After a 4-1 loss to UC Santa Barbara Saturday afternoon at Matador Diamond signaled the end of the most futile of seasons in CSUN’s history, catcher Mikayla Thielges pitched the idea that 2012 had been a worthy learning experience. “This season was not a waste at all,” she said. With the Matadors (10-42, 5-15 Big West) finishing the year tied for last place in the Big West Conference with a winning percentage of 0.192, it doesn’t seem like there’d be… Read more

When asked whether they wished the dreadful 2012 season was over already, there was consensus for the most part in the Matadors’ locker room. No. “I always want to play more games,” CSUN head coach Tairia Flowers said. Although on the tail end of a year that’s seen it only win 10 games heading into a season-ending three-game series against UC Santa Barbara (27-28, 12-6 Big West) this weekend, Flowers and her players aren’t ready to put an awful 2012… Read more

In order to avoid a historically infamous place in the CSUN record books, the Matadors needed to do something last weekend that historically had been but routine for them. CSUN needed to sweep UC Riverside – a team it had dominated in the all-time series, going 77-8 against it – to have a chance at winning at least 16 games in 2012 and only tie the record for the fewest wins in a single season since Tony Venditto’s Matadors went… Read more

RIVERSIDE – In a season full of struggles, hitting pitcher Mia Pagano has been the brightest spot for CSUN. So with the Matadors down to their last out and trailing by one in Game 2 of a Saturday doubleheader at UC Riverside, it wasn’t strange to see head coach Tairia Flowers call upon the junior to save them. At least that’s what it looked like. “Not necessarily that we tried to put so much pressure on just one player, but just… Read more

There’s no way around it. For the majority of 2012, the Matadors have not played well. Sunday’s 11-0 loss to Fullerton was an exaggerated illustration of how poorly the Matadors (10-36, 5-10 Big West) have struggled offensively at times this season. While the Titans hit the ball as if it had called their mothers a bad name (17 hits), CSUN could only muster a single hit in the shutout. “It was a tough day,” said CSUN junior Mia Pagano, who… Read more

Three years into her career at CSUN, pitcher Mia Pagano had yet to do what she did Saturday to get a 5-2 win against the Titans. Getting relieved at the end of the sixth inning after having all but gift-wrapped the first game of a doubleheader at Matador Diamond moments before, Pagano had to go back in to close her own game. “When I was younger,” said Pagano when asked if she’d ever gone back into a game after giving… Read more

No matter how many times the Matadors have lost this season, pitcher Brianna Elder isn’t used to the feeling of defeat. It stings her every time. “Losing is always difficult, I never really like to do it,” she said during a Wednesday practice. It’s not that she should be more acclimated to the feeling, but wins have come sparingly for CSUN in 2012. However, the Matadors are not to be mistaken for the Charlotte Bobcats of softball. Despite having been… Read more

Give credit to CSUN pitcher Mia Pagano. Asked about her team’s match-up at No. 15 UCLA, the junior said she looked forward to facing a team that came into the game batting .357 for the year. “We just need to stay confident and know that we can do it,” she said. The Matadors (8-32) couldn’t do it against the Bruins Wednesday afternoon at Easton Stadium. While they started the game in fantastic fashion by putting up two runs in the… Read more