafted by Pirates), catcher Justin Stransky (drafted by Cubs), right fielder Bobby Blandford (signed by Athletics) and second baseman Eddie Saldivar (graduated) finished top three in the Mountain West in 2025 in batting average (.301), runs scored (417), extra base hits (211), runs driven in (387) and stolen bases (53).
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, all four of those guys are gone now. But Head Coach Ryan Overland sees it as an opportunity for his squad to grow and for some of the returners to step up.
One guy he mentioned in particular was the primary leadoff hitter last season, Sotomayor. The senior from Turlock was the Bulldogs lone representative on the All-MW preseason team after hitting .326 with 7 HR, 41 RBI and a .912 OPS last season.
Griffin Sotomayor (Jackie Carrillo)
“It’s a really awesome honor, super privileged. I think it kind of just goes to show you what the staff does for us. It’s kind of more of a team honor. I think you know a lot of preparations go into it, all the coaches, coaches getting here early, the guys getting early, working together,” Sotomayor said.
The Bulldogs will be without shortstop Lee Trevino, who will miss the 2026 season with an injury. They will return though on offense infielders Jett Ruby, Cayden Munster and Owen Faust and outfielders Cam Schneider and Sky Collins.
Sky Collins (Fresno State Athletics)
Sotomayor noted that while power might not be the team’s calling card, they have a distinct advantage other teams don’t necessarily have.
“This team is gonna have to be really scrappy. We’re going to have to play the game the right way and play hard. Last year I think we kind of were a bit more powerful, a bit bigger, a bit stronger, a bit older. But this year, I think we’re gonna be fast. I think we’re gonna be ready to play the game and pretty much play a clean brand of baseball,” Sotomayor said.
Among newcomers, transfers Bo Rico (Fresno City JC) and Zach Plasschaert (Arizona / Pima JC) have a chance to make an instant impact.
The pitching staff
Much of the success from the 2025 Bulldogs came from having two of the best pitchers on the west coast in Jack Anker and Aidan Cremarosa (MW POTY), who have since been drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays respectively.
In addition to Anker and Cremarosa, Bryce Armstrong and Cooper Bergman graduated. They also lost relievers Caleb Anderson (Long Beach State) and JT Guerrero (Grand Canyon) and Hayden Crews (Northwest Nazarene) in the transfer portal, among others.
Returners pitched just 117.2 out 525 innings from a year ago. That’s not a lot but Tyler Patrick (4.26 ERA in 38 IP), Drew Townson (4-0, 5.05 ERA, 35.2 IP) and left-hander B.J. Rodriguez (3.93 ERA, 21 K, 18.1 IP) all figure to pitch plenty of frames for pitching coach Troy Buckley’s staff in 2026.
Townson and Patrick in particular are excited to make their mark in this upcoming season, citing preparation during an episode of The Pawd, as a big reason for the team’s success in recent years.
“Pressure is a privilege, and you’re in those moments because you deserve to be in those moments. And we work from sun up to sun down to perfect what we do to be in those kind of moments,” Townson said.
He went on to say that the support of the Red Wave makes it a lot easier to perform with such a great fanbase backing them up. Patrick concurred with him and added that it’s a uniquely special to pitch in the same stadium he came to as a kid.
“Growing up coming to these games, watching the games like it’s just such an awesome feeling to finally have the opportunity to be that person you grew up watching and just be a role model for the younger generations,” Patrick said.
Tyler Patrick (Jackie Carrillo)
Joining them are two wild cards in Jake Riding and Victor Arreola that have a chance to anchor the rotation.
Riding is back after missing all of last season with an arm injury. The graduate senior was key for the Bulldogs pitching staff in 2024, going 5-6 with a 5.06 ERA in 19 appearances (9 starts). Arreola went 3-1 with a 5.40 ERA and team-leading .239 opponent batting average over 36.2 IP as a sophomore in 2023. He followed it up with a team-best 3.07 ERA in 41 innings out of the bullpen in 2024. The San Diego native made just two starts last season before going down with a back injury.
The pitching staff is rounded out by the return of Jared Galang and Wyatt Thornbury (missed 2025 with injury), transfers Moose Cuellar (UCLA), Douglas Crystal (Cypress JC) and Will Page-Allen (Feather River JC) and freshmen Parker Heintz, Brandon Thomas, Weston Thornbury, Jordan Haver, Erik Rico and Gavin Ekizian.
Jared Galang (Jackie Carrillo)
Overland adds to his staff
Overland has had a positive start to his Head Coaching career, earning a 94-85 record in three seasons, including conference tournament titles in both of his seasons since having the interim tag removed.
“That’s obviously what the standard of this program is, to get into the NCAA Tournament and ultimately, not only getting regionals, but win games in advance, and ultimately get a team back to Omaha,” Overland said.
Head Coach Ryan Overland (Jackie Carrillo)
He returns pitching coach Troy Buckley, and assistants Ritchie Price and Jack Karraker, all entering their 4th seasons coaching at Fresno State.
Overland made two new additions to his staff, both former Diamond Dog center fielders. Nikoh Mitchell was named the team’s Director of Operations, replacing Jordan Brink, who is now the Head Coach at Clovis West.
Mitchell played for the Bulldogs from 2018-23, both in the outfield and on the mound. He went 11-10 with a 4.53 ERA and 163 strikeouts over 163 innings pitched. He transitioned into a two-way player in 2022 where he saw time primarily as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement. As a full-time starter in 2023, Mitchell hit .277 with 37 runs scored and 15 extra-base hits.
