Cal State East Bay women's softball team concluded the 2008 campaign with an 11-23 record. Jessie Peterson led the Pioneers in hitting with a .337 batting average. She scored 18 runs with six doubles and 19 RBIs. On the mound, Peterson won 11 games with 143 strikeouts and three shutouts. Stephanie Roberts hit .320 with two home runs. Justine Watson batted .311 and led the Pioneers with 20 runs scored, 13 doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBIs. Erica Patterson had a .274 batting average for the 2008 season. Jesse Peterson was named second team Association of Division III Independents-All Independent Team. Justine Watson and Stephanie Roberts were third team picks.

Cal State East Bay concluded the 2008 campaign by winning one out of four games in Southern California last weekend. The Pioneers were swept in a doubleheader by U. of LaVerne 3-0 and 9-1. Pitcher Jesse Peterson had seven strikeouts in the first game. Cal State East Bay and Pomona Pitzer split a doubleheader on April 19. The Pioneers won the first game 6-0 behind a two-hit, eight strikeout performance by Jesse Peterson. Peterson also homered and drove in a pair of runs. Stephanie Roberts was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run driven in. The Pioneers swept visiting Holy Names 4-0 and 8-0 in a doubleheader on April 13. Pitcher Jesse Peterson hurled a pair of shutouts with nine strikeouts. Shelby Stueve drove in a pair of runs while Jamie Martin was 3-for-3 at the plate in the first game. Jesse Peterson and Justine Watson each drove in three runs as the Pioneers completed the doubleheader sweep. Erica Patterson was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and a run batted in. On April 12 Cal State East Bay and Dominican University split a doubleheader with the Pioneers winning the first game 2-1 in eight innings while the Lady Penquins took the second contest 11-3. In the opener, the Pioneers pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Jesse Peterson hurled a complete game with seven strikeouts and drove in the winning run with a base hit. In the second game Stephanie Roberts hit a three-run home run. On April 11, the Pioneers were swept by Dominican University 19-1 and 4-1. Cal State East Bay swept Holy Names in a doubleheader 7-1 and 5-4 on April 6. Pitcher Jesse Peterson won both games as she allowed four earned runs and recorded 12 strikeouts in 14 innings. Peterson helped her own cause at the plate with five hits, four runs scored and three RBIs. Justine Watson was 6 for 8 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and three RBIs. Angelina Lugo also drove in three runs in the doubleheader. The Pioneers were swept in a doubleheader by Menlo College 2-1 and 13-8 on April 5. Watson homered and drove in three runs in the second game. The Pioneers finished 2-6 on their Southern Califorina trip on March 24-28. Cal State East Bay lost to Pacific U. (Ore) 4-1 and defeated Elmhurst (Ill) 8-5. Pioneer pitcher Jesse Peterson recorded 11 strikeouts against Pacific. Peterson also drove in the Pioneers lone run. In the victory over Elmhurst College, Erica Paterson doubled and drove in three runs while Stephanie Roberts was 2-for-4 at the plate with a run batted in. On March 25 the Pioneers lost to Willamette University 12-3. Pitcher Jesse Peterson had eight strikeouts in four innings while Stephanie Roberts was 2 for 3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Cal State East Bay scored a run in the top of the seventh on a run scoring single by Jesse Peterson to defeat La Sierra University 4-3. Peterson picked up her fifth win of the season by allowing La Sierra three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts in going the distance. Justine Watson hit a three-run home run in the Pioneer victory. The Pioneers lost to Linfield College 14-1 and 20-0 on March 27. Cal State East Bay was defeated by Chapman University 4-0 and 10-0.

Cal State East Bay split a doubleheader with Menlo College on March 15. The Pioneers lost the first game 4-1 and won the second contest 8-1. Pitcher Jesse Peterson won her third game of the season allowing Menlo College no earned runs with four strikeouts in going the distance. Justine Watson was 3 for 3 at the plate including a pair of home runs while Angelina Lugo hit a grand slam.

