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Inside the Diamond: Fresno State Softball

Fresno State Softball

Inside the Diamond is a weekly feature during the off-season of NCAA Softball. Each week FPN will look at a 2016 USA Today/NFCA (final poll) top 25 team. FPN will look at the season that was and what 2017 may have to offer.

Next up: Fresno State

The past few months at Fresno State have been crazy. In May the Bulldogs just finished playing in the NCAA regional, were coming off a 22-1 conference mark, won 42 games, had the nations longest winning streak (23 games) at one point and hauled in a ton of awards. Then head coach Trisha Ford has since left to take the Arizona State job and Linda Garza will take over. Garza spent the last four seasons at UC Riverside where she posted 30 plus wins the past two years.

As stated, 2016 was a great year for Fresno. The Bulldogs grabbed numerous awards. Then junior outfielder Kierra Willis was named the 2016 Mountain West Player of the Year, Senior Jill Compton was Pitcher of the Year, senior catcher Paige Gumz was named the Defensive Player of the Year and Trisha Ford earned her second straight coach of the the year for the Mountain West. Although they did qualify for the the NCAA tournament they went just 1-2 in the Los Angeles regional. They played six games last season against top 25 opponents and went 2-4.

One issue coach Garza will have is that they lose three of their five pitchers. Those three that they lose combined to throw 78 percent of the innings. Of the two returning pitchers, freshman Kira McKechnie (0-0) only threw 1.1 innings and freshman, Kamalani Dung (8-1), did through 79.1 innings. She posted a solid record but her ERA was a tad on the high side at 4.41. It is a solid freshman campaign though and something that coach Garza will hope to build off. Garza knows that pitching will be the area they need the most help stating in a recent interview “We have to rebuild the pitching staff. We have some returners that have some experience and we have some great newcomers, but we need to build another 20-game winner, and we’re going to have some bumps along the way.”

The Bulldogs also lose three of their top five hitters, but do return their two best hitters from 2016 in Willis and Utility Lindsey Willmon. Willis hit .363 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI. Willmon was not far behind batting .345 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI. Another plus is that infielder Dominique Jackson is also back with her 11 home runs. Last season Fresno had four players hit 10 or more homers, three of them are back. Offense should be less of a concern for the Bulldogs.

Who they lose

  • Pitcher – Jill Compton
  • Outfielder – Bria Kennedy
  • Infielder – Whitney Smith
  • Pitcher –  Hannah Harris
  • Infielder –  Victoria Trevino
  • Infielder – Alyssa Villalpando
  • Catcher – Paige Gumz

We already know that they are losing pitching, but they also lose their starting catcher in Gumz. Replacing both ends of the circle can be a challenge and it will be interesting to see what coach Garza does. Kennedy was their third best hitter and Villalpando had 10 home runs on the season.

Who they get (based on posted 2017 roster, as is the case with coaching changes, there could be some additions and or subtractions prior to the season)

  • Infielder – Faith Rousey (Clovis, CA)
  • Infielder – Schuylar Broussard (Moreno Valley, CA)
  • Infielder – Miranda Rohleder (Wichita, KS)
  • Infielder – Haley Fuller (Oakdale, CA)
  • Infielder/Catcher – Madison Hackbarth (Oakdale, CA)
  • Outfielder – Kindra Hackbarth (Oakdale, CA)
  • Catcher – Elizabeth Torosian (Visalia, CA)
  • Pitcher – Samantha Mejia (Bakersfield, CA)
  • Pitcher – Giselle Juarez (Glendale, AZ)

One thing is clear, they will have some depth in the infield. Two pitchers also come in which could be a big help. It is a pretty big class and four of them may have an immediate impact for coach Garza. Possibly filling a big need early is Juarez. She is proven in the circle and is considered a blue chip recruit. Twin sisters Kindra and Madison Hackbarth could also see themselves getting playing time early. Madison is known for being a solid defensive catcher that can hit for power, while her sister Kindra was recruited by some of the biggest programs in the country and adds speed to the bases for the Bulldogs. Broussard is another top recruit known for her bat, she could find herself playing a roll in the offense sooner than later.

Overall coach Garza inherits a team that is in pretty good shape. Their one area of concern, which she recognizes, may be pitching. She has the players to work with, but they will be a young staff. At the plate this team is in pretty good shape. They return power and add speed. If the pitching holds up they should be in a position to win another conference title and make their third straight NCAA appearance.

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