Fresno native and 14-year MLB vet Tom Goodwin has returned home as well as the new Director of Player Development.
“Adding Goodwin to our staff is an enormous step forward for our program and athletes,” Overland said. “Goody’s experience and energy coming back home as a Bulldog is extremely exciting for the 2026 season and beyond.”
Goodwin played three years for the Bulldogs (1987-89), including a school-record 56 wins and a College World Series appearance in 1988. He wrapped up his career as the program’s record holder in stolen bases with 164 and remains in the top 10 in school history in batting average (.350), at-bats (821), runs (207), hits (287) and triples (13).
He helped win Gold for Team USA in the Olympics in 1988 and won a World Series in 2018 as a coach for the Boston Red Sox. He’s spent the last two seasons as first base coach for the Atlanta Braves.
The non-conference season slate
Following a 4-game series with the Utah Utes that ends on Monday afternoon, Fresno State will host Pepperdine the following weekend for another 4-game series (2/20-23) before heading north to play at Stanford (2/28-3/2). The Bulldogs will return home for a Tuesday night matchup against Sacramento State on March 3 before playing at Arizona on March 6-8.
Other non-conference matchups include at Cal Poly (3/10), vs Cal State Northridge (3/17), at Utah Tech (3/19-20), vs Long Beach State (3/23), vs Cal Poly (3/31), at Sacramento State (4/7), vs Cal State University Bakersfield (4/14), vs UC Davis (4/20), at LBSU (4/21), at CSUN (4/29), at CSUB (5/5) and at home vs Cal Poly again (5/12).
Defending the west
Fresno State will begin its quest of a Mountain West three-peat in its final season in the conference at home vs Nevada (3/13-15).
The Wolf Pack returns seven starters including 2025 Mountain West Freshman of the Year Sean Yamaguchi and fellow 2025 All-Mountain West selections junior pitcher Alessandro Castro, senior infielder Jayce Dobie, senior catcher Jake Harvey and senior designated hitter Billy Ham from a squad that won the MW regular-season title and earned the No. 1 seed in the MW championship before falling in the conference tournament.
The Wolf Pack were picked first by the Mountain West preseason polls, just ahead of the Bulldogs who were picked second.
“It’s nice to be recognized but it’s really just background noise,” Sotomayor said. “If we go play the Bulldog brand of baseball, then you know, 2x Mountain West champs, 3x it could be. That’s kind of just up to us whether or not we play our brand of baseball.”
Head Coach Ryan Overland getting a Gatorade bath (Fresno State Athletics)
The Bulldogs will get one weekend off of MW play before playing at New Mexico (3/27-29), a hitter’s paradise. Fresno State will host former Bulldog JT Guerrero and Grand Canyon the following weekend (4/2-4) before playing at Air Force (4/10-12).
Fresno State will finish April hosting a pair of California conference rivals in San Jose State (4/17-18) and San Diego State (4/24-26).
The Diamond Dogs will then wrap up conference play with three series in the month of May: at Washington State (5/1-3), home vs UNLV (5/8-10) and at San Jose State (5/14-16) before returning to Mesa, Arizona (5/20-23) in quest for another Mountain West tournament title before the program moves to the PAC-12 Conference.
Season expectations
As mentioned earlier, the Bulldogs lost plenty of top-end talent through the draft and graduation and replacing it won’t be easy.
A healthy pitching staff and some power improvements from guys like Munster and Schneider in the middle of the order would go a long way towards a potential three-peat.
Cayden Munster (Jackie Carrillo)
It’s hard to predict the future and pinpoint where this team will find themselves come May, but fair expectations for this year’s team would include 30+ wins and a top three finish in the conference, both in the regular and postseason.
“A lot of new guys, a lot of new faces, but guys that are ready to step up, and guys that are ready to make a name for themselves,” Sotomayor said.
Story written by Al Scott, cover photo by Jackie Carrillo (FSM).
The Fresno State women’s basketball team (13-13) improved to 7-8 in conference play on Feb. 11 after a 75-69 win against Boise State University (19-6), snapping their nine game win streak.
The Broncos are one of the premier teams in the Mountain West (3rd place overall) and rank highly in different offensive categories, so the Bulldogs were due for a challenging night. Head Coach Ryan McCarthy thought the Bulldogs rose to the occasion.
“Not only is Boise State the top offensive team, they’re the hottest team—they won nine in a row in this league. To take them down like that, that’s a hard thing to do.” McCarthy said.
Guarding a team of that caliber brings physicality on defense, and as a result, Jaisa Gamble—who is a large focal point of the Bulldogs’ defense—battled foul trouble all game. As a result, during the non-Gamble minutes, McCarthy thought the team held up well as he saw some strong production for guard Aloni Oliver.
“I was really proud of Aloni Oliver for coming in and giving us some solid minutes—getting big rebounds and just overall hustle plays—I felt that created momentum for us a little bit,” McCarthy said. “When you get a player that maybe doesn’t play as much, go in there and have a couple big moments, I think that fires everybody up.”
Despite sitting on the sidelines for much of the game, Gamble’s impact was still felt on the court, as she remained vocal on the bench.
“Even when she’s not on the court, she’s always actively helping us out with our intensity, so that helped me a lot to stay focused,” guard Danae Powell said.