The Pioneer women's softball team opened the 2008 campaign by going 2-4 on a Southern California trip on February 8-10. Cal State East Bay and Cal Lutheran split a doubleheader on February 8. Cal Lutheran won the first game 4-2 while Cal State East Bay took the second contest 9-6. In the opener, Justine Watson was 2 for 3 at the plate with a run scored and RBI. Pitcher Jesse Patterson recorded five strikeouts in six innings of work. Patterson also had two hits and drove in a run. In the second game, Jesse Patterson allowed two hits with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings to get the victory. Patterson was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs. Jamie Martin had three hits and three runs scored while Erica Patterson had two hits and drove in a pair of runs. The Pioneers lost a doubleheader to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10-3 and 22-0 on February 9. Cal State East Bay concluded the Southern California road trip on February 10 with a split against Whittier College. Cal State East Bay won the first game 3-1 while Whittier College won the second contest 2-1. Pitcher Jesse Peterson won her second game of the season allowing one run with seven strikeouts in going the distance. Amanda Tietz and Shelby Stueve each had two hits. In the second game, Stephanie Roberts hit a solo home run. The Pioneers lost a doubleheader to visiting University of Redlands 3-0, 1-0 on February 26. Cal State East Bay was defeated by Bethany University in a doubleheader 6-1 and 10-5 on February 29. Amanda Tietz and Shelby Stueve was each 3-for-8 at the plate in the doubleheader.

Head Coach Barbara Pierce has announced her coaching staff for the 2008 Cal State East Bay season. Seasoned collegiate coach Nina Richardson will be bringing competitive coaching and playing experience with her to Hayward. Ava Pickering will be joining the staff fresh out of college where she competed at St. Lawrence University.

Nina Richardson, a 2004 Magna Cum Laude graduate of Adams State College in Colorado, has coached at the collegiate level for three years. Richardson served as a graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division II Adams State, where she completed her Masters in Health and Physical Education. She then moved on to serve on the coaching staffs of Oklahoma Panhandle State University and North Iowa Area Community College. Richardson has coached high school softball in Iowa and in her home-state of Hawaii.

While a student-athlete at Adams State College, Richardson was an Academic All-American Scholarship Athlete, an Arthur Ashe Award Winner, a Presidential Scholarship recipient, an Americorps Scholarshipsrecipient, and a constant member of the Dean's List.

Before college, Richardson was a member of ASA teams Na Wahine Softball and Hurricane Softball in Hawaii. Her teams competed in National Tournaments in the United States and Japan.

As a colegiate athlete, Richardson played every position in the field except pitcher. Pierce will look forward to utilizing her coaching ability in every aspect of the game.

"I am thrilled to have a coach of Nina's caliber working with us this season. Her coaching experience is crucial in helping us get where we want to be. The fact that she has played eight of the nine positions in college proves that she is knowledgeable and will do what needs to be done to make us better," said Pierce.

Pickering, a 2007 graduate of St. Lawrence University, was a four year starting pitcher for the Saints. In her first year, she garnered a 1.94 ERA and was named to the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's Second Team. Pickering was an All Conference pitcher and Rookie of the Week on two occasions in the 2004 season. She battled injury throughout her collegiate career, but earned the conference Pitcher of the Week status again in her senior season in 2007.

Pickering was also named to the conference All- Academic teams in her junior and senior years, and was a consistent member of the Dean's List. During her academic career, she studied in Thailand and Washington, DC. A double major in Government and Sociology at St. Lawrence, Coach Pickering is looking forward to beginning her coaching career At Cal State East Bay.

"Coach Pickering will work primarily in the bullpen. She also has experience in the outfield and was a consistent threat in the batting order, so she will help in those areas as well. Having coached AVA at St. Lawrence, I know what she is bringing to the table as far as pitching expertise, knowledge, and love of the game. I look forward to watching her learn and grow as a coach," Pierce said.

"I am very excited to have two high quality coaches on staff this season. Both Coach Richardson and Coach Pickering bring competetive playing experience and a high level of success in the classroom to East Bay. I cannot wait to get out on the field and start working towards the high standards that we expect of ourselves," said Pierce.