2014 Missouri State Season Outlook
Relentless Pursuit of a Dream Missouri State looks to replicate the big offensive numbers from 2013 while returning to prominence among the league’s elite.
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issouri State softball coach Holly Hesse enters her 26th season at the helm. In 2013, Hesse became the second winningest coach in Valley history and enters this season with 646 wins at MSU. The Bears have three all-conference selections from last year returning, led by second baseman Ashley Brentz, who became the first MSU player to repeat as a first teamer in a decade. Heather Duckworth and Mary Stephens were secondteam All-MVC picks last year. Last season, Missouri State put up some of the best offensive numbers in school history. The team batting average of .284, the 396 hits, 227 runs scored and 28 home runs all were top5 single season stats. This year, the Bears look to replace four starting seniors in the lineup and solidify the pitching staff. Missouri State has six seniors on the 2014 squad including Brentz, Duckworth, Stacia Boeckstiegel and Kerri Cunningham, all expected to be starters. The Bears have five freshmen joining the team that will provide depth and can contribute right away. One of the key intangibles this year could be new volunteer assistant coach Courtney Conley. Conley was a four-year starter at third base for Alabama where she led the Tide to a National Championship in 2012.
THE PITCHING STAFF Missouri State enters the 2014 season with four pitchers on the staff. Junior Chelsea Jones was a workhorse for the Bears in 2013 logging 231.2 innings, tied for the sixth-most innings pitched in a season in school history. Jones won 15 games, tied for fourth among league hurlers, and improved her earned run average and opponent’s batting average while continuing to strike out more hitters than walks given up. She topped the MVC in ground ball outs, inducing 338, all while fielding her position perfectly. Jones enters this season as the staff leader. Sophomore Jessie Van Es was limited to 16 appearances last season, but logged at least one strikeout in 13 of those games. She began the MVC slate 3-0 and went 4-2 over her final six decisions of the year. The staff leader in strikeoutto-walk ratio, Van Es will be looked upon to log more innings after a season of experience in 2013. Freshman Erin Struemph has been impressive since arriving on campus. She was a four-year standout in the circle in high school and led her Saint Elizabeth High squad to a state title in 2011 at Killian Stadium. Struemph will step right in and be relied upon to provide quality innings in her first season. Senior Rachel Brisker has been hampered by injuries and will look to return to the circle
Stacia Boeckstiegel
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2014 Softball Guide
in her final season with the Bears. Last year, Brisker earned a win and picked up the save in a doubleheader sweep at Indiana State. “Chelsea certainly has the experience to step it up and be dominating this year,” said Hesse. “She will have a lot of help from Van Es, who threw some good innings as a freshman. I am very excited about Erin Struemph from what she has shown us and the more experience she gets, the more dominating she’s going to become.” BEHIND THE PLATE Senior Stacia Boeckstiegel is a vocal leader at catcher and has the experience to lead the pitching staff. She had a great season at the plate in 2013, tying the school record being hit-bypitch 10 times, while hitting four home runs. She batted .320 on the year, a 95-point increase over her first season at MSU. Boeckstiegel was an allaround offensive contributor, even picking up a stolen base. She came through in the clutch as well, hitting a home run in the MVC Tournament to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Sophomore Braxton Coil was a solid back up and had a stellar season at the plate in her first year with the Bears. She hit .360 and had a .448 onbase percentage, both team highs. Coil dropped seven sacrifice bunts and topped the squad with a .684 success rate at advancing runners. Coil hit a
Ashley Brentz