Season review: MSUB softball

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, May 23, 2017 Season review: MSUB softball

MSUB misses out on postseason play in a season where records fall left and right, and the Yellowjackets look forward to returning a talent-packed squad in 2018.

BILLINGS, Mont. – The talent was there for the Montana State University Billings softball team to make a return to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in 2017.

An inspirational 3-1 series win over Western Oregon University on March 18-19 gave the Yellowjackets hope at an even mark of 8-8 in league play with three conference series remaining on the calendar. Momentum stalled down the final stretch of the year however, as MSUB went just 4-17 over its last 21 games and wound up missing out on postseason play.

In a season where program records fell left and right, MSUB wrapped up the year 16-33 overall and took seventh place in the final GNAC standings at 10-18 in conference play. “Overall it was a good year, we definitely learned a lot, and the group we had coming in was talented,” commented first-year head coach Jessica Rayman on the Yellowjackets jumping

up one spot after an eighth place finish in 2016. “We did such a good job starting strong at the beginning of our conference schedule, but I just wish we would have done a better job of continuing that as the season went on. It’s something we have to continue to work on, and we have to keep finding ways to keep the team motivated when going to the conference tournament is on the line. This year is going to help us make sure that we compete for all of next season.”

Perhaps the most significant individual landmark was achieved by senior Bella Rovens, who broke six MSUB career records including the all-time hits mark as she wrapped up her four-year career with 215. Rovens also finished No. 1 in games started (187), games played (190), at-bats (622), runs (157), and walks (89).

Following Rovens’ lead, junior Heather Tracy had the finest single season in Yellowjacket history, breaking the hits record with 82 and finishing the year with a .458 batting average. The first-team all-GNAC rightfielder repeated as a second-team all-region selection, after hitting six home runs, driving in 36, and stealing 13 bases while striking out just six times in 179 at-bats. “Heather was huge for us this year,” said Rayman. “Consistency wise, she was getting on base at a high rate, and stepping up in many big situations. Overall she was the most consistent offensively for us, and it was huge to have her in the lineup. I’m excited to see her come back next season and continue to build on what she did last year.”

MSUB Softball Career Hits Leaders Rank Name Hits 1 Bella Rovens 215 2 Terina Stacks 207 3 Emily Osborn 190 4 Steph Gosselin 188 Heather Tracy 188 6 Aubrey Conceicao 163 Kelly Parsons 163 8 Taylor Hoke 162 Kelsey Devlin 162 10 Jenna Haacke 158 Christy Wankel 158

Seasons 2014-17 2006-09 2012-15 2006-09 2015-17 2012-15 2008-11 2012-15 2014-17 2005-08 2003-06

MSUB Softball Single-Season Hits Leaders Rank Name Hits Season 1 Heather Tracy 82 2017 2 Terina Stacks 72 2009 3 Terina Stacks 71 2007 Rose Harrington 71 2012 5 Cami Rainey 70 2005 6 Bella Rovens 65 2015 7 Stephanie Gosselin 63 2009 8 Rachel Quarnburg 62 2005 Aubrey Conceicao 62 2015 Taylor Hoke 62 2015 11 Emily Osborn 60 2015

Rovens wrapped up her career at the top of MSUB’s all-time hits list.

For the eighth straight season, the year began at the Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas, with the Yellowjackets hosting a competitive field of 24 NCAA Division II west region teams at Majestic Softball Complex. It was the beginning of 25 straight games away from home to start the season, during which the team had a handful of significant moments.

Junior slugger Megan Dettling, who earned first-team all-region honors this spring, tied a GNAC record with three home runs in a single game against Colorado Springs on Feb. 8. Dettling also earned the win with a complete game pitching, and ended the contest in dramatic fashion with her third long ball coming as a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh.

Dettling finished the year third on the team with a .364 batting average, while clubbing 10 home runs and driving in 40 to go along with a .651 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, she had the second-most strikeouts in the GNAC with 102, and led the team with 141 innings pitched while carrying a 5.51 earned run average. “It was a good year for Megan, and she did a good job being consistent at the plate for us,” said Rayman. “She had a lot of confidence offensively, and she also threw some really good games for us pitching wise. I am proud that she showed what she is capable of, and she’ll just keep working on finding consistency for her senior year.”