Key players
Danae Powell (FS): 22 points, 2 assists, 3 steals
Emilia Long (FS): 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists
The Broncos opened the game scorching hot from the field, going 5-5 from the field and 2-2 from three-point range sparked by their leading scorer guard Tatum Thompson, who had 8 of the Broncos’ 12 points in the opening minutes to earn a 12-5 lead.
However, the Bulldogs’ senior duo of guard Emilia Long and Gamble—who combined for 11 of the ‘Dogs’ 24 first quarter points—helped pave the way for the ‘Dogs to earn a 24-16 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second quarter, primarily on the defensive end, forcing six Bronco turnovers which the ‘Dogs converted into nine points. The Bulldogs also got scoring contributions from seven different players, who combined for 21 points (7-16 fg), with Powell leading the way with seven points as the Bulldogs entered halftime up 45-33.
The Bulldogs opened the third quarter in a rut on offense, going 1-8 in the opening minutes as the Broncos found their groove on offense led by Thompson once again to chip at the 51-47 lead. To add salt to the wound, Gamble entered foul trouble and had to sit out for the remainder of the quarter.
Even with the foul trouble, Long was proud of her leadership on the bench.
“Despite her being on the bench for a lot of the game, she was a very good vocal leader on the bench—always guiding us even when she was out—so we’re proud of her.” Long said.
The Bulldogs’ close the quarter strong as the defense was able to hold up despite the absence of Gamble, but Thompson and Broncos kept the game close with the’Dogs leading 59-55.
The final quarter was tightly contested, but the Bulldogs remained in the driver’s seat due to the well-balanced scoring effort, with six different players contributing to the scoring column, and the stout defense as Gamble was able to close out the game with four personal fouls en route to the 75-69 win.
What’s next
The Bulldogs resume play on a two-game road trip. Their first stop is against Utah State University (6-16)—who are 2-12 in conference play— on Feb. 15 at 12 p.m., and their final stop is against the MW leading San Diego State University (18-4)—who are 12-1 in conference play—on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs are back at the Save Mart Center on Feb. 25 against Grand Canyon University (9-15), who are 8-6 in conference play, at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs look to redeem themselves after the Lopes took home the win in their first meeting on Jan. 10 in a 71-64 loss.
Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio.
The Charlotte Morgan era for the Fresno State softball program is off to a promising start, going 3-1 in the 2026 Fresno State Kickoff Classic, with wins over both Idaho State and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at Margie Wright on Friday and Idaho State again on Saturday afternoon.
“Overall, I think we did some good things, and then there’s some things that we need to definitely make sure that we’re doing, preparing them better for,” Morgan said. “Obviously game four today tested us. It’s these games that are tough to lose when you give up four runs when you’re one out away.”
Lauryn Carranco and Alyssa Loza allowed just one run on 10 hits over 23 combined innings pitched over the weekend. The latter of which was on the mound for the first time as a collegiate player.
“It’s new, it’s different and she’s just been all in and I’m really proud of the way that she’s come out, in both her starts, because that’s what we’re going to need from her,” Morgan said.
Shortstop Jerzie Liana led the Bulldogs offensively, picking up 7 hits. She and teammate Alyssa Ramirez drove in 5 runs apiece, steadying the middle of the Fresno State lineup.
“She’s very consistent. She’s one player that you’ll never know if she’s having a bad day or great day, very even killed, always locked in,” Morgan said.
Clovis native Lauryn Carranco made her Bulldog debut, one she had been dreaming about since she was little. She did not disappoint. The senior transfer struck out six and managed to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning as part of her five shutout innings performance.
Offensively, the Bulldogs backed Carranco by sending eight to the plate in the first inning, scoring three runs. Shortstop Jerzie Liana went 3-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in her Fresno State debut. Designated hitter Jamie Hicks (3 RBI) delivered a two-run double to mercy rule walk off the Cougars in the fifth inning.
Game 2: Fresno State 9, Idaho State 1 (5 innings)
A pair of hits to lead off the bottom of the second inning from Hicks and Jayda Crosby set up Natalie Elias who brought Jamie Hicks across home plate via a fielder’s choice. The Bengals used three base hits to bring in a run to tie the game in the 3rd inning off of Bulldog freshman Alyssa Loza. It’s all they would get off of her. Loza would go five innings, allowing just a run on five hits in her collegiate debut. She also got her first strikeout.
Fresno State retook the lead in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single to right from Hicks. The Bulldogs extended the lead to 4-1 with two more runs in the fourth, including an RBI single from Tiara Westbrook.
Alyssa Rebolledo doubled in two runs in the fifth to make it 6-1 before the bases were loaded for Jerzie Liana, who cleared the bases with a walk-off double as Fresno State began its season with back-to-back mercy rule victories.
Game 3: Fresno State 2, Idaho State 0
After a scoreless top half, Natalie Elias and Emma Martinez led off the bottom of the first inning with a pair of infield singles, before advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch. Jerzie Liana and Alyssa Ramirez would bring both in with a pair of grounders. Fresno State found themselves up 2-0 despite not hitting out of the infield.
Two runs was all Lauryn Carranco needed, who was no match for the Bengals offense, striking out five, while allowing just two hits in seven shutout frames to improve Fresno State to 3-0.
