Softball Team Ready to Begin Third Season (February 4, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings softball team begins its third season as an extremely young yet optimistic group. Just two players remain from the very first season in 2001 as the roster lists a total of 14 freshman and sophomores among the 17 players.

The Yellowjackets showed promise late in the season last year winning 9 of its last 10 games and head coach Jeff Aumend hopes to build on that success. “We started to gel late last season as we thought we might,” noted Aumend, who started the program from scratch in the 2000-2001 academic year. “I think we’ve been a solid defensive team since the beginning. Our offense and pitching have been playing catch up but were better in both areas.”

This past fall the Yellowjackets split a doubleheader at NCAA Division I Colorado State, winning the first game 5-2. That effort was indicative of Aumend’s assessment. Sophomore pitcher Megan McCrae (Brandon, Manitoba) went the distance in the win and the offense supplied the necessary punch for the victory. Freshman first baseman Michelle Falsken (Norco, CA) was 8 for 10 on the Colorado trip which also featured exhibition games vs. Division II schools. “The addition of Falsken, Terilee Ehnes (Great Falls, MT) and Christy Wankel (Great Falls, MT) has upgraded our offense. Falsken is disciplined at the plate, Ehnes is a proven junior college hitter and Wankel has surprising power for her size,” added Aumend.

Junior Terilee Ehnes rejoins her sister, All-Pac West performer Joey Ehnes, after having played together at Great Falls High School. Terilee hit over .400 at Spokane Falls Community College leading her team to a third place finish in the Northwest Athletic Association of Commmunity Colleges (NWAACC) tournament. She was named all-tournament. Terilee is expected to play third base and serve as a utility player. Joey, a sophomore, will continue to be one of the Jackets' top pitchers after being named PacWest Pitcher of the Week twice last year and finishing the year with a 1.33 ERA. McCrae will also share top pitcher duties while team captain Stephanie Cochrun (Lake Stevens, WA) and Jordan Waverek (Kalispell, MT), both sophomores, are much improved and give the pitching staff good depth.

MSUB’s lone senior, shortstop-outfielder, Meghan O’Donnell (Billings, MT) returns for a third season after hitting a solid .293 last season. O’Donnell is also a team captain and was named to the PacWest All-Academic team last season. Hitting .290 and also returning for her third season (red-shirt in 2001) is outfielder Sara Hanley (Kalispell, MT) who led the Jackets in RBI last season. The Jackets' leading hitter (.319), sophomore Cami Rainey (Terreton, ID), returns at shortstop and outfield and will concentrate on softball only after also playing soccer as a freshman. The Jackets' third captain, catcher Layne Pavey (Spokane, WA), finished the season strong ending with a .304 average and 2 homers and has improved defensively. Sophomore catcher Theresa Campbell (Great Falls, MT) provides pop with the bat as she hit 3 homers last year and has great potential offensively.

“We’re probably a year away from seeing great things but we're going to surprise some people this year,” noted Aumend, who serves on the NCAA Division II Top 25 poll committee. “We play in one of the toughest regions in Division II and we’ve got three teams (Western New Mexico, Hawaii-Hilo, Hawaii Pacific) in our league that have been in the Top 25 at some point over the last three years. It’s exciting to see the growth of our new program.”

The Jackets begin their second season of full league play in the PacWest. They open their season at San Francisco State on Feb. 18 before traveling to Hawaii Pacific for two doubleheaders on Feb. 21 and 22. They wrap up their Hawaii trip with doubleheaders at BYU-Hawaii on Feb. 24 and 25. Other highlights on the schedule include the Central Washington Tourney in Richland, WA. on Feb. 28 through March 2 and the five-team Yellowjacket Invitational on March 21-22. The Jackets will open the home season the day before their invitational with a doubleheader vs. Minot State on March 20.

Click here for 2003 Yellowjacket Softball Schedule