MSUB Single Season Strikeout Leaders Rk. Name Strikeouts 1. Joey Ehnes 303 2. Joey Ehnes 261 3. Kasie Conder 151 4. Jessyka MacDonald 136 5. Lisa Moore 108 6. Lisa Moore 107 Lindsey Trenary 107 8. Annaleisha Parsley 102 Megan Dettling 102 10. Rebekah Tsatsa 101

Season 2005 2004 2009 2015 2006 2009 2010 2011 2017 2008

Dettling’s 102 strikeouts as a pitcher were second-most in the GNAC this season.

Just three games after Dettling’s heroic performance, it was fellow junior Cameron Cassinelli’s turn to shine. Facing one of the top pitchers in the region in Cal State San Bernardino’s Cassandra Williams, the Coyotes had the ‘Jackets on the ropes with a 4-3 edge and two outs in the bottom of the seventh on Feb. 9. Cassinelli drilled a 1-1 pitch over the fence in right-center, plating two runs and giving the team its second walk-off homer in three days.

The big swing of the bat was a landmark among another record-breaking season, as Cassinelli set a new MSUB standard for RBIs in a year with 51. She also tied for the GNAC lead in long balls with 13, and hit .383 on the season with a GNACthird best slugging percentage of .725. Cassinelli finished the year with 30 home runs and 121 RBIs in her career through three seasons, and earned second-team all-GNAC for the second straight season. “Cam is an offensive threat, and she was clutch with runners on in scoring position,” Rayman said. “Her confidence showed when she stepped into the box, and she did a good job making adjustments and making pitchers pay when she got her pitch.”

MSUB Career RBIs Leaders Rank First Name 1 Emily Osborn 2 Kelly Parsons 3 Cameron Cassinelli 4 Steph Gosselin 5 Kelsey Devlin 6 Aubrey Conceicao Terina Stacks 8 Taylor Hoke 9 Christy Wankel 10 Brittney Sanders

RBIs 136 130 121 111 106 103 103 94 91 89

Seasons 2012-15 2008-11 2015-17 2006-09 2014-17 2012-15 2006-09 2012-15 2003-06 2012-15

MSUB entered conference play at 4-9, and faced a grueling stretch of 12 league road games over the course of eight days. The marathon began in Bellingham, Wash., where the ‘Jackets handed the ball to a true freshman whom they came to rely on more often than not throughout the year. Left-hander Maddy Lincoln allowed just three earned runs in a complete game in her very first GNAC outing, and MSUB made a 7-6 lead hold up for a victory over the Vikings.

The strong effort by Lincoln helped set the tone for the beginning of the Cassinelli is greeted at home plate after her walk-off road trip, where MSUB went 5-3 including a string of four straight wins home run against CSU San Bernardino. over WWU and Concordia University. Lincoln started 21 games on the season, and led the team with a 5.37 ERA while striking out 72 and logging 131 2/3 innings pitched. “Maddy came out extremely strong for us early on, and had a lot of pressure on her as a freshman,” commented Rayman. “We had high expectations for her, and she did a good job filling those. As she continues to grow and get older, her presence on the mound will only get stronger. I am proud of what she did as a freshman this year, and she didn’t let it overwhelm her.”

Lincoln ate up 131 2/3 innings in the circle as a true freshman in 2017.

A four-RBI performance by senior Kelsey Devlin, including a three-run home run, helped cap the early-season hot streak with a 15-3 win over the Cavaliers. It was one of 11 long balls by another four-year senior in the program, who finished in the top-10 in MSUB history in many offensive categories. Devlin’s final season was her best, as she had personal highs in hits (51), RBIs (38), doubles (10), runs scored (39), at-bats (159), and games played (49), while batting .321. “Kelsey is somebody who is very bought into MSUB,” Rayman said. “Defensively she had some great plays at third base, and offensively she really stepped up for us. She has a lot of power, and I thought she did a very good job finishing out her career here at MSUB.” MSUB Career Home Runs Leaders Rank First Name HR 1 Kelly Parsons 35 2 Emily Osborn 30 Cameron Cassinelli 30 Kelsey Devlin 30 5 Meg Harasymczuk 29 6 Steph Gosselin 25 7 Kaycee Hoffman 23 Theresa Campbell 23 9 Christy Wankel 21 10 Terina Stacks 19

Seasons 2008-11 2012-15 2015-17 2014-17 2011-12 2006-09 2010-11 2002-05 2003-06 2006-09

Devlin (center) posing with her family on Senior Day at Avitus Group Stadium.

