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Saddleback College Athletics

Cats to open with Dogs on Thursday

Saddleback and San Mateo last played in 2008

Promotional graphic for the 2026 3C2A Softball State Tournament championships. On the left, a photo of players in black uniforms cheering is framed by a torn-paper effect. On the right, the 3C2A logo sits above details for a Thursday game at 2:00 PM PDT at Bakersfield College. The matchup features the
Tournament Program Video Recap Box Score
May 11, 2026

The Saddleback softball team is headed back to the state tournament for the first time since 1999.  The Bobcats will open against perennial power College of San Mateo on Thursday in what could be billed as a David versus Goliath matchup.   

Saddleback swept College of the Canyons this past weekend to advance to the state tournament for the first time in 27 years.  The Bobcats will face the defending state champion Bulldogs, who have appeared in every state tournament since 2013.  San Mateo swept past Feather River College this past weekend to advance to its 12th straight state tournament (no state tournaments in 2020-21), winning titles in both 2022 and 2025.  

Saddleback has been red hot as of late, winning eight of its last nine games and 12 of its past 14.  The Bobcats won the Orange Empire Conference for the first time in 38 years this season and had numerous individual program records broken in the process. 

San Mateo (41-1) has lost only one game all season, a 2-1 setback against Hartnell College in early April.  The Bulldogs have been piling up big numbers all season and finished the season with 23 games that were shortened because of the 8-run rule. 

Saddleback entered the playoffs as the No. 11 seed and defeated Citrus College 2-1 in a best-of-three series (3-4, 4-2, 6-4) to start the playoffs.  The Bobcats then defeated Canyons in two straight games (9-3, 11-2) to improve to 4-1 in the playoffs heading into the state tournament.

San Mateo was the top seed in the northern half of the state and swept past both Lassen College in the opening round (12-1, 9-6) and Feather River College (15-0, 8-4) in round two to enter the state tournament at 4-0 in the post-season.

Saddleback and San Mateo have played one common opponent this season, as both have played College of the Canyons.  CSM defeated COC, 5-2, in the Modesto Tournament in late March.  Saddleback defeated Canyons twice in the regional finals (9-3, 11-2).   

Saddleback and San Mateo are scheduled to start at 2:00 PM on Thursday at Bakersfield College. 

HISTORY

Saddleback and San Mateo have not met in softball since any of the current players were either infants or toddlers.  The two programs last met on March 8, 2008, with Saddleback defeating San Mateo, 12-6, at the Fresno City College Tournament.  Saddleback and San Mateo have met only four times ever, with Saddleback holding a 3-1 lead in the lifetime series.  The only time the two teams ever met in the state tournament was in 1988 when both teams lost in the opening round and Saddleback defeated San Mateo, 4-0, to knock the Bulldogs out of the tournament.