Gopher Softball 2018

No news on the assistant yet huh? Dang.

Is she related to Pokey Trachsel, the Duluth Cathedral, UMD hockey player?
No news yet. The job posting was made Monday. If they are working on candidates, they are being very secretive. Pokey Trachsel is her uncle. He, Larry (her dad), and Bill (another uncle) were all very good players at Cathedral. Pokey was the best of the three.
 

No news yet. The job posting was made Monday. If they are working on candidates, they are being very secretive. Pokey Trachsel is her uncle. He, Larry (her dad), and Bill (another uncle) were all very good players at Cathedral. Pokey was the best of the three.
Rumor is that the asst is a done deal but that the coach has to inform their current team before anything is announced by the U.

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So who is the assistant to be named? The need is a strong hitting coach. Head coach is defense - Piper is the best pitching coach around - who is gonna replace Merchant for hitting?
 

So who is the assistant to be named? The need is a strong hitting coach. Head coach is defense - Piper is the best pitching coach around - who is gonna replace Merchant for hitting?
A really good hitting coach. They will announce this week.

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Can you name a name? I have talked to players and they are still in the dark on who will be the hitting coach. They were told 2 weeks ago that they were close to a decision - but it has been quiet since then. If you have insider info let us know if you can. Choice of a Hitting coach could be the difference between some key players staying or leaving. Style of play is important to a lot of current players.
 


Can you name a name? I have talked to players and they are still in the dark on who will be the hitting coach. They were told 2 weeks ago that they were close to a decision - but it has been quiet since then. If you have insider info let us know if you can. Choice of a Hitting coach could be the difference between some key players staying or leaving. Style of play is important to a lot of current players.
I will not name the new coach but I think we have a good one. Many years of coaching with really good results. They will announce it next week but I am sure it will leak before that. Until then just be happy that our softball ladies are in good hands.

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I will not name the new coach but I think we have a good one. Many years of coaching with really good results. They will announce it next week but I am sure it will leak before that. Until then just be happy that our softball ladies are in good hands.

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I did notice that the job opening has been removed. So, the position has been filled. Your enthusiasm has me interested. Sounds like it will be a good hire.
 

I did notice that the job opening has been removed. So, the position has been filled. Your enthusiasm has me interested. Sounds like it will be a good hire.
Thanks. I would love to name the name and be a true insider but the way the world works I don't want to throw the name out there. I am fairly sure that the name will get leaked soon so that my concerns will not matter.

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The name is out there now. Hopefully she is as good as advertised.
 



Well, I guess it's good that the new hitting coach has a strong reputation! :)
 






Choice of a Hitting coach could be the difference between some key players staying or leaving. Style of play is important to a lot of current players.

While we are waiting for the coach to be announced, I thought this was an interesting comment. I wonder which players would transfer. Those who are starting on a very good team would be unlikely to transfer IMO. From what I have heard, the team has been very business-like in their whole reaction to the coaching change and they just want to get to work and win games.
 

While we are waiting for the coach to be announced, I thought this was an interesting comment. I wonder which players would transfer. Those who are starting on a very good team would be unlikely to transfer IMO. From what I have heard, the team has been very business-like in their whole reaction to the coaching change and they just want to get to work and win games.

I would think the day the Stanford job became open, the players had a feeling that Coach Allister would be the #1 candidate and the allure of going back to her alma mater would be strong.

Therefore, they knew a coaching change was coming.
 

Well, after all the hush-hush of the past few weeks, coach Trachsel has named the full staff.

Cat Heifner is the new hitting coach and has a pretty darn good reputation. And, as we already know, Piper Ritter is staying on to coach the pitching staff.

Looks like a pretty good staff overall.

Link: http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/080817aae.html
 


Catherine Heifner

ASSOCIATE HEAD COACHPhone(575) [email protected]

Cat Heifner enters her 11th season as the associate head coach and 14th season as part of the Aggie coaching staff. Heifner’s primary focus is to continue building the Aggies’ record-setting offense, recruiting and assisting in all aspects of the program.

Primarily in charge of the offense, Heifner’s athletes have rewritten the NM State record books during her tenure with the program. The amount of records changed in her tenure is supported by the plethora of athletes now in the Aggie offensive record books.

In 2017,*NM State compiled a 29-25 overall record and a 11-4 record in conference play. The Aggies won their third-straight regular season title and their third WAC Tournament title. Under Heifner's guidance, New Mexico State ranked ninth nationally in batting average (.325) and 10th*in both on-base percentage (.414) and slugging percentage (.501). New Mexico State was also 16th*in scoring (5.93), 23rd*in doubles per game (1.48) and 25th*in home runs per game (0.96). On defense, the Aggies averaged 0.41 double plays per game which ranked*47th*in the country.