Game 4: SIUE 5, Fresno State 4
The Cougars managed to put a couple runners on in the third inning against Alyssa Loza, and a runner on third base in the fourth inning but had nothing to show for it against the freshman. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, Emma Martinez tripled into the right-center gap. Tiara Westbrook followed by doubling to almost the exact same spot, scoring Martinez to get Fresno State on the board.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth but the Cougars responded by scoring five runs off the Fresno State bullpen in the top of the seventh, including 4 runs with two-outs. The Bulldogs went down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning, dropping the final game of the day.
What’s next
Fresno State will host #25 Washington next weekend at Margie Wright Stadium for a three-game set, with two games on Friday, Feb. 13, beginning at 4 p.m. The series will wrap up on Saturday with a 1 p.m. first pitch.
This series will present a ‘special opportunity’ Morgan said, given that it’s a three-game series just like conference play.
“The one thing that I think we’re still trying to figure out is, like, what is this identity of the team? We can’t be too high and too low, and that’s something that I would like for us to be a little bit better on, because that’s controllable,” Morgan said.
Tournament recap written by Al Scott. Cover photo courtesy of Jazmin Alvarado (FSM).
The Fresno State women’s basketball team (12-13) improved to 6-8 in conference play following a dominant performance in a 71-51 win over the University of Nevada, Reno (12-21) on Feb. 7 at the Save Mart Center.
Despite getting doubled teamed upon tip-off, guard Emilia Long wasn’t phased, with Head Coach Ryan McCarthy noting that it was something he anticipated.
“[Long] is one of the best guards in the league, a lot of what we do goes through her, and I think that teams are going to start to game plan to take her out—which was something that we figured would happen this game.” McCarthy said.
McCarthy added that this was something they prepare for in practice where other players bring the ball up court.
“It was smart on their part to do it and it’s something we definitely spend some time on in practice,” McCarthy said. “[Gamble] brought the ball up the floor quite a bit, [Long] is going to be at the top of people’s list but that didn’t work.”
To open the first quarter, the Wolfpack was aggressive on defense, which opened the game up for others to contribute to the scoring column—like forward Jaisa Gamble, and guards Danae Powell and Ava Marr, who combined for 12 points. In addition to the scoring, the Bulldogs showed out on defense, forcing five Wolfpack turnovers which resulted in eight points to add to the 20-7 lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Wolfpack found their footing on offense, led by guard Skylar Durley who scored 6 of the Wolfpacks’ 14 second quarter points. But, the Wolfpack couldn’t contain forward Morelia Chavez—who went 3-4 from the field and 2-3 from deep for a total of eight points. As a result, the Bulldogs went into halftime with a 34-21 advantage.
The third quarter saw both teams trading baskets, as the Bulldogs continued to find open lanes to the rim for 20 paint points and the Wolfpack went on to find the open player for four third quarter assists. But, the Bulldogs’ first quarter scoring output proved to be important as the ‘Dogs maintained the 55-41 lead heading into the final quarter.
To close out the game, the Bulldogs opened the floodgates on offense and tamed the Wolfpack on defense. The Bulldogs held the Wolfpack to 10 points as they went 4-13 (30.8%) from the field in the fourth quarter and in contrast, the ‘Dogs scored 18 points in the quarter and went 6-10 (60%) from the field en route to the 71-51 win.
What’s next
The Bulldogs remain home as they take on a tough matchup against Boise State University (19-5) on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The Broncos are one of the premier teams in the Mountain West (MW), ranking third overall, as they are 10-3 in conference play. The Broncos are also one of the elite offensive teams, averaging 72.1 ppg and are 40% from beyond-the-arc—which is both good for first place in the MW respectively.
Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio (FSM).
A new era of Fresno State softball begins this weekend under Charlotte Morgan, who was introduced as the sixth head coach in program history this past June.
Morgan comes to the Valley after spending the last four seasons as the head coach at Cal State University Northridge, leading the Matadors to 109 victories.
Her hiring comes following the departure of former Head Coach Stacy May-Johnson, who left following the 2025 season to take the same role at her alma mater, the University of Iowa. Morgan made it clear at her press conference back in June that they aren’t taking a step back.
“We’re not rebuilding. We’re redefining who we are,” Morgan said. “I want to retire here. I took this job to continue the tradition, the legacy. But get this place, we will break attendance records, we will get back to being that powerhouse where people don’t want to play us.”
Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy with Head Coach Charlotte Morgan (Fresno State Athletics).
The rich history of softball has it amongst the best, if not the best of any sport on the Fresno State campus. The program has won 24 conference championships, 34 NCAA Tournament appearances and a National Championship (1998).
“You should be coming here because of the history and knowing softball. Fresno State Softball is a powerhouse, but you’ve got to embrace that. You’ve got to want that, but also you gotta be able to struggle. I can take criticism, I can take the struggle, but there’s no way I’m going to get defeated by it,” Morgan said.
Prior to her coaching, Morgan was a standout player at the University of Alabama (2007-10) where she was a three-time NFCA All-American, a two-time SEC Player of the Year and was twice named a USA Softball Player of the Year Top 10 finalist.
Morgan pitched in 86 games (65 starts), compiling a 51-12 overall record with a 2.12 ERA for the Crimson Tide. At the plate, she hit .387 with 58 home runs and an SEC career-record 264 RBI.
“She’s the total package – an elite talent, an elite teacher, and an elite competitor,” Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy said. “She understands the game at the highest level. Her deep roots in California, combined with her proven success as a head coach make her the perfect fit for the Valley. She’s a relentless strategist and developer of talent who embraces the expectations and legacy of Fresno State Softball.”
