Softball Heads to California for Capital City Classic

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University softball team continues the 2026 season this weekend with a trip to California for the Capital City Classic. SHU will play five games at the event, splitting time between UC Davis and Sacramento State.

Capital City Classic Game Information
Game 1: Sacred Heart vs. Nevada – Friday, Feb. 27; 3:00 p.m. ET | Live Stats
Game 2: Sacred Heart vs. San Jose State – Saturday, Feb. 28; 12:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats
Game 3: Sacred Heart at Sacramento State – Saturday, Feb. 28; 5:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats
Game 4: Sacred Heart vs. Santa Clara – Sunday, Mar. 1; 12:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats
Game 5: Sacred Heart at UC Davis – Sunday, Mar. 1; 5:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats

DOUBLE TROUBLE
In the first weekend of the season, junior second baseman Cierra Bender was on fire at the plate, tallying a .421 average (8-for-19) with four RBIs and three runs. Of her eight hits, four were doubles, as Bender heads into this weekend leading the country with 0.80 doubles per game. The Shippensburg, Pa., native already surpassed her previous career high in doubles in just five games this season.

HEY ALEXA
Over the first weekend of the season, we began to see a breakout from sophomore outfielder Alexa Barbera. The Freehold, N.J., native led the team with a .429 batting average (6-for-14) and a .643 slugging percentage. Barbera tallied six hits, one of which was her first career home run, for three RBIs and two runs scored. After hitting .375 last season over eight at-bats, Barbera is showing signs that she can keep that production up over a full campaign.

THE FIELD
NEVADA

The Wolfpack are the defending Mountain West regular-season champions after going 18-4 in conference and 41-14 overall last season.
Nevada is 8-7 to start 2026, beginning the year with a challenging schedule.
The Wolfpack have already played five games against nationally-ranked opponents.
Nevada is 0-5 in those games, but three of those defeats came by two runs or less.
In their most recent tournament, the Wolfpack went 2-2 at the Mary Nutter Classic, defeating Cal and UC Riverside and falling to Oregon State and #11/6 UCLA (6-5).
Nevada has shown some powerful bats to start the season as the team ranks in the top 50 nationally in home runs (17) and doubles (26), while ranking 58th in team slugging percentage (0.522).
Leading the charge is redshirt junior infielder Madison Clark, who ranks 24th in the country in total hits with 24.
Senior first baseman Hannah Di Genova has brought the power with four home runs, two doubles and 11 RBIs.
In the circle, sophomore Talia Tretton leads the team with a 1.93 ERA and is 2-2 with two saves.

ALL-TIME SERIES

SHU will meet Nevada for the first time in the two teams' histories.

SAN JOSE STATE

The Spartans head into the weekend with a 4-11 overall record, playing a similarly challenging schedule to Nevada.
San Jose State has played four games against nationally-ranked programs, as the team is 0-4 in those contests.
A 3-2 weekend at the Mustang Classic has helped the Spartans get things back on track, as they picked up victories over Manhattan (2x) and Pacific.
One category that SJSU has excelled in this season is triples, as it ranks 19th in the country with six three baggers through 15 games.
Senior infielder Ahmiya Noriega leads the Spartans' bats with a .419 batting average (18-for-43) and 12 runs.
Fellow senior Reina Zermeno has been just as strong with a team-leading three home runs, two triples and 12 RBIs.
Pitchers Norah Coulsell and Delaney Faus have commanded the circle by throwing 75.1 of the team's 95.0 innings pitched.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Saturday's meeting will be the first between the two teams.

SACRAMENTO STATE

The Hornets are the hottest team heading into the tournament, sitting at 12-2 this season.
Sacramento State has won seven straight games, including going a perfect 4-0 at the Mustang Classic last weekend.
The Hornets' strong suit has been its pitching staff.
The team ranks 10th in the country with a 1.64 ERA and 18th with a 1.14 WHIP.
Leading the staff is junior Alexa Ortiz and senior Kennedie Bacon with paltry ERAs of 0.97 and 1.00, respectively.
Ortiz ranks 28th in the country in ERA, while Bacon is 31st.
Both players are 4-1 and both are ranked in the top 36 nationally in hits allowed her seven innings.
Offensively, Katie Marsh leads the Hornets with five home runs, 15 RBIs and 10 runs.

ALL-TIME SERIES

The Pios and Hornets have met before, with Sacramento State coming out on top of a 5-3 batting in 1988.

SANTA CLARA

The Broncos are 7-10 to start the season.
The defending West Coast Conference champions have challenged themselves this season with a tough schedule to open the year.
Santa Clara has played four games against nationally-ranked foes, including No. 3 Texas and No. 10 Stanford.
The Broncos' defense has shown some early-season flashiness, as they rank seventh in the country with 12 double plays.
In addition to keeping players off the bags, Santa Clara has also seen an influx of multi-base hits, as it ranks 19th in the country with six triples this season.
Junior Cairah Curran has been the Broncos' hottest hitter to start the year, as she has a team-best 13 runs, with eight RBIs, two triples and a home run.
Senior Hazyl Gray has also shown pop with the bat, with 12 RBIs, two home runs, two doubles and a triple.
Underclassmen Cari Ferguson and Ellison Schroeder lead the pitching staff with 46.1 and 30.0 innings pitched, respectively.

ALL-TIME SERIES

SHU has met the Broncos twice in the two teams' histories.
Santa Clara claimed a pair of close wins, 8-6 and 7-6, in a tournament at Colorado State in 2011.

UC DAVIS

The Aggies own a 9-5 record through the first 14 games of the season.
UC Davis is coming off a 3-1 weekend at the Utah Tech Tournament, defeating Weber State twice and splitting with the host.
Despite two other teams in the tournament ranking in the top 19 in the country in triples, the Aggies lead them all, ranking seventh nationally with eight three baggers.
UC Davis is also 27th in the country with 30 stolen bases.
Leading the potent offense is sophomore infielder Rylee Reeves with a .432 average (16-for-37), with 13 runs and two triples.
Fellow sophomore Alyssa Dethlefson has brought the power with 14 RBIs, four home runs and four doubles, all of which pace the team.
Dethlefson has also been the team's best baserunner as she is eighth in the country with 12 stolen bases.
In the circle, Ashley Sawai and Caroline Grimes are 3-1 and 5-3, respectively, with ERAs above 4.0.

ALL-TIME SERIES

SHU will meet UC Davis for the first time on Sunday

LOOKING AHEAD
The Pioneers stay in California for a doubleheader at Saint Mary's in Moraga, Calif. on Tuesday, March 3. The first of the two games is slated to start at 4:30 p.m. ET

Schedule

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Alexa Barbera

Cierra Bender