Fresno State Athletics

By Ray Hamill — Former Fortuna Husky Hailey Dolcini leads the nation in shutouts this season, as she prepares for a playoff appearance later this week.

The senior pitcher has played a key role this year for the Fresno State Bulldogs, who open the NCAA Division-I tournament against Minnesota on Friday at 5 p.m.

The game will be televised live on ESPNU.

Last week Dolcini was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Year after helping lead the Bulldogs to a conference championships.

For the season, Dolcini has 13 shutouts in 27 appearances, which leads all Division-I pitchers.

Her ERA of 1.01 is the 10th best in the nation.

Dolcini, who announced recently that she will return next spring for her extra year of eligibility because of COVID, closed out the regular season with a record of 21-4, with two saves.

She was also recently named as one of the 25 finalists for college player of the year.