CSUMB softball

 A win Friday equals the single-season school record for wins for the nationally ranked Otters.
 More importantly, it's a step closer to CSUMB reaching the pinnacle and that's the NCAA Division II World Series.
 One step at a time.
 The CCAA conference and tournament champion Otters (47-10) are hosts to the Western Regionals this weekend, facing Montana State-Billings on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
 This is a rematch of a game earlier this year in which Montana-State Billings beat the Otters 3-0 in a tournament in Turlock on March 29.
 That was one of two losses pitcher Cori Reinhardt absorbed this year en route to a school record 30-2 mark in the circle with a 1.63 ERA.
 Reinhardt will get the start on Friday and will be a cornerstone in the lineup, having hit .420 this spring with 40 runs batted in.
 Three players are hitting over .400 this year for the Otters, including Bianca Noriega, who leads the team in homers (9) and runs batted in (52).
 Madison Casto is threatening the single-season school record for hits, leading the team with a .441 average.
 The other two teams in the bracket are CCAA rivals Humboldt State and Sonoma State. CSUMB was a combined 8-2 against them this year.
 The Otters are 20-2 at home this season.