Kelsey Horton*posted top-notch numbers in 2017. The sophomore ranked 16th*nationally in RBI*per game (1.09), 20th*in slugging percentage (.799), 21st*in RBI*(59), 22nd*in home runs (16) and total bases (131), 27th*in runs per game (0.96), 29th*in home runs per game (0.30), 37th*in on-base percentage (.505) and 38th*in batting average (.415). Horton was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Pacific Region Second Team.

In addition to the national rankings, NM State finished*first among Western Athletic Conference teams in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, home runs (52), RBI*(294), runs scored (320), and stolen bases (65). *Horton led the league in batting average, slugging percentage, total bases, RBI, home runs and runs scored (52).*Fahren Glackin*led the conference with 30 walks and*Nikki Butler*was hit by a pitch a league-high 13 times.*Haley Nakamura*put down*nine sacrifice bunts and*Rachel Rodriguez*recorded 22 stolen bases.

At the conclusion of the regular season,*Victoria Castro,*Kayla Green, and Glackin were named to the All-WAC Second Team while Butler, Horton and Rodriguez were named to the All-WAC First Team. Horton was also named the WAC Player of the Year. The sophomore*was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Pacific Region Second Team.

After winning the conference tournament for the second time in three seasons,*Samaria Diaz,*Misty Hoohuli, Castro and Rodriguez were named to the all-tournament team with Rodriguez receiving the coveted most valuable player award.


New Mexico State posted a 38-21 overall record and a 14-1 record in conference play in 2016. The Aggies won their second-straight WAC regular season title. With Heifner coaching the offense, the Aggies were ranked No. 7 in the nation in batting average (.343), No. 11 in on-base percentage (.427), No. 21*in slugging percentage (.508), No. 24 in stolen bases (1.76) per game, No. 27 in triples per game (0.25), No. 29 in scoring (5.95), and No. 50 in win/loss percentage (0.644).

Kelsey Horton led the league and the team with 13 home runs and was selected as the WAC Freshman of the Year. This was the third time in program history and the second year in a row NM State has received this honor. Horton was also chosen as a Top 10 finalist for the Shutt Sports / NFCA National Freshman of the Year. She was the first in program history to be named a Top 10 finalist for the national honor.

The associate head coach helped NM State to one of the greatest statistical season in program history in 2015.* NM State broke the school records in wins (47), winning percentage (.746), runs (465), hits (589), home runs (103), doubles (100), RBIs (436), total bases (1,020), walks (283), team batting average (.348), slugging percentage (.602) and on-base percentage (.445).

Some offensive powerhouses under Heifner included Fiana Finau, who tied the NM State single-season home run record with 24 and broke the single-season RBI record with 74, finished tied for fifth nationally in home runs and tied for eighth in RBIs. Staci Rodriguez, meanwhile, broke both the Aggie single-season and career runs scored records en route to finishing 13th in the country in runs scored per game (1.16) while also finishing tied for 12th with six sacrifice flies.

During the 2015 season, the Aggies won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles for only the second time in 10 years in the conference to advance to the NCAA Regional round for the second time in program history.

She helped guide the Aggies to a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference in 2014 with a 31-23 overall season record.*The Aggies were 10-4 in conference play while leading the conference in nearly every hitting category.

Heifner saw major success in the 2014 season with Junior Staci Rodriguez, Fiana Finau and WAC Player of the Year Lacey Rother.* Rother recorded 47 hits, 37 RBI, eight homeruns and a .376 batting average her Junior year, playing well enough in the conference to earn her the honor its top accolade.* Finau lead the team in RBI with 47, while recorded 14 homeruns, 63 hits and a .394 batting average.* Rodriguez once again continued to shine in her Aggie career, putting up team-highs in batting average with a .397, homeruns with 15 and a sky-high slugging percentage of .788.* She also recorded 45 RBI and 58 hits.*

As a team the Aggies had a .315 average from the plate and a .512 slugging percentage.* NM State had 441 hits, 142 extra base hits and 285 RBI, compared to opponents 402 hits, 116 multiple base hits and 221 RBI.* The Aggies also had seven players named Hitter of the Week under Heifner’s watch.

With Heifner guiding the Aggies from the third base box, the Aggies stamped a new conference and NM State record for most runs scored in a single inning with 17 in the series finale against Bakersfield (4/12). The Aggies’ 17 runs shattered the previous WAC record of 13 runs in a single inning set in 2010 by Hawaii against Nevada.* The Aggies recorded 11 hits, five walks, two hit batters and 15 RBI in the inning.* On 11 hits in the inning, NM State only recorded one extra base hit, with the remainder of all coming as singles.*

In 2013 Heifner helped lead the Aggies to a second-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference with a 37-20 season record. The Aggies were 16-5 in conference play and held the longest winning streak in program history with 11 wins. The record-setting win for NM State came against No. 17 Arizona (Apr. 9). The feat topped the team’s previous record of 10 that was set during the historical 2011 season when the Aggies won the WAC title and made their first ever NCAA appearance.