Concordia put a halt to MSUB’s winning ways with a 12-4 triumph on March 8, and the ‘Jackets ran out of fuel with four straight losses at Saint Martin’s to end the road trip on a five-game skid. In the 7-1, seriesopening loss, Tracy snapped a season-long 21-game hitting streak, which was the longest such streak in MSUB history.

MSUB Softball Hitting Streaks Rk. Name 1.

Heather Tracy 2.

Terina Stacks Rachel Quarnburg 4.

Bobbie Lee 5.

Aubrey Conceicao 6.

Rose Harrington Lorel Palmer 8.

Leslie Davis Rachel Quarnburg 10. Bella Rovens Kelly Parsons Christy Wankel Joey Ehnes Sara Hanley

Streak 21 19 19 17 15 14 14 13 13 12 12 12 12 12

Start 2-3-17 3-25-07 4-2-06 4-10-11 3-29-14 2-10-12 3-3-07 4-11-08 2-27-05 4-3-15 4-11-08 3-8-05 3-3-05 3-5-04

End 3-8-17 2-15-08 4-27-06 2-10-12 4-19-14 3-9-12 3-19-07 4-27-08 3-13-05 4-19-15 4-26-08 4-1-05 3-13-05 3-12-04

Tracy’s 21-game hitting streak to start the season was the longest ever by a Yellowjacket.

The first loss to the Saints also put to rest one of the most impressive defensive performances in school history, as Myrissa Prince had converted 121 consecutive chances at second base without a fielding miscue. Her error in the opening game snapped the ninth-longest string of spotless defense in school history, and the longest by a non-first baseman infielder. Prince finished the year with a solid .965 fielding percentage up the middle, and was a .297 hitter at the plate with seven doubles, two home runs, and 17 RBIs. MSUB Softball Errorless Streaks Name Terina Stacks Terina Stacks Brittney Sanders Layne Pavey Emily Osborn Kelly Parsons Jenna McCartney Aysha Maddox Myrissa Prince

Position 1B 1B C C 1B C 1B C 2B

Start 2/7/2009 4/22/2007 4/4/2014 2/11/2004 4/6/2014 4/2/2011 4/4/2006 2/11/2006 4/12/2016

End 5/1/2009 4/18/2008 3/6/2015 4/10/2004 3/3/2015 4/30/2011 3/10/2007 4/1/2006 3/10/2017

PO 336 259 220 178 155 139 108 107 66

A 15 10 25 22 12 15 30 16 55

Total 351 269 245 200 167 154 138 123 121

Career Fld. % 0.987 0.987 0.984 0.975 0.980 0.984 0.979 0.980 0.977

Career Years 2006-2009 2006-2009 2012-2015 2002-2005 2012-2015 2008-2011 2006-2007 2006-2007 2015-2017

Prince was one of the top defensive second basemen in the GNAC, with a fielding percentage of .965 in 2017.

With the 2017 home debut against Western Oregon on March 18-19 came a sense of revitalization, as the ‘Jackets stormed their way to victories in each of the first three games at Avitus Group Stadium. Trailing 18-8 in the bottom of the seventh in the finale, MSUB appeared destined for a loss before perhaps the most spectacular single performance of the entire season.

Dettling hit a two-run home run at the beginning of the frame, before remarkably tying the score at 18-18 with a threerun long ball with two outs 10 batters later. In between were four hits and two walks, including the most memorable swing of the year for another one of the Yellowjackets’ true freshmen. An injury to junior starting leftfielder Amanda Barham summoned Vancouver, Wash., native Emma Tucker to the corner outfield spot during the series in Lacey, Wash.

