FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Birgitta Gray O: (406) 896-5917 E: birgitta.gray@msubillings.edu May 9, 2016 2016 MSUB softball season review includes Team IMPACT Draft Day MSUB Softball on Facebook | MSUB Softball on ISSUU Record Book Updates | MSUB Team Impact
The MSUB softball team finished the 2016 season winning 4-of-6 games at home.
The MSUB softball team is ending the 2016 season on a high-note, winning four of their last six games at home. BILLINGS, Mont. – The 2016 Yellowjacket softball team ended the year at home in Avitus Group Stadium winning their last 4-of-6 games as MSUB sent its trio of seniors off in style. After coming off a Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament title and deep run in the NCAA Division II tournament in 2015, this season the Yellowjackets struggled to find their team footing in the early going, often playing great against a tough opponent early, only to falter in the late innings. MSU Billings also had to contend with the loss of seven seniors from the season before, but the “Sweet16” team finished the year playing strong down the stretch, and with the loss of just three seniors, next season’s outlook looks bright. With the departure of head coach Lisa Allen, assistant coach Rebekah Gasner stepped-up into the role of interim head coach for the Yellowjackets. The team was aided by interim assistant coach Katie Mitchell and graduate assistant
Maddison Timoteo. The Montana State University Billings (14-36, 6-22 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) roster contained two four-year seniors in Amanda Roark and Cori Gammon. Haley Rowe transferred in last season after spending two years at Williston College. Gammon, one of six players from Sparks, Nev. on the team, started her career with fellow Nevadan, Roark, from Las Vegas, in 2013. The left fielder had her best season in a Yellowjacket uniform her final year. Gammon finished the year batting .317 with 53 hits, 10 RBI, and six stolen bases. She led the team in sacrifice bunts with seven and was second in runs scored at 32.
Mid-way through the season, Gammon took over the lead-off spot for MSUB and was a strong leader for the team. For her career, Gammon finishes fifth alltime at MSUB in career at-bats with 515 and is tied for ninth in runs scored with 90. Across her four seasons, Gammon accumulated 140 hits, including 14 doubles. Her short game was exemplary as the outfielder logged 29 sacrifice hits during her time as a ‘Jacket. Gammon was also a leader in the classroom, she finished a three-time all-conference academic honoree in business management and marketing.
Seniors Haley Rowe (L-R), Amanda Roark, and Cori Gammon
“Cori had an amazing senior season and I am proud of her accomplishments on the field and in the classroom,” Gasner said on her first four-year member. “She became a solid leader for us all season and she really excelled in her role as our lead-off. She was extremely strategic at the plate, moving runners consistently and found ways to drive the ball through the
5/6 hole.” Roark, a right-handed pitcher, made 71 game appearances in the circle for MSU Billings which is seventh all-time as a Yellowjacket. She completed 240 total innings of work which ranks ninth at MSUB. Her senior season, Roark made 35 total appearances which is the fifth-highest for a single season, tossing 133 and 2/3 innings which is seventh-most in a single year. Her final year with the ‘Jackets, Roark tossed eight complete games and had one save. She also had 57 strikeouts, amassing 95 total in her career. “Amanda Roark became a true workhorse for us this year and grew tremendously as a senior pitcher,” Gasner said on her four-year pitcher. “She really gained confidence and found her niche in the circle this year and despite throwing 133 innings, she still managed to save her best appearances for last, going strong against NNU for 3 of the 4 games.” Rowe moved into the starting role as a catcher this season for the Yellowjackets. After having a year to adjust to the GNAC, the native of Billings, Mont., showed-off her quick release and accuracy from behind the plate. Rowe led the GNAC in runners caught stealing with 14 throw outs. She finished the year batting .263 with 31 hits, including three home runs. She stepped-up in several critical games and had a huge game against Saint Martin’s at home, batting 3-for-3 with four RBI on two doubles. “Haley has been a great addition to our program,” Gasner said. “She has been solid behind the plate for us this year, leading the GNAC in runners caught stealing. She has a strong, accurate arm and can throw out just about anybody and
our team really fed off of her. She became a much needed clutch hitter for us in the lineup and was often times a spark plug that started big innings for us offensively.” The Yellowjackets opened their 2016 season at the Seventh Annual Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. MSUB began the season with an upset, defeating No. 20 Sonoma State, 9-8, on Day 1. The ‘Jackets played the longest game of the tournament, a 19-15 loss to Stanislaus State in the last game of the first day, but bookended their experience with a 4-0 shutout win during the last game of the tournament against Colorado Springs. Heading to St. George, Utah, MSUB took a game from No. 2 Dixie State, 4-1, and won two games at the DSU tournament before returning home. This season’s spring break trip was a tough, rain-soaked affair, before the