Lady Yellowjackets Picked Fourth in PacWest Softball Poll (Jan. 15, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – The MSU Billings softball team, entering its fourth year of NCAA competition, was tabbed to finish fourth in the PacWest Conference by a poll of league coaches this week.  The Lady Yellowjackets finished fifth last year with their best-ever overall (15-20) and conference (6-14) records.

Western New Mexico was picked to win its third consecutive PacWest title.  The Mustangs earned the maximum 50 points in the poll for the second straight year and return the two-time reigning PacWest Pitcher of the Year.  Following Western N.M. in the coaches’ poll were Hawaii-Hilo (42 points), Hawaii Pacific (34 points), MSU Billings (22 points), BYU-Hawaii (20 points) and Chaminade (12 points).

The Yellowjackets return five all-conference players from last year’s squad—four second team selections and one honorable mention.  In his fourth season at the helm, head coach Jeff Aumend will field his first veteran team at MSU Billings.  Aumend is 26-64 in three seasons as the Lady Jackets’ head coach after starting the program in 2001.  For the first time in those three years he will have more upperclassmen (nine juniors) than underclassmen (two sophomores and four freshmen). 

The Yellowjackets’ two leading hitters from last season, Theresa Campbell (Jr., DP, Great Falls, MT) and Stephanie Cochrun (Jr., 1B/P, Lake Stevens, WA), return to anchor an offense that ranked fourth in the league for batting average.  Campbell’s .341 batting average was the seventh highest in the PacWest, while Cochrun ranked ninth with a .339 average.  Both players earned all-conference second team recognition. 

Layne Pavey (Jr., C, Spokane, WA) and Joey Ehnes (Jr., P/2B, Great Falls, MT) also earned second team honors.  Pavey was seventh in the PWC with a .493 slugging percentage and tied for eighth with four home runs.  Ehnes struck out 54 batters, sixth in the conference, and also batted .277.  Megan McCrae (Jr., P, Brandon, Manitoba) was third in the PacWest with 78 strikeouts, earning all-conference honorable mention honors.

The Yellowjackets open the 2004 season February 5-7 at the Las Vegas Triple Crown Tournament.  The Las Vegas tournament will be just one of three big tournaments for the Lady Jackets.  They will also play at the Central Washington Invitational (March 5-7) and at the Easton Tournament of Champions (April 2-4), one of the year’s largest tournaments in California. 

The Yellowjackets will travel to Hawaii for four conference games each against Hawaii-Hilo and Chaminade on February 11-15.  MSUB’s first home games will come at their fourth annual Yellowjacket Invitational on March 19-20.  Northern State, Valley City State, and Dawson CC are scheduled to attend.  The Jackets will have PacWest home dates against Hawaii Pacific (April 10-11) and BYU-Hawaii (April 24 and 26).  They will also host Division I, Northern Colorado on May 1 and 2.