Time to eat
The team has yet to find its identity for the upcoming season but one thing that is sure is made clear by their mantra ‘Let’s eat!’
Photo courtesy of Fresno State Athletics.
“Everything I talk about is staying hungry, you should never settle, you should want to get better in everything you do and I need them to hold me to that too,” Morgan said. “We’re Bulldogs, so it’s like, ‘let’s eat,’ let’s continue to get better.”
Senior outfielder Natalie Elias echoed this and said that this mentality goes beyond the field, from making a concerted effort to cleaning their lockers and picking up trash.
“I feel like we have a lot better intention with everything that we do on and off the field,” Elias said.
Natalie Elias (Fresno State Athletics)
Elias will play a pivotal role, leading an offense that lost a lot of firepower to graduation and the portal. Elias was named All-MW second team in 2025 after hitting .352 over 49 games as the Bulldogs leadoff hitter, a role she’s excited to serve again in 2026.
“My energy is really important at the start of the game. Getting on base is really important, or having a competitive at-bat,” Elias said.
Roster outlook
Elias is one of 13 returners from the 2026 team. Other returning starters include second baseman Emma Martinez, two-way player (3B/P) Alyssa Ramirez and outfielders Alyssa Rebolledo and Kealani Nitta.
Nadia Roundtree, Olivia Hill, Rylee Bocchini, Mallory Vancleave, Mackenna Gieger, Jamie Hicks, Ava Tingey, and Alexa Brunetti also return to the Bulldogs.
As is the case with most coaching transitions in recent years, several players from last year’s team entered the transfer portal following May-Johnson’s departure, including starting catcher Kennedy Bunker (Ole Miss) and Mountain West Pitcher of the Year Serayah Neiss (Iowa).
Photo courtesy of Fresno State Athletics.
The Bulldogs brought in 12 new players, including eight transfers: Leila Dixon (UIC), Larissa Flores (CSUN), Lauryn Carranco (CSUN), Gizella Vargas Sandoval (CSUN), Christal Lopez (CSUB), Tiara Westbrook (CSUN), Lorraine Alo (Portland State), and Giana Quintanar (Fresno City).
She also brought in four freshmen: Arianna Aguayo (Liberty HS), Alyssa Loza (Century HS), Jayda Crosby (California HS) and Makenna Pettey (Yucaipa HS). Loza, Crosby and Pettey were each named to the Softball America Freshman Watch List for 2026.
“I was a little worried about culture (with so many new players) but we’ve come together so nicely as a team. We’ve really bonded and I think we’re going to carry that through the season,” Elias said.
Carranco returns home
The Red Wave will have an entire new pitching staff to watch in 2026, but it won’t be unfamiliar to Morgan, especially with her ace in Carranco, who’s been with her the last three seasons at CSUN.
“I think it was meant to be for us to spend her final season together,” Morgan said. “It’s funny how our stories both began with wanting to be Fresno State Bulldogs and now we are here.”
Carranco went on to have a standout career at Clovis High where she led the Cougars to a 2022 Central Section Division I championship and to the NorCal Regional Division I finals with a state-leading 25 wins, leading the state in victories.
Lauryn Carranco being celebrated by her teammates (Carranco/IG).
The Clovis native was quite impressive in three seasons in a Matadors uniform, earning All-Big West Conference first-team honors in 2023 (also named Freshman Pitcher of the Year) and 2025 and second-team honors in 2024. She is coming off her best season in the circle, pitching to the tune of a 2.77 ERA in 34 appearances (32 starts), including 20 complete games and three shutouts while racking up 113 strikeouts across 189.2 innings.
Carranco’s road to becoming a Bulldog has been a long time coming. Growing up down the road from Fresno State, she had fond memories of attending Bulldog softball games as a kid.
Lauryn Carranco (right) at a Fresno State softball game (Carranco/Instagram)
“I was just ready to come home. I think there is no better way to end my college career. It’s still surreal to me,” Carranco said. “I have to pinch myself when I think about the opportunity to play on the field where I grew up watching games. It’s truly been a dream come true. I’ve felt so much support, not only from my family but from the community. When I’m on the field at Margie Wright Diamond and see those little girls in the stands, it’ll be a full-circle moment for me because I was one of them.”
Lopez, Loza and Ramirez should also see plenty of time in the circle this season.
Coaching staff
Morgan also brings with her a brand new coaching staff, including Recruiting Coordinator Darnell Westbrook, who will also oversee the outfield. Westbrook has been coaching since 2018 at the high school level and for Corona Angels Howard program, one of the top 10 travel softball organizations in the country.
“He brings the energy, he brings the life out of us, he’s someone that we can trust,” Morgan said. “I need someone like him, who’s a little bit more bubbly and outgoing.”
Former Oregon Duck star Ariel Carson comes to Fresno as the Bulldogs new hitting and infield coach. She finished her collegiate career with a .306 batting average, 173 hits, 159 RBIs, 47 stolen bases, and 44 home runs in 217 games in a Ducks uniform. Following her playing career, Carson transitioned to becoming the Director of Player Development and Analytics last season.
Mariah Mazon joins the staff as the Director of Player Development. Mazon was a three-time All-American at Oregon State, where she pitched under Fresno State legend Laura Berg before playing in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
The last piece to the puzzle was former Fresno State catcher Kelcey Carrasco, a member of the 2021 MW championship team.