Yellowjackets opened their home season mid-March. MSUB took a game each from Saint Martin’s and Western Washington at Avitus Group Stadium. The third game against the Vikings, MSU Billings won 20-14, striking a team-record 23 hits. The ‘Jackets had four doubles and three home runs in the slugfest. At the Tournament of Champions in California, MSUB won a game against Cal State East Bay and played San Francisco State and Dominican to an extra inning. The last conference road trip featured a makeup series with Western Oregon as the GNAC had every team struggling to fit in games in the final weeks. At home, the Yellowjackets finished their year winning the series against Northwest Nazarene. Amanda Roark tossed the final two complete games and the final win for MSUB in sixth innings. Gammon scored the walk-off run in the 9-1 victory. “We had many great moments throughout the season and I am proud of the growth that we had,” Gasner said on the transition year. “We beat some of the west region’s biggest threats, and battled in a handful of extra-inning games during the Tournament of Champions. With only three seniors, we had a lot to learn about leadership and ourselves as a team and we finally started to put that together toward the end of our season. We have many positive things to look forward to for next season as we have a strong core of returners and as a coaching staff, we are excited about the direction we are headed.” Supporting the senior upperclassmen, the MSUB roster carried six juniors this season, two starting as freshmen with the program and four that transferred this year. Bella Rovens is a four-year member of the team having redshirted her first season. The center fielder came on strong in the second half of her junior campaign. After registering a batting average in the .270 range midway through, Rovens had a big series at home against Western Washington, batting 9-for-13 at the plate. She also robbed two home runs from over the center field fence at Avitus Group Stadium, one of which would have a been a grand slam. Second team all-GNAC Bella Rovens robbed two home runs during a series against Western Washington.
Rovens ended the year a second-team all-conference selection. She moved up in the ranks, improving her plate appearances, finishing the year second on the team in batting average at .357 and second in hits with 56. She led the team in runs scored with 35 and was second in on-base percentage at .423.
Rovens tied for the most doubles with seven and was second in walks with 18. She finished the year with one home run, but made it a statement hit, striking the ball hard in the final game of the season for a 3-RBI rocket against Northwest Nazarene. In her three seasons at MSUB, Rovens is poised to break records. She is already seventh at MSUB in career hits with 161, needing 51 to catch the leader Terina Stacks. Rovens is also fourth in stolen bases with 28 and needs sevens more to tie the record-holder Jessica Frank. She also has 462 at-bats and needs just nine more to break into the top-10. She is also capable of breaking the all-time record of 571 held by Emily Osborn, if she stays on pace with her previous season’s totals. “Bella had another stellar season as a Yellowjacket and continues to be a consistent hitter for this program,” Gasner said. “In the off-season, she spent time working on hitting from the left side and was able to use her power in key moments for us. Her speed in the outfield along with her overall awareness led to many key moments this year. She robbed two big homeruns over the centerfield fence, made multiple diving plays and had several outfield assists.” Kelsey Devlin earned GNAC honorable mention accolades this season. The junior spent time as the designated hitter and in the infield for the ‘Jackets this season. Her bat and command in the infield were a steady presence for the Yellowjackets. In California at the Tournament of Champions, Devlin ended the five games against west region teams batting .412. She had seven hits, two home runs, and five RBI against tough Division II competition. She was just the second player of the season to hit a home run off the leading pitcher in the west region and was 2-for-3 against the No. 2 pitcher. For her junior campaign, she recorded a team third-best .335 batting average, leading the Yellowjackets in slugging percentage at .681. She was third in RBI with 28. Devlin hit seven doubles and 11 home runs this year. Devlin’s slugging percentage is the fifth-best at MSUB in a single season, just behind Steph Gosselin’s .695 from 2009. Her 11 home runs ties her for the sixth-best year as a Yellowjacket. Devlin has amassed 19 career home runs which sets her in a tie for eighth all-time with Stacks. She needs another 11 next season to tie Osborn at No. 2 and 16 more to tie the all-time leader Kelly Parsons. Devlin has also struck 16 career doubles. Next season she will need an additional six to break into the MSUB top-10. “Kelsey’s approach at the plate this season was key to her success as a hitter,” Gasner said. “As the season wore on, she became more patient, started seeing more pitches during her at-bats, and adjusted well to timing. As a result, she was able to become even more of a threat in our line-up. Kelsey also had significant growth defensively and became more aggressive in knocking down balls in the 5/6 hole and drop-stepping to catch balls over her shoulder.” Kelsey Devlin finished her junior campaign with 11 home runs.
