BOISE, Idaho - Boise State (8-23, 0-3 MW) continues its stretch of nine games in 11 days as it hosts No. 23/25 Fresno State for a midweek three-game set. The series begins with a doubleheader Tuesday, with the first game set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. Wednesday’s getaway game is scheduled for a noon start.

Halfway Point Of Crammed Stretch
This series against Fresno State continues a busy stretch of nine games over 11 days for Boise State. After a three-game set this past Thursday-Saturday at Nevada, the Broncos immediately jump into their one midweek conference series March 29-30 (Tuesday-Wednesday) at home against Fresno State. Thursday, the Broncos head to Fort Collins to face Colorado State for a three-game set Friday-Saturday.

About The Opposition
Fresno State (18-9-1) had a bye during the opening weekend of Mountain West play, and is coming off of a 5-0 loss at Cal State Fullerton in its most recent action (March 22). The Bulldogs, after a 10-0 start to the season, have gone 8-9-1 since Feb. 26.

The Bulldogs have been without their ace, Jill Compton (9-4, 2.29 ERA, 57 strikeouts), since she left a game against California after just 1.1 innings back on March 6. Since then, Hannah Harris (4-4, 2.69 ERA, 27 strikeouts) and Kamalani Dung (3-0, 5.30 ERA, 18 strikeouts) have seen more time in the circle.

At the plate, Fresno State is led by the production of Paige Gumz (.338, four doubles) and the power of Lindsey Willmon (.310, six home runs, 18 RBI) and Dominique Jackson (.250, six home runs, 12 RBI).

The Bulldogs lead the all-time series against the Broncos, 16-6. The Broncos, however, are 5-4 against the Bulldogs in Boise, with five wins in the last six such meetings. Last year, Fresno State swept Boise State in Fresno.

Last Time Out
Boise State had a heart-breaking weekend in Reno, as Nevada won two of the three games on its final at-bat en route to a sweep.

The Broncos led Thursday’s opener, 3-1, heading into the bottom of the eighth, but a pair of home runs from the Wolf Pack accounted for three runs and a 4-3 win. The next day, Boise State led 9-2 into the fifth, and 10-8 into the bottom of the seventh, but again, Nevada scored thrice with its backs to the wall for the 11-10 win. The Wolf Pack finished the sweep with a 5-2 win Saturday.

Three Broncos tied the program single-game record for hits during the series, as Izzy Serrano went 4-for-4 Thursday, while Rebekah Cervantes and Tatiana Sorokina each had four hits Friday. For the weekend, Cervantes batted .667 (6-for-9) with two doubles and three RBI. Sorokina batted .556 (5-for-9) with a double and two RBI, and Teauna Hughes hit her team-leading fifth homer of the season in Thursday’s opener.

Boise State Against Ranked Teams
Fresno State comes to Boise this week ranked 23rd in the NFCA Coaches Poll and 25th in the ESPN/USA Softball Poll. Boise State is 3-41-1 all-time against ranked teams, with the only three victories coming against a ranked Bulldog squad back in 2011.

That year, the Broncos swept the 25th-ranked Bulldogs in a three-game series from April 29-30 in Boise.

Serrano, Cervantes, Sorokina Tie Record
Three Broncos, Izzy Serrano, Rebekah Cervantes and Tatiana Sorokina, matched the Boise State single-game record with four hits this weekend.

Thursday, Serrano went 4-for-4 with a double in the 4-3 loss, while on Friday, Cervantes (4-for-4, two doubles, three RBI) and Sorokina (4-for-5, double, two RBI) each had four hits. With these three performances, there have now been 18 four-hit games in Bronco history. Serrano, Cervantes and Sorokina, for whom each performance was the first of their respective career, also became the (in order) 10th, 11th and 12th Broncos to accomplish the feat.

Sullivan With Another Triple
Makenzie Sullivan smacked another triple this past weekend in Reno, bringing her season total to three.

Sullivan has quietly made her way into potential record-breaking territory in the triples category, as her three this season are the second-most in Bronco single-season history, just one back of Tara Glover’s benchmark of four set in 2012. The three triples also rank tied for third on the Bronco career list, just four back of Glover (seven).