“I wanted someone who understands what it means to be a Fresno State Bulldog and knows how to win. We want our program to represent the Valley, and Kelcey’s heart and soul are rooted here,” Morgan said.
Before joining the Bulldogs’ staff, Carrasco served as head coach of the Cen Cal Dirtdogs from 2022 to 2025. She also spent the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach at Fresno City College, helping lead the Rams to a CVC Championship while being named part of the CVC Coaching Staff of the Year.
The coaching staff is rounded out by assistants Brayden McIntosh, and former players Lauren Almeida and Keahlilele Mattson.
Schedule
The Bulldogs host Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (2/6 at 3 p.m. and 2/7 at 3 p.m.) and Idaho State (2/6 at 5 p.m. and 2/7 at 1 p.m.) this weekend to kick off the 2026 season.
Fresno State will welcome #25 Washington the following weekend (2/13-14) for three games. The Bulldogs will then compete in the Mary Nutter Classic (2/19-21), facing #1 Texas Tech, California, Cal Baptist and #10 UCLA.
They will finish the month of February facing UC San Diego and the University of Pacific for two games each (2/27-28). Fresno State will play at CSU Bakersfield on March 3 before playing Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara (two games each) in the Silicon Valley Classic (3/7-8).
The Bulldogs will begin Mountain West play on March 13 as they welcome Utah State to Margie Wright Diamond. This will be the first three of 25 conference games. The Bulldogs will also host Stanford for a midweek matchup with #17 Stanford on April 15.
The Mountain West Championship this season takes place in Reno, Nevada from May 6-9.
Story written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Fresno State Athletics.
Words won’t do justice to what 5,557 fans witnessed at the Save Mart Center on Tuesday night.
After three hours of basketball, six technicals, four flagrants, one bloody mouth, two groin shots, and 63 total fouls; Fresno State senior guard Jake Heidbreder saved the best for last: a game-winning buzzer beater to cap off a 7-0 run in the final 6.8 seconds to defeat UNLV 98-96. Head Coach Vance Walberg was still in shock about 20 minutes after the game ended.
“In 48 years of coaching, I’ve never seen that in my life, glad we’re on the winning end. You guys have been here many times where I told you about the basketball gods, and I believe if you keep working hard, good things can happen. And I think they really helped us today,” Walberg said.
Heidbreder finished with 29 points, including the game winner, and a bloody mouth. But he wasn’t the only contributor. Backup point guard Bastien Rieber (15 points, 4 assists) was pivotal off the bench in 21 minutes of play. DeShawn Gory (15 points), Zaon Collins (16 points) and Wilson Jaques (10 points) also scored in double figures.
“I think was a really great team win. We always stay together, even when we are down by six or seven, we stay together to come back and play until the last second,” Rieber said. “It’s very important to win a game like this, because we lost a couple of games by one or two points.”
Howie Fleming Jr. (UNLV): 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (UNLV): 28 points, 4 assists
What happened
UNLV came out hot, scoring on eight of its first 13 possessions. After a second chance, Naas Cunningham found Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn open, who nailed a three to put the Rebels up 19-10 with 13:15 remaining in the half.
Fresno State finally found its groove. A Cameron Faas jumper followed by free throws from Bastien Rieber (2) and Gaspar Kovevar (1) made it 19-15. A couple layups later from Jake Heidbreder and Zaon Collins tied the game at 19 apiece. The Bulldogs would end up going on a 19-4 run, capped off by a three from Heidbreder to make it 29-23 Fresno State with 7:55 left and forcing a Rebels timeout.
UNLV retook a lead at 38-37 thanks to a turnaround jumper from Gibbs-Lawhorn. The teams would trade leads on five straight possessions before a media timeout. UNLV took the lead again on a corner three from Issac Williamson. The Rebels went into halftime shooting 58% from the field to lead the Bulldogs 50-49.
UNLV opened the second half with a pair of driving layups from Fleming Jr. and Gibbs-Lawhorn. A flagrant foul by David Douglas Jr. sent Fleming Jr. to the line where he made it 55-49. A three from Faas ending the Bulldogs scoring drought.
Gory made it 55-54 the next possession with a mid-range jumper. Gibbs-Lawhorn answered back with a three of his own before a media timeout with 15:13 remaining. The Rebels broke the game open with a 14-2 run before an and-one layup from Rieber to make it 69-59.
A passionate heckler made eye contact with Walberg with about 10 minutes left in the game before telling the former Clovis West coach to go back to High School.
“I hear that all the time. When I worked with George Carl, George would call me high school. I’ve been through it now. You hear people, it’s just the business world,” Walberg said.
Walberg said that he’s not sure what’s going to happen at the end of the year, in regards to his future with the program but emphasized that he’s been proud of the growth he’s seen out of his team.
“I feel like we’re getting better and better, and that as a coach, that’s all you can do. As bad as we were last year, if you really go back and look, we got better and better by the end of the year. And I think that’s the work ethic of the kids that we have. The players we have are why that happens,” Walberg said.
A corner three from Walter Brown gave the Rebels a 76-68 lead with 6:44 left. Collins found Heidbreder open under the hoop the next play for a driving layup to make it a two-possession game.
Rieber drove to the layup and drew a foul on Gibbs-Lawhorn (fouled out), before making both free throws to cut the deficit to 86-80 with 2:06 run. Rieber hit a three with 23 seconds to make it 92-89.
