Spartans Head To Miami To Kick Off 2019 Slate

THE WEEK AHEAD
• Michigan State kicks off the 2019 softball season at the Florida International Tournament in Miami, Florida. The Spartans will play five games over three days, taking on UConn, host FIU, Bryant, and playing two games against Memphis.

LOGISTICS
• FIU will have a live stream of all Panther games, including the Friday matchup with the Spartans (7:15 pm Friday). MSU will stream its neutral-site matchups vs. UConn, Bryant, and Memphis via Facebook Live. MSU's official facebook page can be found at Facebook.com/MichiganState Softball.

• Spartan Sports Network continues its coverage of Spartan softball in 2019, and begins its coverage of MSU at the Miami (Ohio) Tournamet March 16-17. SSN will provide a live broadcast from every game, home and away, for the remainder of the season. Matt Tjapkes is back for his fifth season on the call.

• Links for live statistics can be found on MSUSpartans.com on the Spartan schedule page.

THE MATCHUP(S)
• MSU returns to Miami for a tournament at FIU for the second straight season. Last year, MSU swept its five games at Felsberg Field at FIU softball stadium, including two, 2-0 decisions against the host Panthers. MSU is 11-4 all-time against the host school.

• MSU's first game of the season comes against UConn, a series which MSU holds a 4-1 record all-time. The last game between the teams came in 2016, an 8-3 win for the Huskies.

• MSU and Memphis will play twice on the weekend, doubling the all-time meetings of the teams. MSU last played the Tigers in 2016, winning 9-1 in five innings.

• This will be the first-ever meeting between MSU and Bryant in the sport of softball. Bryant, a longtime standout in NCAA Division II and locted in Smithfield, Rhode Island, completed its transition to Division I in 2012.

TEAM NOTES
The Spartans enter the 2019 campaign with five returning starters after losing six seniors to graduation at the conclusion of 2018. MSU carries 21 on its roster, and expects each of them to see time in this opening weekend of the season.

• Michigan State won 10 of its final 12 games a year ago, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the second straight year. The Spartans defeated archrival Michigan in the quarterfinals of each of the last two Big Ten Tournaments.

• MSU returns starters at five positions, including seniors 3B Kaitlyn Eveland and LF Ebonee Echols, junior 2B Melanie Baccay, and sophomores RF Katie Quinlan and SS Caitie Ladd.

• The Spartans added six players to the active roster for the 2019 season. November 2017 signees included INF Charla Echols, OF Abby Joseph, and INF Mackenzie Meech. Over the summer, incoming freshman OF Courtney Callahan joined transfers C Shae Schreckengost and RHP Alli Walker, both sophomores.

• The Spartans ranked in the top half of the Big Ten a year ago in on-base percentage (.371, fifth), batting average (.266, sixth), doubles (71, sixth), slugging percentage (.409, seventh) and home runs (35, seventh). The Spartans struck out the second-fewest number of times among all Big Ten teams, (204 times), second behind only Illinois (199).

• From the pitching staff, MSU ranked tied for fourth with 319 strikeouts, 84 of which were strikeouts looking (which also ranked fourth in the league).

• MSU played 16 one-run contests a year ago, going 8-8.

The Spartans were 6-21 in games that they scored three runs or less, and 20-5 if scoring four runs or more.

• Among MSU's losses to graduation are two pitchers (Bridgette Rainey and Kristina Zalewski) who threw 276 of MSU's 336 innings a year ago. All-American CF Lea Foerster graduated with the Big Ten record in career doubles (seventh nationally) and 10th all-time in the Big Ten in career base hits. Four-year starter behind the plate Lindsey Besson, utility infielder McKenzie Long, and catcher Jordan Davis also concluded their careers in the spring of 2018.

• MSU lost one player to transfer, C/1B Kelcey Carrasco, who transferred back home to California to Fresno State.

• Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph is in her 26th season at the helm of the Spartan softball program, and is the longest-tenured coach in program history, along with being the second-longest-tenured head coach in MSU's athletics department.

• Joseph is the third-longest tenured head coach in the Big Ten Conference, behind Carol Hutchins (Michigan, 35th season) and Rhonda Revelle (Nebraska, 27th season)

• Joseph's staff consists of pitching coach Ben Sorden, hitting coach Corrie Hill, and volunteer Bruce Lenington. Sorden begins his second season with the Spartan pitchers, while Hill and Lenington joined the staff in the fall of 2018.

PLAYER NOTES - PITCHERS
• MSU's returning pitchers threw just 66.1 of 336 innings a year ago. The staff makeup is intriguing, however, as it features junior Jordan Watson, sophomore McKenna Gregory, redshirt freshman Leah Shipp, and JUCO transfer sophomore Alli Walker.

• Shipp and Walker both have more experience than a traditional freshman coming into a program. Shipp suffered an ACL tear in the late fall of her freshman year in 2017-18, but has had more than a year of working with the Spartan staff (both in pitching and rehab). Walker comes to MSU after a year at Madison College and was an NJCAA First Team All-American. She struck out 144 and owned a 1.61 ERA in 2018.

