page 16 great west softball championships come to...

BY ROYAL MCGREGORsports@yankton.net

VERMILLION — The final yearin the Great West Conferencebrings the Great West champi-onship to the USD campus.

The Coyotes boast a new line-up this season as the rosterincludes two seniors, three jun-iors, four sophomores and fourfreshmen. The starting lineup is alittle different from last seasonwhere it had five senior starters,but head coach Amy Klyse saidshe has been impressed with theteam so far.

“Our big thing right now isputting a new team on the fieldand its going to be a process,”she said. “It is a process in peak-ing at the right time of the year.”

USD has already played nearly30 games and currently has arecord of 9-18 (as of March 30),which is already a step in theright direction after starting lastyear out with a record of 4-16.

One of the most notable play-ers in her senior season is pitch-er/designated hitter Mel Johnson.The senior currently sits with arecord of 3-4 and leads the teamin hitting with a .327 averageincluding two homeruns and 15RBI’s.

“Mel (Johnson) has been outfor awhile in the middle of ourseason, Klyse said. “She has beenkeeping herself mentally focusedeven though she can’t practice asmuch as everyone else.”

Jessica Lussman, the othersenior on the team, splits hertime at catcher, third base andoutfield. Lussman ranks fourth inbatting average with .265 averageand has three doubles and threeRBI’s.

The junior first baseman AlexaRudeen not only has a perfectfielding percentage in 127chances, but also has the hittingto back up her defense. Rudeen

sits third with a .273 average, sheleads in the team in doubles withseven and has driven in 10 runs.

One of the most interestingfreshman for the Coyotes isinfielder Lindsey Boyd, who ranksfirst on the team in homeruns (3),on base percentage (.382), runsscored (20), total bases (30) andhits (18). She also sits second inbatting average (.281) and RBI’s(12).

“Two of those home runs havebeen cluth,” Klyse said. “Bothhave given us the lead in two sep-arate games.

“She has a ton of potential.”

Bre Zmolek has been the main-stay in the catcher duties, but canalso handle herself well at theplate. Zmolek has gunned downseven of the 19 base runners try-ing to steal for an average of 37percent, she has also picked offone base runner. Zmolek is bat-ting a .213 average and hasknocked out three homeruns andtaken nine walks.

Christine Broders, a Yanktonnative, is also having a fine startto her freshman campaign. Sheboasts a .208 batting average togo along with two homers andfive runs batted in.

Kassie Loe is another familiarface in the Coyote uniform as sheplayed for Mount Marty Collegelast season. Loe posted a .274 bat-ting average, seven doubles andthree triples for the Lancers lastseason.

“Kassie (Loe) has great rangeand she hits the ball hard,” Klysesaid. “It’s just the matter of heradjusting to a new level of compe-tition.”

The sophomore infielder cur-rently sits with a .196 battingaverage and chipped in five runsbatted in. She has stamped her-self as a key asset in the infieldwith a .974 fielding percentage,which ranks her fourth on theteam.

Another slight difference fromlast season is that the Coyotesare using four pitchers instead ofthree. Klyse said the added pitch-er is due to injuries early in theseason.

“We prefer that we have a one-two rotation,” she said. “We’vehad some injuries that haveaffected all four of our pitchersthis season and right now we aregoing to go with who is healthy.”

The home schedule for theCoyotes is minimal including onlyfour regular season appearances,but USD was rewarded at the endof the season as they host theGreat West ConferenceChampionship.

“We have been second thepast two years in the Great West,”Klyse said. “Regardless of the out-come of the tournament, it’sexciting to host.

“We don’t host anotherDivision-I game here other thanthe Great West Championship.”

leading triple jumper and fresh-man April Winne will be a benefi-cial new edition to the team.Winne is a previous state champi-on and Fischer said the team isexcited to see what she will con-tribute. The two freshmen willhave a strong supporting cast,including freshman Samantha Ruswho finished fifth at state inthrowing.

For the time being, the teamwill be working off rust, Fischersaid.

“At the beginning of the sea-son, we’re not in top-shape forcompeting,” he said. “We’ll bedoing a lot of conditioning andworking on fundamentals. It’s ashort season, but we’re hopingthat during the late-season we’llbe improved and have goodenough times to qualify for certainmeets.”

The meets the teams are mostlooking forward to will be theSioux City Relays, Drake Relaysand the conference meet at theend of the season. Fischer said thegoal for everyone is to get goodmarks so that everyone can quali-fy for the conference meet.

“We’ll be an improved teamthis year,” Fischer said. “We havesome really good things to lookforward to not only this season,but in the seasons to come.”

