CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah softball team and new head coach Don Don Williams are set to open the 2020 season this weekend at the UNLV Rebel Kickoff starting on Friday February 7.
2019 In Review
The Thunderbirds are coming off a season in which they finished 6-34 and 4-14 in Big Sky Conference play. They picked up just one series win, taking two out of three games from Northern Colorado and their other two conference wins came over Sacramento State and Idaho State.
Four Thunderbirds earned All-Conference honors from the Big Sky as former Thunderbird Kendall Kapitzke was named to the First Team, Dream Weaver and Makall Whetten were named to the Second Team, and Mikelle Magalogo was named an Honorable Mention.
Weaver and Whetten were two of four freshmen named to either the First or Second Team. Weaver led the Thunderbirds and was fifth in the Big Sky in batting average with a .372. She also led the team in stolen bases with five. Whetten was third on the team and eighth in the Big Sky with a .350 batting average. She also led the team in on base percentage with a .437.
Magalogo hit .280 in her first season as a Thunderbird after transferring from College of Southern Idaho. She led the team in doubles (11), was second in RBIs (19) and home runs (5), and third on the team in slugging percentage (.523).
Changing of the Guard
Back in August, the Southern Utah University athletic department and director of athletics Debbie Corum announced the hiring of Don Don Williams as the new head coach of the Thunderbird softball program.
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Don Don to Cedar City, and can't wait to see where she takes this program," Corum said. "She is very deserving of this position and has had an incredibly decorated career to this point, and we expect nothing but for that to continue as a head coach here at Southern Utah."
Williams came to Cedar City from North Idaho College where she most recently won back-to-back NWAC championships in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, the Cardinals brought home their first NWAC Championship and a season record of 50-3 to seal a program record for season wins. Since transitioning into the NWAC in 2015, the Cardinals posted a 157-39 record. Williams collected 661 total wins leading the Cardinals and coached five NFCA All-Americans since 2016 including NWAC Player of the Year, Madi Mott in 2018. Williams earned NWAC East Region Coach of Year in 2016 and 2018 and her staff was named National Fastpitch Coaching Staff of the Year for the NWAC in 2018.
In September, Williams announced the hiring of Laurin Watts as an assistant coach on her staff. Watts came to Cedar City from Prattville, Alabama where she was the head softball coach and department head of the physical education department at Prattville High School. During her time at Prattville, her team won back-to-back area championships along with back-to-back regional appearances in 2018 and 2019. Her team also made a state championship tournament appearance in 2018.
New Faces On the Field
Southern Utah will have 11 new faces on the field this season as five freshmen and six transfer juniors have joined the roster.
Dayna Hokanson and Paige Reynolds transferred in from Salt Lake Community College, Brooke Brown from Snow College, Mackenzie Whitten from Phoenix College in Arizona, Kamryn Grover from College of Southern Idaho, and Koryne Coddington from Western Arizona Community College.
The freshman come to Cedar City from all over the country and they include Michelle Andersen from Mesa, Arizona, Ocean Makekau from Lahaina, Hawaii, Grace Owen from Elk Grove, California, Madison Sanders from Tracy, California, and Hannah Hickstein from Las Vegas.
UNLV Rebel Kickoff Tournament Preview
The Thunderbirds will play three different teams at the UNLV Rebel Kickoff with two games against Oregon State, two against CSUN, and one against the host Rebels.
Oregon State finished the 2019 season 26-19 overall and 8-14 in Pac-12 play. Sophomores Frankie Hammoude and Maia Rader were both named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and junior Mariah Mazon was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team at the end of the season. The Beavers were picked seventh in the Preseason Pac-12 Coaches Poll.
CSUN finished the 2019 season 26-28 overall and 10-11 in Big West play. Senior Megan Stevens was a Big West All-Conference First Team selection and was also named to the NFCA All-Far West Region Second Team at the end of the season. Stevens was named to the Watch List for the 2020 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award and the Matadors were picked to finish fourth in the Big West.
The Rebels are coming off their best season since 2007, finishing 2019 with a record of 36-14 and narrowly missing a spot in the NCAA Championship Tournament. Senior Justine Federe, junior Mia Trejo, and sophomore Jenny Bressler were all named to the 2019 Mountain West All-Conference First Team and junior Samantha Diaz was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year. UNLV was picked to finish third in the 2020 Preseason Mountain West Coaches Poll.
Tournament Info
Play at the UNLV Rebel Kickoff will open on Friday February 7 with the Thunderbirds taking on Oregon State at 2:30 p.m. and CSUN at 7:30 p.m. They will play both the Beavers and the Matadors again on Saturday February 8 in back-to-back games starting with OSU at 10:00 a.m. They will wrap up play on Sunday February 9 with a game against UNLV at 11:00 a.m.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2020 season by following @SUUSoftball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Softball page on Facebook.