The Yellowjackets picked up four junior transfers this season: infielder Ryland Estrada, right-handed pitcher Taylor Tokach, catcher Katie Jackson, and infielder Nicole Tiffany. Estrada and Tokach both transferred from Chandler Gilbert College. In the infield for MSUB, Estrada showed her athleticism and accuracy. At third base, the junior accumulated 26 putouts. Where the native of Arizona really came alive was in the batter’s box and on the bases with her speed. Estrada made appearances in 21 games for MSUB, finishing the season with a .340 batting average, 18 hits, nine RBI, two doubles, two triples, and a home run. Tokach made appearances in 24 games for the ‘Jackets. She started 10 games and tossed 10 complete contests recording one save. In 59 and 1/3 innings, Tokach struck out 15 batters while walking just 19. With a season of GNAC competition under her belt, the right-handed hurler will be looking to make her mark next year. Jackson, a transfer from Bellevue College, is from Kent, Wash. The catcher saw time in four games for MSUB. She had 10 putouts for the team and scored two runs on offense. From Nine Miles Falls, Wash., Tiffany spent her first two collegiate seasons at Bellevue College with Jackson. The infielder earned a starting role on this year’s team with her consistency and accuracy in the batter’s box. Tiffany played in 38 games this season. As either a pinch hitter or from the DH role, Tiffany finished the year batting .302. She had 29 hits, two doubles, three home runs, and 19 RBI. She scored 16 runs for the team and stole two bases. She had a big hit in the game against Dominican at the Tournament of Champions, tying the game with a 2-RBI home run in the sixth inning. She finished the season on a five-game hit streak, adding her last two home runs in the series at home against Northwest Nazarene. “We had four tremendous transfers this year, each of them stepping up and owning their own roles as Yellowjackets,” Gasner said on the four junior transfers. “Ryland did a great job utilizing her speed at the plate to hit behind the runner and advance multiple bases and her quick first step became an asset at third base, keeping slappers and bunters at bay. Taylor had a handful of solid games for us on the mound and came in strong several times to shut down innings. She has a high softball IQ and uses it to keep batters off-balance. Nikki truly embraced her role as a designated hitter. She became one of our most consistent hitters with runners on base and the team looked to her on several occasions to get the clutch hits. Katie had some great games for us behind the plate. She has worked hard to build strong relationships with our pitchers this season.” The sophomore class with eight student-athletes is the largest on the MSUB roster with three of them from Sparks, Nev.
Sophomore Heather Tracy recorded one of the best season’s in Yellowjacket program history.