COYOTES: Senior Mel Johnson is one of the team leaders both on the rubberand at the plate.

Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan ■ Spring Sports 2011PAGE 16 www.yankton.net

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Great West Softball Championships Come ToVermillion In Coyotes’ Final Season In League

USD Softball (9-18)2011 Season Schedule

Feb. 11 ..........Northern Iowa (UNI Tourn.) ................Cedar Falls, Iowa...................L 0-11 (5)Feb. 12 ..........Drake (UNI Tourn.)..............................Cedar Falls, Iowa...........................L 0-6Feb. 12 ..........Texas-El Paso (UNI Tourn.).................Cedar Falls, Iowa .................W 10-2 (6)Feb. 13 ..........Wis.-Green Bay (UNI Tourn.) ..............Cedar Falls, Iowa...........................L 0-3Feb. 13 ..........Northern Iowa (UNI Tourn.) ................Cedar Falls, Iowa...........................L 0-8March 5 .........Eastern Kentucky (Rebel Games).........Kissimmee, Fla.................W 8-6, L 2-6March 6 .........Lehigh (Rebel Games) .........................Kissimmee, Fla.............................L 3-6March 6 .........Holy Cross (Rebel Games)...................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 8-3March 8 .........Valparaiso (Rebel Games)....................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 2-0March 8 .........Detroit-Mercy (Rebel Games) ..............Kissimmee, Fla...........................L 9-10March 9 .........Robert Morris (Rebel Games)..............Kissimmee, Fla.............................L 0-3March 9 .........LaSalle (Rebel Games).........................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 6-2March 10 .......Florida A&M (Rebel Games) ................Kissimmee, Fla. ......................canceledMarch 10 .......Lehigh (Rebel Games) .........................Kissimmee, Fla. ......................canceledMarch 12 .......Columbia (Rebel Games) .....................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 3-1March 12 .......Manhattan (Rebel Games) ...................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 4-1March 13 .......Youngstown State (Rebel Games) .......Kissimmee, Fla. ........................W 11-9March 13 .......St. Peter’s (Rebel Games)....................Kissimmee, Fla. ..........................W 5-2March 16 .......Nebraska ................................................Lincoln, Neb. ...........L 0-14 (5), L 5-6March 20 .......Iowa .....................................................Iowa City, Iowa....L 0-10 (5), L 1-9 (6)March 23 .......South Dakota State...................................Brookings .............postponed (TBD)March 25 .......North Dakota (GWC Games) ..........Farmers Branch, Texas ...........L 3-4, L 2-3March 26 .......Utah Valley (GWC Games)..............Farmers Branch, Texas ...........L 0-4, L 1-2March 27 .......Houston Baptist (GWC Games) ......Farmers Branch, Texas....L 0-10 (5), L 3-7MMaarrcchh 3300 .. .. .. .. ..JJaammeessttoowwnn .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..NNyyggaaaarrdd FFiieelldd .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..DDHH,, 33 pp..mm..April 2............Cal State-Bakersfield...........................Bakersfield, Calif...................DH, 2 p.m.April 3............Cal State-Bakersfield...........................Bakersfield, Calif...................DH, 2 p.m.April 4............UC-Santa Barbara.............................Santa Barbara, Calif. ...............DH, 3 p.m.April 9............Minnesota..........................................Minneapolis, Minn. ................DH, 1 p.m.April 12..........Dakota State .............................................Vermillion .......................DH, 4 p.m.April 16..........North Dakota .......................................Kansas City, Mo. ...........................noonApril 16..........Missouri-Kansas City...........................Kansas City, Mo.....................2:30 p.m.April 17..........North Dakota .......................................Kansas City, Mo. .......................11 a.m.April 17..........Missouri-Kansas City...........................Kansas City, Mo.....................4:30 p.m.April 21..........Hartford ...........................................West Hartford, Conn................DH, 2 p.m.April 23..........Sacred Heart.........................................Fairfield, Conn...................DH, 10 a.m.AApprriill 2277.. .. .. .. .. .. ..SSiioouuxx FFaallllss .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..NNyyggaaaarrdd FFiieelldd .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..DDHH,, 44 pp..mm..AApprriill 2299.. .. .. .. .. .. ..CCoolllleeggee ooff SStt.. MMaarryy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..NNyyggaaaarrdd FFiieelldd .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..DDHH,, 44 pp..mm..MMaayy 1166--1188 .. .. ..GGrreeaatt WWeesstt CCoonnff.. CChhaammppiioonnsshhiippss .. .. .. .. ..NNyyggaaaarrdd FFiieelldd.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..TTBBDD

LANCERSFrom Page 15