Heifner saw major success as sophomore Staci Rodriguez finished the year as the 2013 WAC Player of the Year with 20 home runs, which led the conference and was tied for 10th best in the nation. With those home runs, Rodriguez brought around 63 RBI, which was also a WAC best. She also guided senior Amber Olive to lead the WAC with 79 hits and 41 runs scored. As a team, Heifner saw NM State lead the WAC with a .447 slugging percentage, 239 team RBI, 437 hits and 254 runs scored. The team was second in the league with a .288 batting average and

The 2013 team produced six all-conference players, two NFCA All-Pacific Region accolades and five weeks of WAC Pitcher/Hitter of the Week honors.

In 2013, academically Aggies had seven named NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, while Olive found her way onto the CoSIDA Academic All-America and All-District teams and was the second Aggie softball player to be honored with the Stan Bates Award, which recognizes the WAC’s top female scholar athlete.

In 2012, Heifner helped junior Amber Olive work to a 12-game hitting streak, a team high for the season. Olive finished sixth in the WAC in batting average, fourth in hits, tied for fifth in triples, eighth in stolen bases and her 1.31 hits per game was second best in the WAC. Sophomore Kelsey Dodd has some large shoes to fill with the departure of Hoku Nohara after 2011. Dodd took that job with stride and finished the season with nine home runs and 29 RBI.

She led the Aggies in slugging percentage (.625), on-base percentage (.461) and walks (28).* Her slugging percentage was fourth best in the WAC, on-base percentage 10th and walks tied for ninth.*

Prior to her tenure only four Aggies scored 34-plus runs in a season. Heifner has guided over a dozen players to achieve that feat and now boasts the top five sport led by 2011 senior Kandis Jones. The same can be said for hits. Only two Aggies prior to Heifner notched over 67 hits in a season. But under the associate head coach seven Aggies have recorded more hits. That category is led by Jones in 2011 with 82 and includes Olive with one season left to play.

The record shifts are even more dramatic in total bases, home runs and RBI. Heifner molded nine of the top 10 single-season hitters in program history. Seven of the top eight single-season home run leaders have also occurred under Heifner. Eleven of the top 12 single-season RBI leaders have also played for the coach.

The Aggies set 11 team records in 2011 including most wins (44), best winning percentage (.727), most runs in a season (423), most hits in a season (577), most RBI in a season (375) and most home runs in a season (82).

NM State matched its program-best batting average of .341 set in 2009 when the Aggies led the NCAA, in 2011 that average ranked third overall. The Crimson and White were fifth nationally in slugging percentage at .551. The Aggies’ 6.93 runs per game ranked fifth in the country and NM State ranked sixth in the NCAA with 1.34 home runs per game.

Senior Hoku Nohara led the nation in 2011 as the NCAA statistical champion for home runs per game and slugging percentage. Nohara blasted a single-season record of 24 home runs for the year, averaging 0.43 per game to lead the country. She also led the nation in slugging percentage at 1.007. Nohara also set the NM State and WAC career home run record at 64.

She also ranked third nationally in RBI per game, walks per game and on-base percentage.
After the season Nohara became the first Aggie to sign a professional contract to play in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league.

In 2010, Heifner’s lineup excelled with top-21 rankings in four offensive categories. The Aggies placed No. 18 in slugging percentage (0.495), No. 19 in batting average (0.317) No. 20 in scoring (5.84) and No. 21 in home runs per game (1.13). The 2010 season saw the Crimson and White break or tie 16 team and individual records.

Nohara set the NM State led the WAC with 62 RBI and classmate Kylie Randall totaled 29 stolen bases to rank first in the conference. Nohara set career records at NM State with 40 home runs, 136 career RBI and 1,010 putouts. Meanwhile, Randall tied the NM State career record with 63 stolen bases.

One of the biggest accomplishments in NM State softball history, Heifner guided the Aggies to cap 2009 as the No. 1 team in the nation with a batting average of .341. It is the first time a WAC team has led the country in that category. It was a WAC single-season record for the Aggies and tied the 1998 Fresno State team for the highest team batting average in WAC history. Additionally, NM State was also ranked seventh in scoring (6.09), seventh in slugging percentage (.543) and 10th in home runs per game (1.26) throughout the country.