After six hits in her first six starts, Tucker delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a grand slam that tipped off WOU’s centerfielder’s glove and made its landing just beyond the fence.

Freshman Emma Tucker rounds third after her first-career home run – a grand slam against Western Oregon.

Though the comeback had been completed, the Wolves rallied to score a run in the eighth and win 19-18. The defeat wound up being a turning point in the season, as MSUB managed just two more league wins and four total the rest of the year. “We came out strong against Western Washington and Concordia, but towards the end of that trip we hit a rough patch,” said Rayman. “I was proud of the way the team bounced back when we got home against Western Oregon, and we came out strong against them. That was a fun series, especially with us taking 3 of 4, and competing the way we did in that fourth game.”

Williams and CSUSB won a rematch 1-0 at the 2017 Tournament of Champions hosted by Stanislaus State, where the ‘Jackets went 2-4 with three of the losses coming by a single run. MSUB ran into a buzz saw in returning home two weeks later, as GNAC champion Central Washington surrendered just six runs in a four-game sweep of the ‘Jackets in Billings.

With its playoff hopes dwindling, the ‘Jackets embarked on their final road trip of the season with four crucial contests at Northwest Nazarene from April 21-22. A 12-6 win in Game 2 salvaged a split on the first day, but the ‘Saders ended MSUB’s conference tournament hopes by winning the final two games of the series.

Despite the losses at NNU, a bright spot came in the fourth inning of Game 3, when Rovens collected her 208th career hit to surpass Terina Stacks for the No. 1 spot in program history. “I’m just really happy for Bella breaking the record, and it’s well deserved,” said Rayman. “She’s such a leader, and lot of the girls look up to her. She left her mark in the program, and she is someone who will be looked back on for a long time.”

Another key moment in the series against the Crusaders again featured a Yellowjacket leftfielder, as this time sophomore Vanessa Almario emerged onto the scene. Making just her fourth career start, Almario connected on a home run in Game 2 and led MSUB to victory with four RBIs. She homered again in her next game, and finished the year with three home runs while batting .350 with seven RBIs down the stretch. “We had a lot of good competition in left field,” Rayman said. “Opportunities were open, and what was exciting was all three of them built off each other. No matter who we put in, we knew the job was going to get done. When we have that kind of depth on the bench, it gives you options and makes it hard to write a lineup.”

Like Rovens, Tracy reached a hits milestone during the trip to NNU as her 73rd knock of the year pushed her past Stacks for the most in a year by a ‘Jacket. Tracy’s final total of 82 was the second-highest in the NCAA west region, and was No. 19 overall at the Division II level. With 13 steals on the year, Tracy also moved to No. 1 in program history with 39 in three seasons.

NCAA D2 2017 West Region Hits Leaders Rk. Name School 1. Kailyn Campbell Central Washington 2. Heather Tracy MSU Billings Julia Garcia CSU Monterey Bay 4. Alexus Martinez Stanislaus State 5. Kelsie Gardner Western Oregon 6. Madison Castro CSU Monterey Bay 7. Caitlyn Lloyd Cal Baptist Meghan Luebbert Concordia (Ore.) Kylie Orr Northwest Nazarene Makinlee Sellevold Western Washington

Hits 86 82 82 76 75 69 67 67 67 67

GNAC .400 Hitter Club (2017 Season) Rk. Name School 1. Kailyn Campbell Central Washington 2. Heather Tracy MSU Billings 3. Meghan Luebbert Concordia (Ore.) 4. Emily Benson Western Washington 5. Kelsie Gardner Western Oregon 6. Mary Dettling Saint Martin’s 7. Kylie Orr Northwest Nazarene

Avg. .497 .458 .453 .418 .417 .411 .406

Rovens’ record-breaking hit, pictured here, was a trademark infield single to shortstop.

Conference GNAC GNAC CCAA CCAA GNAC CCAA PacWest GNAC GNAC GNAC

Tracy was among regional and national leaders with a record-breaking 82 hits in 2017.