• McKenna Gregory made 13 appearances (all in relief) as a freshman. She owned a 4.77 ERA in 26.1 innings.

• Jordan Watson went 2-4 as a sophomore with a 4.77 ERA. She earned six starts and 16 appearances overall, tossing two complete games. She struck out 25 and walked just 16 in 44.0 innings.

PLAYER NOTES - FIELD PLAYERS
• While five starters return to the 2019 lineup, the Spartans are still a youthful bunch with just two seniors among those five: LF Ebonee Echols and 3B Kaitlyn Eveland.

• Both Eveland and Echols are among MSU's top-10 all-time in several career categories. Eveland ranks third with a .348 career batting average, behind school recordholder Patti Raduenz (.372, 1993-96) and 2018 graduate Lea Foerster (.368, 2015-18); Echols ranks 10th (.318).

• Eveland was an NFCA All-Region pick in 2017 after hitting .403 on the season, good for fifth all-time in a season at MSU. She ranks among MSU's top 15 in RBI (97), and walks (62). In 2018, she was second on the team with a .328 batting average, .557 slugging pct., and .455 on-base percentage, bringing home 24 RBI and leading the team with 28 walks.

• Echols is MSU's career record holder and shares the Big Ten record with 23 career triples. She also shares the Big Ten single-season record of 11, set in 2017.

• Echols has 154 base hits, three outside MSU's all-time top 25 list, ranks eighth with 112 career runs scored, and is 11th with 35 career stolen bases. In 2018, she held a .305 batting average with a .398 on-base percentage, eight stolen bases, and ranked second with 47 base hits.

• Katie Quinlan was one of five players to hit .300 or better in 2018, and she led all freshmen with a .301 average. The speedy RF added eight walks and five stolen bases.

• Sophomore Caitie Ladd started 45 games at shortstop as a freshman, with a .273 average with seven doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI.

• Melanie Baccay is in her third season as a starter, and had the fewest errors of any infielder (7) a year ago. She had a .158 batting average, but scored 20 runs and drew 16 walks while adding five stolen bases.
• Seniors Lexi White and Kelly Zackrison are expected to be significant contributors in their senior seasons. White hit .167 in 2018, but was better than .250 in each of her first two collegiate campaigns. A versatile asset for the Spartans, Zackrison appeared in 36 games (starting seven), playing in the outfield and serving as a pinch runner. She had a .457 slugging percentage, smacking three homers and adding seven RBI.

• Redshirt junior Katelyn Hendershott is coming off an ACL tear that she suffered last spring. She is a strong defensive 1B that is looking to break out offensively. She made just one appearance a year ago before suffering the injury.

• Riley Paxson has missed all of pre-season with an injury, but is expected to get some action this weekend. She and sophomore classmate Joanna Bartz both were able to contribute last season, appearing in 30 and 31 games, respectively. Paxson, a 1B, hit .200 with two doubles and a homer, drawing 13 walks; Bartz can play several infield positions, and hit .263 with four RBI a year ago. Redshirt sophomore Laney Joyner is proficient in the middle infield but also has the versatility to play in the outfield. She saw action in 24 games in her first collegiate season a year ago, posting four RBI and a .163 average.

• Junior Summer Callahan led the Spartans in 2018 with a team-high 31 appearances as a sub. Used liberally as a pinch runnerm, Callahan stole three bases and scored 11 runs.

• Sophomore catcher Shae Schreckengost is a transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette. She was battling a foot injury for a good portion of the fall season, but is working her way back into the picture now that she is healthy this spring.

• Freshman Charla Echols is a frontrunner to start in her first collegiate season. The C/3B has been named to the 2019 USA Softball National Training Team after a tryout in early January. She is one of eight current collegiate players on this team. In the summer of 2018, she won a PGF National Championship with Georgia Impact - and delivered the game-winning hit in the championship contest.

• First-year standout Mackenzie Meech will also get a long look this weekend. A 2017 PGF runner-up with the Corona Angels, she will get a look at 1B as Paxson continues to work her way into the lineup.

• Outfielders Courtney Callahan and Abby Joseph will look to take advantage of the opportunities they are given in the early part of the schedule to earn more playing time. Some veteran upperclassmen ahead of them will likely get more time in the lineup, but like all first-year players they will capitalize on the chances they are given.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Melanie Baccay

Joanna Bartz

Lindsey Besson

Courtney Callahan

Summer Callahan

Kelcey Carrasco

Jordan Davis

Charla Echols

Ebonee Echols

Kaitlyn Eveland

Lea Foerster

McKenna Gregory

Katelyn Hendershott

Abby Joseph

Laney Joyner

Caitie Ladd

McKenzie Long

Riley Paxson

Katie Quinlan

Bridgette Rainey

Shae Schreckengost

Leah Shipp

Alli Walker

Jordan Watson

Lexi White

Kelly Zackrison

Kristina Zalewski