In her second season with the Yellowjackets, right fielder Heather Tracy broke open her collegiate career recording one of the best season’s in Yellowjacket program history. The native of Boise, Idaho., was a first-team all-conference honoree and finished third in the GNAC with a .429 batting average. She led the team in hits (57), on-base percentage (.461), triples (three), and stolen bases (16). In the GNAC, Tracy finished in the top-10 in five major offensive categories and was the only player in the top-30 batting average with more than 15 stolen bases. At .662, her slugging percentage was just behind Devlin’s for sixth in the conference and the ninth-highest in Yellowjacket history. Tracy’s outstanding season has her listed seven times in the MSUB record books. Her batting average of .429 is the thirdbest ever in the Yellowjacket program. She tied the tenth-best season in hits. She is tied for first in triples with three and the most stolen bases in a single game with three (at Seattle, Mar. 9). Her speed helped the outfielder round the base paths and led to 16 stolen bases for the second-most in a single season at MSUB. For her career, in just two years, Tracy is tied for sixth all-time at MSUB in stolen bases with 26 and needs just nine more to tie the all-time record. Dangerous at the plate and on-base, Tracy also showcased her abilities in the outfield. She made just two errors for a .972 fielding percentage. She totaled five assists and on one occasion threw-out Concordia’s lead-off runner attempting to turn a double into a triple, but Tracy made a dynamic throw from far right field to third for the out. “Although Heather is just a sophomore, she has already made an impact in our program and the GNAC,” Gasner said. “She has become a tremendous triple threat in our line-up and has the capability to beat any defense. She puts pressure on opponents not only in the batter’s box, but on the bases. She is a smart baserunner and takes advantage of both physical and mental errors. In the outfield, she has a strong, accurate arm, and has done a great job this season throwing runners out and keeping them from advancing to scoring position.” While sophomore Megan Dettling struggled with a lower back injury this season, the right-handed pitcher earned honorable mention allconference honors seeing time in 21 games. Dettling led the GNAC in opposing batting average at .209. She finished the year with 89 and 2/3 innings of work and the most wins on the Yellowjacket pitching staff with seven. In her second season, Dettling posted complete game wins over nationally-ranked Sonoma State and Dixie State. She also tossed the complete game 1-hit shutout over Hawaii Hilo at the DSU Tournament. Dettling struck out a season-high eight batters in the win over UC Colorado Springs at the Desert Stinger Tournament and went the distance in her last game at home – in seven innings she completed 158 pitches in a come-from-behind win over Northwest Nazarene. In just her second season, Dettling has climbed onto the MSUB all-time list at No. 9 with 125 total strikeouts. She was fifth in the GNAC this year with 78 total and had the highest average per game at 6.09. Dettling added her bat to the Yellowjacket lineup this year recording 11 hits in 39 at-bats. She scored eight runs, 8 RBI, and two home runs, including the first of her collegiate career in a game at Dixie State.
Megan Dettling led the GNAC in opposing batting percentage and earned second team all-conference honors.
“Megan has done a great job this season battling through adversity,” Gasner said on the sophomore pitcher. “She worked hard this fall to become a dominate pitcher on the mound for us this year as well as a power hitter in our lineup. Despite being injured, she managed to gain the respect of the conference and still end the season with an honorable mention. I am hopeful that she is now on the uphill climb in her recovery and I am looking forward to seeing her back on the mound next fall.” After earning GNAC Most Valuable Tournament honors as a freshman, Cameron Cassinelli returned to the MSUB roster a seasoned player taking second-team all-conference honors this year. In her sophomore effort, Cassinelli moved to not only a starting position at first base, but added the role of pitcher to her game. Cassinelli matched Devlin for fourth in the GNAC in home runs with 11 and was seventh in the conference in walks with 20. The utility pitcher made nine appearances in the circle for MSUB, tossing 19 and 2/3 innings. She recorded eight strikeouts and pitched a season-high 4 and 1/3 innings in a game at British Columbia. Cassinelli continued to be an impact player for the ‘Jackets at the plate. She finished the season with 38 hits and a team-leading 37 RBI. She was third on the team in on-base percentage at .406 and in slugging percentage at .589. She had two home runs in a single game against Dixie State along with a season-high five RBI. “Cameron has the power to change a game during any at bat and has become a feared hitter for any pitcher,” Gasner said. “She is Sophomore Cameron Cassinelli worked as a utility pitcher for another key spark plug in our line up and is overall, just a fun hitter to watch in the batter’s box. Defensively, Cameron stepped the Yellowjackets and earned second team all-GNAC honors. into new role for us this season as a member of the pitching staff and so far, she has been a great addition. She compliments our hard throwing pitchers very well. She has a lot of movement and a deceiving change up and is effective in keeping hitters off balance.” Second baseman Myrissa Prince has the distinction of being the only player on the roster this season to earn GNAC Player of the Week honors. She accomplished the feat during the home series against Saint Martin’s, batting 7-for-14 with four singles, a double, a triple and two home runs. For the season, Prince was fourth on the team with a .338 batting average. She was second in RBI at 33 and fourth in hits (44), home runs (6), slugging percentage (.554), and on-base percentage (.406). At second base, Prince had 101 putouts with six errors for a team fourth-best .969 fielding percentage “Although Myrissa didn’t see much playing time as a freshman last year, she stepped out on the field this season as if she had been there all along,” Gasner said. “She showed a great deal of growth for us as a young leader and pulled the team together in tough situations. She accepted a lot of responsibility as a sophomore and in return, quickly gained the respect of her teammates.”