Having been eliminated from postseason contention entering the final series of the year, the ‘Jackets sent off their five graduating players with a ceremony between games against Simon Fraser on April 29. Rovens, Devlin, Nicole Tiffany, Katie Jackson, and Taylor Tokach were each recognized for their contributions to the team in their time as Yellowjackets.

Devlin was the star for MSUB over the final four games, collecting five hits and three RBIs, including the 30th and final home run of her career. In addition to her offensive prowess, Devlin finished No. 6 in MSUB history in assists with 202, and closed the 2017 season with 32 consecutive plays at third base without an error.

MSUB Career Assists Leaders Rank First Name 1 Leslie Davis 2 Jessica Frank 3 Taylor Hoke 4 Cami Rainey 5 Joey Ehnes 6 Kelsey Devlin 7 Jenna Haacke 8 Sara Hanley 9 Becca Frank 10 Whitney Whittemore Myrissa Prince

AST 304 300 273 207 204 202 183 181 174 170 170

Seasons 2006-09 2005-08 2012-15 2002-05 2002-05 2014-17 2005-08 2002-05 2010-12 2009-10 2015-17 Devlin finished her career as a top offensive player, and one of only six in MSUB history with 200 or more assists defensively.

After Devlin’s final career home run, sophomore Madison Kelly hit the first of her career against the Clan. Kelly handled MSUB’s catching duties in 39 starts in her second season, and ranked second in the GNAC with 10 runners caught stealing. Fellow sophomore Jessica Bagnell was another key player for the ‘Jackets in 2017, starting the majority of games at shortstop and totaling three doubles in her second season.

AS A TEAM: MSUB’s 52 home runs were the fourth most in school history, and the squad finished the year with a .310 batting average and 5.51 runs scored per game. Pitching wise, MSUB’s ERA was 5.96 and the ‘Jackets struck out 182 hitters in 311 innings pitched. The ‘Jackets went 4-8 at home, 6-14 on the road, and 6-11 in neutral site contests.

TONS OF TALENT ON TAP IN 2018: Returning much of its core for the 2018 season, the ‘Jackets will look ahead for a return to postseason play. Tracy, Cassinelli, Dettling, Prince, and Barham will be at the forefront of the action as an allconference caliber class of seniors. “We have a lot of experience coming back, and I’m excited for those five seniors,” Rayman said. “They know what it’s like to make it to the conference tournament and the NCAA regionals, and those five playing together is going to be a great core for us. We have a lot of new players coming in, and we are excited to see what they’ll do as their careers start.”

RECORDS RE-WRITTEN Individual Game At Bats – 7, Aysha Maddox, 4-27-07; Heather Tracy, 3-19-17 Runs – 5, Bella Rovens, 3-26-16; Heather Tracy, 3-19-17 Hits – 4, Many with. Most Recent: Heather Tracy, 3-19-17 Home Runs – 3, Megan Dettling, 2-8-17 Total Bases – 12, Jessica Frank, 4-6-08; Megan Dettling, 2-8-17 Individual Season Hits – 82, Heather Tracy, 2017 Triples – 3, 6 With. Most Recent: Heather Tracy, 2017 RBI – 51, Cameron Cassinelli, 2017 Walks – 27, Bella Rovens, 2015; Bella Rovens, 2017 Individual Career Games – 190, Kelly Parsons, 2008-11; Bella Rovens, 2014-17 Games Started – 187, Bella Rovens, 2014-17 At Bats – 622, Bella Rovens, 2014-17 Runs – 157, Bella Rovens, 2014-17 Hits – 215, Bella Rovens, 2014-17 Walks – 89, Bella Rovens, 2014-17 Stolen Bases – 39, Heather Tracy, 2015-17 Stolen Base Attempts – 48, Heather Tracy, 2015-17 Team Game Doubles – 6, 10 times. Most Recent: vs. Holy Names, 4-2-17

First-year MSUB head coach Jessica Rayman.

Seniors Katie Jackson (L to R, top to bottom), Bella Rovens, Kelsey Devlin, Nicole Tiffany, and Taylor Tokach pose with their plaques on senior day.

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