“Coach told me before the game that it’s one of my goals during the games to try to stay with him the whole game,” Rieber. “So that’s what I did.”
About 10 fouls and timeouts later, David Douglas Jr. tied the game at 96 with three from the top of the key with 1.5 seconds left. After a forced turnover, the Bulldogs found Heidbreder who did what he does best: make jumpers. The senior finished with 29 points including the game winner.
“It was amazing. Nothing else to say, it was just amazing,” Rieber said.
What’s next
The Bulldogs head to Reno this weekend, playing at Nevada (16-7) on Saturday night at 7 p.m. They will look to get revenge after falling 66-65 at home to the Wolf Pack on Jan. 3.
“We gave that Nevada game away, which really bugs the heck out of me. We know they’re a very good team, especially at their place, but again, I believe if we do the things right, we’ll give ourselves a chance again,” Walberg said.
From there, they will play at Utah State (18-3) on Tuesday, Feb. 10 before returning home to play Air Force (3-19) at the Save Mart Center on Valentines Day, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.
Injury updates
Guard DJ Stickman (concussion) missed his second straight game. He’s doubtful to play on Saturday at Nevada.
Both Fresno State men’s and women’s basketball teams find themselves in the thick of conference play with plenty of opportunity to make something happen down the stretch of the season.
Two underclassmen made their mark in the month of January, steadying the rock and keeping the Bulldogs afloat.
On the men’s side, DeShawn Gory has become a force on both ends of the floor. In the month of January, the freshman forward is averaging 15.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game on an efficient 49.1% shooting from the field.
Back in November, Walberg applauded Gory’s attention to detail and his work ethic in putting in extra time and work, especially defensively and in rebounding. It paid off for him. Gory’s rapid rise shouldn’t be all that surprising considering Gory’s athleticism.
Gory and the Bulldogs return to the Save Mart Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3 to host the University of Las Vegas, Nevada at 8 p.m.
For the women’s team, Danae Powell has risen to new heights in her sophomore season after primarily being used off the bench a year ago. The point guard is averaging 10.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG per game, both marks are double what she averaged during the 2024-25 season.
Powell’s play has been even more impressive since the beginning of 2026, averaging 12.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG over the last 9 games. She also had 16 assists and 11 steals during that stretch.
The 5’7” guard from Las Vegas will look to take her hot streak into February, beginning on Wednesday evening in Silicon Valley when Fresno State plays at San Jose State, tip-off is set for 7 p.m. The Bulldogs return home on Saturday, Feb. 7 to host Nevada.
The Save Mart Center played host to its second highest attended and arguably the loudest Fresno State basketball game of the season on Saturday with an announced attendance of 6,462. They were treated to a back-and-forth second half that saw six lead changes.
Fresno State (9-11, 3-6) came out on the losing end though, falling 68-57 to Grand Canyon (13-6, 6-2). Jaden Henley led the Lopes with 23 points. Fresno State was within three points before a 10-2 run in the final 2 minutes of the game. Fresno State Head Coach Vance Walberg expressed disappointment after the game.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well. I think that’s an understatement, but I thought we still gave ourselves a chance to win. But again, you can’t give up 17 offensive rebounds. I think we got outscored by what, 17 or 18 on second chance points. In a game like this, it’s just going to kill you,” Walberg said.
He added that the crowd was phenomenal and a big reason they were able to stay competitive despite the shooting woes.
“I love to see that, and I’d love to see it get bigger and bigger. But we got to do our job, the more we win, the more people are going to come,” Walberg said.
Caleb Shaw opened the scoring with a three for the Lopes. A minute later, David Douglas Jr. found a cutting Jake Heidbreder under the basket for a layup. The Lopes responded with a 6-1 run including a pair of baskets from 7’1” center Efe Demirel to give Grand Canyon a 9-3 lead with 14:19 remaining.
A steal from Gaspar Kocevar led to a fastbreak dunk for fellow freshman DeShawn Gory, ending a scoring drought with just under 12 minutes remaining in the half. The Lopes ended a long drought of their own with a layup-and-one from Jaden Henley. Demirel nailed one of two free throws on the following possession to give the Lopes a 14-5 lead with nine minutes left. Grand Canyon extended its lead to 18-7 a couple minutes later with a second chance layup.
The Bulldogs responded with a 7-3 run, including a three from Douglas Jr. and a fastbreak dunk from center Wilson Jacques. Fresno State managed to slowly close the gap and a three from Zaon Collins cut the deficit to 26-19 heading into halftime.
Despite the Collins three, the Bulldogs made just 7-of-30 shots from the field and 2-of-14 from beyond the arc in the first half. Grand Canyon was not much better, shooting 8-of-28 from the field and 3-of-14 from 3. They were however able to get to the charity stripe aplenty, making 7-of-12 free throw opportunities.
Demirel opened the second half with a mid-range jumper. He followed it up with a steal leading to a fastbreak dunk for Nana Owusu-Anane. Fresno State responded with a three from the top of the key via Douglas Jr. who found himself open a couple possessions later for another three (and the foul) to bring the score to 32-28 with 15:43 left in the game. The Bulldogs extended its run to 14-2 taking a 33-32 lead with a fastbreak layup from Gory forcing a Grand Canyon timeout with 13:25 left.