Under Heifner’s direction, the squad captured six team records, which were batting average (.341), runs scored (329), RBI (314), home runs (68), total bases (794) and slugging percentage (.542). Individually, she paced the team in setting eight single-season individual offensive records and four all-time career records. Most notably, freshman sensation Tiare Jennings set five single-season records and Kristi Randall notched four all-time career records.

During the 2008, the softball team either set or tied 38 NM State all-time, single-season, individual, game or career records with 28 offensive records. NM State also recorded the most home runs (39) hit in a season. Heifner also helped fine-tune then freshman powers Ashley Maroda and Hoku Nohara bats as they smacked 12 and 10 home runs apiece, ranking the tied for second and third, respectively, in the NM State all-time single-season record book.
Heifner came to NM State from Angelo State where she coached for two seasons with head coach Kathy Rodolph. During her time at ASU, Heifner guided the Rambelles’ offense to a pair of outstanding seasons.

In 2003, ASU hit a remarkable .315, ranking them in the top 30 in Division II. Angelo State ranked in the top 25 in six other statistical categories including: home runs, stolen bases, walks, runs scored per game, triples per game and runs scored. Heifner’s offensive strategy helped ASU to a 50-9 season record. Heifner also coached three Division II All-Americans.

In 2002, her first season with ASU, she made her mark on the Lone Star Conference coaching Alexis Wing to the LSC batting title (.446). The Belles also finished second in the league batting race with a .309 team average.

Prior to ASU, Heifner was an assistant coach for Rodolph at El Paso Community College from 1999-2000. She also served as interim head coach for one year at EPCC (1997) posting a 20-21 record.

Before going to Angelo State, Heifner served as assistant coach for Midland College, where she helped lead the team to its first-ever conference and regional championship during the 2001 season. The team finished seventh in the nation at the Junior College World Series in Kissimmee, Fla., while maintaining a 3.23 team grade point average.

During her five years of junior college coaching experience, Heifner won three conference and regional championships and advanced to the NJCAA World Series three consecutive years. Heifner coached three teams to consecutive top 10 rankings for team batting average as well.

Heifner received her bachelor’s degree in English from UTEP in 1997. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Texas – Permian Basin. Heifner was born in Landstuhl, Germany.


CLOSE*



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Shouldn't come as any surprise, but coach Trachsel has very high expectations for herself and the program.

Nice story on her return to Minnesota with a few nuggets about her past as a college softball player at St. Cloud State and her coaching career at North Dakota State. Says she expects to win championships with the ultimate goal of reaching the College World Series.

link: http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/081117aab.html
 

Posting has stopped. I was hoping to hear some confirmation that all players are staying :p

It's getting kind of late to transfer, is it not?
 

Posting has stopped. I was hoping to hear some confirmation that all players are staying [emoji14]

It's getting kind of late to transfer, is it not?
I guess we will know when school starts! I have not seen any rumors of anyone transferring. I will go with the "no news is good news" theory!

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Also kinda curious. I doubt any starters go, I could see a few people that have pretty limited playing time

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Haven't heard anything, which I assume is good. I was more worried about incoming recruits leaving, but it seems the vast majority, if not all of them, will be here as well.

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Haven't heard anything, which I assume is good. I was more worried about incoming recruits leaving, but it seems the vast majority, if not all of them, will be here as well.

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Saw this over at GI.

Fall Gopher softball schedule. A good chance to see a preview of the 2018 squad. All games at home at JSC stadium.

29 Sep SCSU @ 5 and 7pm
7 OCT NDSU @ noon and 2:30
8 OCT UMD @ 1 and 3
13 OCT Concordia @ 5 and 7PM.



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Haven't heard anything, which I assume is good. I was more worried about incoming recruits leaving, but it seems the vast majority, if not all of them, will be here as well.

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As reported earlier, Kendal Judge left the program for a better opportunity for her. She has transferred to Oklahoma State. I wish her the best. http://www.okstate.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5124&path=softball
 


As reported earlier, Kendal Judge left the program for a better opportunity for her. She has transferred to Oklahoma State. I wish her the best. http://www.okstate.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=5124&path=softball

Yep, I meant other than Judge. It had been known for some time that she was leaving. Should have been more clear.

In terms of the roster, Smith comes aboard and Judge moves on. Wish her all the best as well.

Add to that all the freshmen coming in and I think the roster will be somewhere between 20 and 25 once fall-ball starts up.
 

Yep, I meant other than Judge. It had been known for some time that she was leaving. Should have been more clear.

In terms of the roster, Smith comes aboard and Judge moves on. Wish her all the best as well.

Add to that all the freshmen coming in and I think the roster will be somewhere between 20 and 25 once fall-ball starts up.
I think 22 on the roster. 14 returning players, Smith, and seven freshmen.

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