Benchmark Season for Shetters
Jenny Shetters has come off the bench and emerged as offensive catalyst for the Cal State Northridge women’s basketball team.
Shetters, a 6-foot-3 freshman forward from Portland, is the Matadors’ leading scorer in Big Sky Conference play, averaging 12 points entering tonight’s home game against Montana State. Shetters is 13th among conference scoring leaders and the only freshman in the top 20.
Surprising, considering Shetters is averaging only 6.6 points in all games.
Shetters had 16 points last week in 63-60 victory at Portland State. She led Northridge with 17 in an 88-62 victory over Sacramento State. She has registered a double-double in five of six conference games.
Northridge (7-10, 3-3 in the Big Sky) plays the first of two consecutive home games against Montana State (10-6, 3-2), which has lost six in a row to the Matadors. Guard Amy Meckling of the Bobcats is the Big Sky’s leading scorer, averaging 16.9 points.
Northridge plays Montana (12-4, 4-1) on Saturday in a rematch of last season’s Big Sky Conference final, won by Montana, 66-63, at Missoula. The Grizzlies are picked to finish first in the Big Sky, the Matadors second.
Northridge is 23-8 in Big Sky games on its home floor dating to 1997.
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Weather permitting, baseball season begins today for Northridge with a nonconference game against Washington State at Matador Field. It is the first of a four-game series that concludes Sunday.
It is the first season for Northridge as a member of the Big West Conference after four seasons as an independent. The Matadors, 23-33 last season, open conference play March 24 at Pacific.
“We have respect reinstated to the program,” Coach Mike Batesole said. “But until we’ve played a regular season together, it’s not over.”
Expect to see some new faces among the Matadors, but plenty of familiar ones.
After two seasons in which as many as eight underclassmen played, Northridge has seven seniors and eight juniors. The infield returns virtually intact with shortstop J.T. Stotts, second baseman Jason Gorman and first baseman Tim Arroyo--all juniors--back as starters. Third baseman Robert Smith, a transfer from Oklahoma State, rounds out the infield.
In the outfield, transfers Eric Verbryke from USC and Adam Nikolic from El Camino are expected to join returning right fielder Tim Coltey. Nikolic will play left, Verbryke will be in center.
“The last few years, we’ve had a lot of guys bat [near the top] of the lineup when, perhaps, they shouldn’t have,” Batesole said. “The guys we have as juniors are as experienced as juniors can be.”
Junior Andy Davidson, who led the team with four victories and four saves last season, is expected to start today. Right-hander Mike Frick, who had a team-high 60 strikeouts, will be the closer.
Washington State was 20-36 last season, 6-18 in the Pac-10 Conference.
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Forward Joey Busch, who suffered a sprained right ankle Saturday against Eastern Washington, is questionable for tonight’s Big Sky basketball game at Montana State. Busch was expected to travel with the team for its two-game trip that concludes Saturday night at Montana.
Northridge (11-8, 4-2 in the Big Sky) dropped into a four-way tie for second after losing at home to Eastern Washington, 88-75. But the Matadors can reclaim a share of first with a victory over the first-place Bobcats (12-6, 4-1), who are 8-0 at home this season and arguably are the most improved team in the conference.
Montana State, 4-12 in the Big Sky last season, has posted victories over defending champion Montana, 70-67, and Eastern Washington, 61-48.
Northridge swept last season against Montana State, winning at Bozeman, 86-62.