By: Evan O'Kelly, Director of Communications
MSUB SPORTS – Selecting the top players from the Yellowjacket softball team over the 2010s creates the opportunity for building hypothetical lineups filled with the most dangerous hitters of the decade.
Although it proved to be a challenging task to figure out how to stack up a group of elite hitters, the end result is a lineup 1-through-9 with no weak spots. Three different starting lineups were assembled: One by the all-decade committee, and one each by coach
Lisa McKinney and coach Bekah Gasner.
In addition to selecting the starting batting order, a Gold Glove team was selected to honor the top defensive players of the decade at each position on the diamond.
This Week's Schedule
| Day |
Release |
| Monday, November 2, 2020 |
Pitchers & Catchers |
| Tuesday, November 3, 2020 |
Infielders |
| Wednesday, November 4, 2020 |
Outfielders |
| Thursday, November 5, 2020 |
Lineups & Gold Glove Team |
| Friday, November 6, 2020 |
Full All-Decade Roster |
The Batting Order
All-Decade Committee Batting Order
| Lineup |
Name |
Position |
| 1 |
Heather Tracy |
Right Field |
| 2 |
Taylor Hoke |
Shortstop |
| 3 |
Meg Harasymczuk |
Left Field |
| 4 |
Cameron Cassinelli |
Designated Hitter |
| 5 |
Kelsey Devlin |
Third Baseman |
| 6 |
Emily Osborn |
First Baseman |
| 7 |
Kelly Parsons |
Catcher |
| 8 |
Aubrey Conceicao |
Second Baseman |
| 9 |
Bella Rovens |
Center Fielder |
Boomer's Lineup
| Lineup |
Name |
Position |
| 1 |
Heather Tracy |
Right Field |
| 2 |
Bella Rovens |
Center Field |
| 3 |
Aubrey Conceicao |
Second Base |
| 4 |
Cameron Cassinelli |
Designated Hitter |
| 5 |
Meg Harasymczuk |
Left Field |
| 6 |
Kelly Parsons |
Catcher |
| 7 |
Emily Osborn |
First Base |
| 8 |
Taylor Hoke |
Shortstop |
| 9 |
Kelsey Devlin |
Third Base |
Bekah's Lineup
| Lineup |
Name |
Position |
| 1 |
Heather Tracy |
Right Field |
| 2 |
Bella Rovens |
Center Field |
| 3 |
Meg Harasymczuk |
Left Field |
| 4 |
Cameron Cassinelli |
Designated Hitter |
| 5 |
Taylor Hoke |
Shortstop |
| 6 |
Aubrey Conceicao |
Second Base |
| 7 |
Kelsey Devlin |
Third Base |
| 8 |
Emily Osborn |
First Base |
| 9 |
Kelly Parsons |
Catcher |
The two spots in the order with a consensus decision were the leadoff spot and cleanup spot.
Heather Tracy, the Player of the Decade and owner of a career .426 batting average, is a lock in the top spot in the order. In addition to her unparalleled ability to get on base, her threat as a power hitter (21 career home runs) makes her a tough out both leading off and further on as the game progresses.
Cameron Cassinelli, the top power hitter to ever play at MSUB, is a lock in the cleanup spot. Her 40 career home runs and 156 career RBIs are both the most ever by a Yellowjacket, making her a constant threat to drive in the top three hitters.
The two coaches elected to put the speedy Bella Rovens in the No. 2 position in the lineup, creating a 1-2 punch between her and Tracy in the top two spots of the order. The alternative option would be to bat Rovens in the No. 9 slot, creating the same 1-2 punch when the lineup flips over. In that option, Taylor Hoke would be the next hitter up with the potential of Rovens and Tracy on base together.
In Bekah's lineup and the committee lineup, the powerful Meg Harasymczuk was put into the third position, guaranteeing her an at-bat in the first inning and placing Cassinelli directly behind her to protect. In Boomer's lineup, Harasymczuk plays the role of protecting Cassinelli. Either way, a 1-2 combination of 69 career home runs makes that duo nearly impossible to get through unscathed.
The middle-to-bottom portion of each lineup doesn't get any easier to face, with the trio of Kelly Parsons, Emily Osborn, and Kelsey Devlin combining for 95 career home runs. The committee's lineup and Bekah's lineup each feature those three hitters in succession, while Boomer's lineup places Hoke in the middle of those three. Evidenced by the three lineups created, Aubrey Conceicao is a good fit no matter where she is placed. With the third-highest batting average in school history at .365, Boomer' favors Conceicao in the No. 3 position, while she bats sixth in Bekah's lineup and eighth in the committee's lineup.
The Gold Glove Team
Catcher
Kelly Parsons
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .984 (2nd/4th)
Total Chances: 1,043 (1st/2nd)
Putouts: 915 (1st/2nd)
Assists: 111 (1st/17th)
Errors: 17
Double Plays Turned: 3
Stolen Base Against Percentage: .705 (1st/2nd)
A virtual tie for the gold glove award at catcher goes to the Hall of Famer Parsons, who was matched in fielding percentage exactly by four-year standout Brittney Sanders. Parsons however had the most chances, putouts, and assists, and the top stolen base against percentage among the decade's backstops.
