Softball Opens 2016 Season at Grand Canyon

Softball | 2/11/2016 12:27:00 PM

Notes

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team opens the 2016 season under coach Candi Letts Feb. 12-14 in a tournament hosted by Grand Canyon University. The Bengals play Loyola Marymount twice and Grand Canyon three times.

ISU vs. LMU and Grand Canyon
Idaho State leads the overall series with Grand Canyon 1-0. In the only other meeting between the two schools, ISU won 10-8 in eight innings on Feb. 8, 2014. Loyola Marymount leads the series with the Bengals 1-0. LMU beat ISU 9-1 on Feb.9, 2007.

About LMU
Loyola Marymount finished the 2015 season 26-28 and 8-7 in West Coast Conference play. LMU was picked to finish third in the WCC preseason poll. Alicia Brown, Amanda Dirks and Rachael Farrington were named to the All-WCC Preseason team. LMU is coached by first-year head coach Sami Strinz-Ward.

About Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon was picked second by the coaches in the Preseason Western Athletic Conference poll. Brittany Media, Taylor Nowlin and Camree Wartman were named to the Preseason All-WAC team. Medina hit .721 in conference last year with six doubles, 17 RBIs and three home runs.

Burnett Named to USA Top 50 Team
 Idaho State softball junior outfielder Kacie Burnett has been named to the 2016 USA Softball Top 50 Watch List as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball. Burnett is the second Bengal to be named to the preseason watch list, as former catcher Vicky Galasso was selected in 2014. Burnett was named first-team all-conference last season after hitting .459 in 172 at bats. She recorded 79 hits, two home runs, nine doubles, five triples and 21 RBIs in addition to 37 stolen bases on 38 attempts. The Napa, Calif. native was named the NFCA National Player of the Week on March 10 as well as Big Sky Player of the Week on two separate occasions.

Experience in the Circle
Last year's pitching staff of Sophie Slagle, Ashlyn Ames and Bailey Foster accounted for all 34 wins and all but one loss. All three return in 2016. Slagle led the staff by tossing 166.2 innings for an 18-8 record, 89 strikeouts and a 3.57 era. As a freshman Ames pitched 106 innings, earned a 10-5 record, a 3.76 era and 45 strikeouts. Foster tossed 53 innings, striking out 21 while earning a 6-4 record and a 4.09 era.

Bengals Picked Second
The Idaho State softball team was picked second by the coaches in the preseason poll that was released by the Big Sky Conference.  Weber State was picked to win the league with six first place votes and ISU had two votes.

ISU finished the 2015 season 34-18 and 17-4 in Big Sky Conference play. ISU won the regular season title for the third straight year and had eight players earn All-Big Sky Conference honors. The Bengals return six of the eight all-conference players in Kacie Burnett, Ashlyn Ames, Sophie Slagle, Maddy Hickman, Sara Hayes and Micheala Taylor.
1. Weber State    48 (6)
2. Idaho State    40 (2)
3. Sacramento State    40
4. Montana    26
5. Southern Utah    25
6. Northern Colorado    23
7. Portland State    15
8. North Dakota    7

Bengal Bites
- Kacie Burnett has reached base in 33 straight games dating back to last season.
- Since the Big Sky Conference added softball in 2013, ISU is 18-17 in one run games, 13-9 in two-run games, 49-20 in games decided by five runs or more, 8-4 in extra inning games and 78-9 when out hitting its opponents.
- Idaho State has never lost a Big Sky Conference home series. Since the 2013 season ISU has swept seven three-game series and won two of three in three series'.
- Idaho State has only lost two Big Sky Conference series.' The Bengals lost two of three at SUU in 2013 and two of three at Northern Colorado in 2015.
- The Idaho State pitching staff finished the 2015 season with a 3.93 era. It is only the second time since the program was brought back in 2007 that the pitching staff finished with below a 4.00 era. In 2009 ISU finished 20-21 and had a 3.77 era.