Eagles picked 3rd in RMAC preseason poll

The Chadron State softball team opens its season this weekend at the Eckerd College Spring Invitational in Clearwater, Florida.

Coming off the team’s best season, the Eagles are looking to improve on the 29-win season. The Eagles finished 2016 in third place of the RMAC, with a record of 29-18-1, 21-11 in the RMAC.

This season will also be the last for a familiar face of the program. Head Coach Rob Stack announced that he will retire following the season after 10 seasons at the helm.

CSC was picked to finish third again by the RMAC coaches in the preseason poll. Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, received 118 points in the poll to claim the top spot with Metropolitan State University-Denver right behind them with 114. CSC received 83 points.

Courtney Lecher, senior of Fort Collins, Colorado, earned a spot on the RMAC preseason All-Conference team. Lecher batted .401 last season and recorded 20 stolen bases. She was only caught stealing four times in 49 games.

With a powerful offense returning, CSC will look to score early and often. Notable returners include sophomore slugger Kayla Michel, of Brighton, Colorado, and Zoe Humphries, senior of Arvada, Colorado.  Michel, who led the team in slugging percentage last season, .583, hit .324 with eight homeruns and 27 RBIs. Humphries also recorded eight homers and led the team with 32 RBIs.

Junior Aspen Eubanks, of Broomfield, Colorado, hit .328 with 24 RBIs. Senior outfielders Lindsey Karlin, of Berthoud, Colorado, and Morgan Wilhelm, of Littleton, Colorado, will help round out the lineup. Karlin hit .357 last season with four homeruns. Wilhelm only played in 21 games last season but still carried a .259 average.

The Eagles will have a challenge on defense to fill the shoes of graduated seniors, especially in the pitching circle. Last season Tayler Hall, and Cierra Cosslett, started in the circle in all but nine games. Hall, earned the RMAC Pitcher of the Year in 2016, finished with a 2.62 ERA, and recorded 139 strikeouts in 131 innings. Cosslett, known more for her ability to create ground balls than strikeouts, pitched a 3.07 ERA and won 11 games.

To replace Cosslett and Hall, the Eagles will look to senior Kinsley Mason, of Loveland, Colorado, and several underclassmen. Mason appeared in eight games and started four. She finished with a 5.87 ERA.

Lecher and fellow senior Taylor Bauer, of Rapid City, South Dakota, will lead the infield. Bauer only committed 12 errors last season, good for a .939 fielding percentage. She also led the team in assists with 109. Lecher’s average was slightly higher, .952, but she did not have as many plays.

The Eagles are scheduled to play six games in Florida. On Friday the Eagles will play the host team Eckerd College and Florida Southern College, Lakeland. On Saturday and Sunday, the Eagles will play both the University of Tampa and Saint Leo University, Saint Leo, Florida, twice.