First Baseman
Emily Osborn
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .978 (2nd/8th)
Total Chances: 1,046 (1st/1st)
Putouts: 968 (1st/1st)
Assists: 55 (2nd/38th)
Errors: 23
Double Plays Turned: 38 (1st/1st)
Another close call, Osborn earned the honor over Kaycee Hoffman by virtue of her accumulation of statistics. Over the course of four years, Osborn racked up the most chances, putouts, and assists by a first baseman, while turning a program record 38 double plays and maintaining a .980 fielding percentage.
Second Baseman
Myrissa Prince – Platinum Glove Award: Top Overall Defensive Player of the Decade
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .956 (2nd/18th)
Total Chances: 571 (1st/9th)
Putouts: 294 (1st/15th)
Assists: 252 (1st/4th)
Errors: 25
Double Plays Turned: 21 (1st/5th)
Prince earned the Platinum Glove award through both her ascension to the top of statistical rankings and her consistent play in the infield. Prince, who inherited the second base position from Aubrey Conceicao, went on to surpass her two predecessors also including Jenna VanEykeren among the decade's elite second baseman. Prince had the highest career fielding percentage among the three, and her 252 assists are fourth in school history. Perhaps most impressive on Prince's resume however was a streak of 121 consecutive chances without an error during her junior year, the longest such streak by a second baseman in school history.
Third Baseman
Kelsey Devlin
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .918 (5th/34th)
Total Chances: 402 (3rd/23rd)
Putouts: 167 (4th/32nd)
Assists: 202 (2nd/6th)
Errors: 33
Double Plays Turned: 9 (2nd/19th)
Devlin got the nod over fellow third baseman Nicole Colpron, as she was one of three players in the decade to reach the 200-assist plateau.
Shortstop
Taylor Hoke
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .938 (1st/25th)
Total Chances: 568 (1st/10th)
Putouts: 260 (1st/18th)
Assists: 273 (2nd/3rd)
Errors: 35
Double Plays Turned: 20 (1st/6th)
Though entering the program as a third baseman, Hoke found her home at shortstop, where she was named GNAC Player of the Year as a senior just as much for her glove as for her performance at the plate. Hoke turned 20 double plays, the second-most behind Prince by a non-first baseman in program history.
Left Fielder
Cori Gammon
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .932 (5th/29th)
Total Chances: 264 (2nd/31st)
Putouts: 223 (3rd/25th)
Assists: 23 (1st/65th)
Errors: 18
Double Plays Turned: 1
While Gammon's fielding percentage was significantly lower than fellow left fielder Meg Harasymczuk, she had far and away the most assists by any outfielder in the decade with 23. Over the course of 264 chances, Gammon regularly gunned down runners who dared to challenge her arm in left.
Center Fielder
Bella Rovens
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .922 (5th/33rd)
Total Chances: 231 (3rd/34th)
Putouts: 201 (3rd/29th)
Assists: 12 (1st/83rd)
Errors: 18
Double Plays Turned: 1
Similar to Gammon, it was Rovens' flare for the dramatic and ability to make the spectacular play that earned her the gold glove honor. In addition to a dozen outfield assists from center field among her 231 chances, Rovens was known for a perfectly-timed leap at the fence to rob a home run. Rose Harrington (.958) and
Amanda Barham (.951) had better fielding percentages than Rovens, but it was the impact of Rovens' defensive play that was the greatest.
Right Fielder
Heather Tracy
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .958 (1st/17th)
Total Chances: 261 (3rd/32nd)
Putouts: 235 (2nd/23rd)
Assists: 15 (2nd/79th)
Errors: 11
Double Plays Turned: 3
Tracy's initial tryouts when she walked onto the team as a freshman were at shortstop, because the coaching staff was impressed with the strength of her arm. That translated well into her career in right field, where she threw out 15 runners and carried a .958 fielding percentage in her four seasons.
Pitcher
Amanda Todd
Career Stats (All-Time Ranking At Position/Overall)
Fielding Percentage: .976 (1st)
Total Chances: 82
Putouts: 13
Assists: 67 (5th/29th)
Errors: 2
Double Plays Turned: 2
Stolen Base Against Percentage: .807 (6th/11th)
No hurler fielded her position better than Todd, who made just two errors in 83 chances – both marks far and away the best for a pitcher in the decade. Baserunners were weary of taking off on her as well, as her stolen base against percentage of .807 was fourth-best among pitchers in the decade.
About the MSUB All-Decade Team Project
The top student-athletes from each of Montana State University Billings' current varsity athletic teams from 2010-2019 have been selected, and 14 all-decade teams will be revealed throughout the course of the fall of 2020. Each sport's all-decade team is comprised of the top-performing student-athletes, with weight given to individual athletic achievement and accolades, team achievement, academic achievement, as well as community service. For more information on MSUB's all-decade project, and to view each sport's all-decade teams, view the all-decade project webpage online here.