Sophomore Katlyn Stringari and Jordyn Roark were two of three players to see time at shortstop this year. With the loss of GNAC Player of the Year Taylor Hoke, the No. 6 position on the field was a tough one to fill. “Kate and Jordyn battled at shortstop all season, both working hard to take ownership,” Gasner said. “Jordyn has a strong approach at the plate and capitalized in tough situations. Kate does a great job communicating out on defense; she is quick and aggressive and was able to knock down several hard hits this season.” Stringari made appearances in 17 games for MSUB recording 39 at-bats with eight hits and four RBI. Roark saw time in 15 games this season. She recorded 33 at-bats with eight hits, including two doubles. Outfielders Amanda Barham and Alyssa Yaeger complete the sophomore class. Barham started 10 and made appearances in 22 games this season. At the plate, she had six hits in 32 at-bats. With her speed, Yaeger was primarily used as a pinch runner, scoring 12 runs with a stolen base. Myrissa Prince was the sole Yellowjacket to earn GNAC Player of the Week honors for MSUB this season.
“Amanda is an extremely smart and aggressive player,” Gasner said. “She has a strong arm in the outfield and really knows her range well. At the plate, she has the ability to put the ball in play and use her speed to move around the bases. Alyssa continues to play a huge impact on our team. She works hard on the field, in the weight room, and in the classroom and finds ways to motivate her teammates to do the same. She scored multiple runs for us this season and became a reliable baserunner that we could look to in any situation.” The Yellowjackets welcomed a large freshmen class with shortstop Jessica Bagnell, second baseman Erin Watterud, outfielder Vanessa Almario, catcher Madison Kelly, outfielder Justyce Connole, catcher Jackie Preciado, and second baseman Jensen Johnson. A redshirt freshman, Bagnell was the third member of the trio to see time at shortstop. She started 26 games, logging 11 hits in 53 at-bats with three runs. She also walked seven times and added two sacrifice flies and one sacrifice hit. Billings native, Watterud, played in three games, recording her first collegiate hit, a RBI single, in a home game against Concordia. Almario also saw action in three games, logging her first career hit against Saint Martin’s. “We had a large freshmen class this year and they worked hard this season to build relationships on the field to help them find success,” Gasner said. “Jessica had some great moments at shortstop this season, helping Haley throw out runners at second and committing to the tag. Vanessa had a few great pinch hits for us and earned her first start in a home game against St. Martin’s. Erin is a strong second baseman with significant amount of range. Maddie grew a lot as a catcher this season. She has a quick transfer and a strong glove behind the plate and worked hard to build a strong pitcher/catcher relationship with Megan. Justyce brings a sense of positive energy to the team and is developing into a power hitter. Jackie and Jensen both redshirted this season and will be back ready for action in their second year.”
Seven Yellowjackets on the roster were named to the GNAC all-academic team. Along with Gammon, Rowe, Yaeger, Jordyn Roark, Stringari, Barham, and Prince were also honored by the conference for their work in the classroom. The final name on the 2016 roster may by the most special. After watching the MSUB men’s soccer team develop a relationship with their team member Sebastien Easton, this year the softball team was able to draft their own player through Team IMPACT, Bria Koch. The 10 year-old was signed to the team at the end of the season, just before the last two series at home. During a special Draft Day, Bria and her parents Bonnie and Brad were part of a press conference announcing the addition of the newly signed player and welcomed to the team through activities that included being assigned a locker in the MSUB team room, warming-up before the Yellowjacket doubleheader, and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. “In our short time of getting to know Bria, our team has already started to build a positive relationship with her and her family,” Gasner said on the youngest member of the Yellowjacket team. “Draft day was especially memorable for everyone; the team was truly moved by Bria’s presence. She has been a great addition to our program and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Team IMPACT. We plan to stay connected with Bria throughout the summer and I know the entire team will be excited to see her when they return in the fall.” Bria Koch being led onto the field by Katlyn Stringari.
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