The Lopes would go on a 12-6 run of its own including a pair of dunks from Henley. Douglas Jr. ended the run with his fourth three of the game to make it a one-score game with 7:47 left in the half. Gory tied the game with a pair of flagrant (Shaw) free throws. He then took the lead with a turnaround jumper. A three from Makaih Williams gave the lead back to the Lopes. A three the next possession from Dusty Stromer made it 52-48 Grand Canyon.
A pair of free throws from Jake Heidbreder and a full-court pass from Collins to Gory closed the gap to 58-55 with 2:20 remaining, forcing a Grand Canyon timeout. It wasn’t enough however as the Lopes closed out the Bulldogs with a 10-2 run to win 68-57.
Gory led the Bulldogs in scoring with 19 points, his seventh straight game scoring in double figures, though his coach would still like to see more out of his rising freshman.
‘I’ll be honest with you, I expect a lot more,” Walberg said. “That was one of [DeShawn’s] worst games of the year. I know he had 19 and 10. I thought defensively should have been a lot better than he was.”
As a team Fresno State shot 16-of-53 from three, and made just 5-23 from beyond the arc. The lone bright spot from deep was Douglas Jr. who has made 14-of-31 (45.1%) of his three-point attempts over his last six games.
What’s next
The Bulldogs are off until a Saturday (1/31) road matchup at noon at Air Force (3-17). Fresno State returns to the Save Mart Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3 to host UNLV) at 8 p.m.
Freshman guard DJ Stickman remains questionable to play next Saturday as he recovers from a concussion.
Recap written by Al Scott. Cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda.
The Fresno State women’s basketball (10-11) fell to 5-5 in conference play in a 68-55 loss to the University of Colorado (17-4) at the Save Mart Center on Jan. 24.
The Bulldogs rank first in the Mountain West in turnovers (20.55 tpg), and that was on display as the ‘Dogs turned the ball over 18 times, which the Rams converted into 15 points. Despite that, a bright spot for the Bulldogs was the strong play from Emila Long.
“We went down to UNLV and Colorado State on that road trip we last played them, and we had three girls with the flu and [Long] was one of them—I didn’t know if she was going to play.” Head Coach Ryan McCarthy said. “Ever since then, she has been solid as a rock for us—she’s just so dynamic.”
Her backcourt mate Danae Powell also had good performance, with McCarthy adding that the two complement each other well on the court.
“Because of her shooting ability, Danae has a lot of gravity to her, and it opens up other players too,” McCathy said. “Those two have been really consistent for us this year and we’re going to need some other ladies to step up.”
This was also the sixth consecutive game McCarthy rolled out the starting lineup of Indiya Clark, Avery Watkins, and Jaisa Gamble in the front court, and Long and Powell in the back court. McCarthy values their consistency and included that they “separated themselves” from the rest of the roster.
“I don’t necessarily take a starting group and roll with them the whole year, that’s something that’s earned in our program,” McCarthy said. “Those ladies separated themselves from the rest of the team with how consistent they’ve been playing and understanding our system. When those ladies are fresh, they’ve established that they can hang with anybody.”
To start the game, the Rams started off hot from beyond-the-arc, going 2-2 in the opening minutes to spark an early 5-0 lead. In contrast, the Bulldogs had a lid on their basket, going scoreless upon tipoff.
However, the Bulldogs found their footing thanks to the backcourt play of guards Emilia Long and Danae Powell—who combined for nine of the ‘Dogs 10 points. However, the outing so far for Rams guard Hanah Ronsiek—who scored eight of the Rams’ 12 points—was enough to give the Rams the 12-10 cushion heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter was a closely contested one, with both teams bringing grit to the court, but the Bulldogs would come out on top—outscoring the Rams 13-7 in the second quarter. The scoring reins were handed over to Gamble, who scored five of the ‘Dogs’ 13 second quarter points, with four other Bulldogs contributing to the scoring column.
For the Rams, Ronsiek cooldown from the field, only scoring a single point—but the Rams got help from three other players to add to the scoreboard. But the Bulldogs’ defense kept them in-check en route to their 23-20 lead heading into halftime.
To open the third quarter, the Bulldogs came out slow footed on defense, allowing the Rams to score six of their 13 points in the paint early in the quarter. However, the steady play of the two seniors Gamble and Long were able to keep the Bulldogs afloat despite the 35-30 deficit.
Still, the scoring continued to snowball for the Rams, led by guard Kloe Froebe—who scored nine of the Rams’ 28 third quarter points en route to the 48-42 Ram lead heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Bulldog turnovers proved to be costly, as the ‘Dogs turned the ball over five times midway through the quarter. As a result, the Rams converted them into four points to add to their 58-46 lead.
To close out the game, the Bulldogs’ rotation continued to shrink, with two players in foul trouble and Watkins fouling out. Turnovers also proved to be damaging as the Bulldogs failed to gain any momentum. All in all, it wasn’t enough as the Rams came away with the 68-55 victory.
What’s next
The Bulldogs take a brief road trip to face the University of Wyoming (6-12) on Jan. 28, the matchup marks the second game between the Cowgirls and the ‘Dogs this season. The Bulldogs prevailed in the first game on Dec. 20 where the ‘Dogs were led by Powell, who recorded 17 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
The Bulldogs return to the Save Mart Center on Jan. 31 to play Air Force (8-12) at 3 p.m.
Recap written and photos courtesy of Vincent Ordonio (FSM).
