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Karen Ambrose Hickey/Stanford Athletics
Softball

Reflecting on 2019

2019 Softball Year in Review Opens in a new window

Stanford finished the 2019 season with a 33-20 overall record, including an 8-13 mark in the Pac-12 Conference, and reached its first NCAA Tournament since 2013. The 33 wins were the most in a season since 2013, and the winning record was the first for the Card since 2014. Stanford's eight Pac-12 wins were more than the previous four years combined (7), and the Cardinal secured its first Pac-12 series win since sweeping California from May 3-5, 2013. Statistically speaking, 2019 saw the Cardinal register the most triples in program history, as Stanford managed 25 to lead the Conference and rank second in the nation.
 

Individually, junior Teaghan Cowles and senior Carolyn Lee earned a spot on the NFCA All-Region third team at outfield and pitcher, respectively. Lee would also garner a multitude of academic accolades, being named a CoSIDA Google Cloud Academic All-American, the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for softball, and earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Academic first team - leading a pack of nine Cardinal on the All-Academic list. For her efforts in guiding Stanford back to the postseason, head coach Jessica Allister was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

QUICK HITS

» Stanford made its first NCAA regional appearance since 2013 (17th overall) ... is now 42-38 all-time in NCAA Tournament play ... finished the year receiving votes in the USA Softball poll ... earned a national ranking (#22 according to Softball America) on March 5 for the first time since April 1, 2014 (#24 in NFCA and USA Softball) ... won a two-game series at Cal for its first Pac-12 series win since sweeping Cal from May 3-5, 2013 ... knocked off No. 2 UCLA on May 3 to record its first win over a top-two opponent since beating No. 2 UCLA, 12-9, on May 2, 2014 ... recorded two wins over a top-seven opponent this year, as the Cardinal defeated then-No. 7 LSU on the road on February 21 ... last defeated two or more top-seven opponents in 2011 (5) ... 30-7 record to start the season was the best since 2010 (30-7) ... 33 wins are the most in a season since 2013 (39-21) ... started Pac-12 play 3-0 for the first time in program history ... 7-2 start to Pac-12 play was the best since the 2005 squad started 8-2 ... eight Pac-12 wins are more than the previous four years combined (7) ... had 21 games decided by two or fewer runs this year (17-4), including going 13-3 in one-run contests ... won 12 straight games from February 21-March 8 ... 12-game win streak was the longest since the 2014 squad began the year 13-0 ... had not dropped consecutive games all year until being swept at #7 Arizona from April 18-20 ... delivered 88 two-out RBI, including 11 against Santa Clara on April 9, and batted .267 (119x446) with two out ... went 18-for-52 (.346) with the bases loaded (3 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR) ... put the leadoff hitter on base 40% of innings ... led the Pac-12 in triples (25) and was second in the nation in triples per game (.47) ... 25 triples were a Stanford single-season record ... scored first in 27 of the 53 games this year, and was 24-3 when scoring first ... swiped 41 bases in 49 attempts to place seventh in the Pac-12 in stolen bases ... ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in ERA (3.29) ... was 3-8 against ranked opponents ... went 19-5 when hitting a home run ... was 23-1 when scoring five or more runs in a game (10-19 when scoring less than five).
» Jessica Allister earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
» Teaghan Cowles led the team and was 12th in the Pac-12 in average (..374) ... collected a team-best 20 multi-hit games ... had a 12-game hit streak snapped on April 12 vs. Utah (.619, 26x42, 8 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, HR, 7 RBI), but hit safely in 40 of 53 games this year, including 34 of the last 43 overall ... reached in 16 straight games from March 10 - April 18 ... was named Pac-12 and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on March 5 after hitting .818 with an .889 OB% and 1.455 SLG% at the Stanford Invitational ... also garnered Pac-12 Player of the Week on April 1 after batting .688 to guide Stanford to a 4-1 record, including a series win over Oregon, the previous week ... second in the Pac-12 in triples (5) ... hit .343 in Pac-12 play.
» Montana Dixon reached in 46 of 53 games this year, including 41 of the last 44 overall, and 17 straight from March 9 - April 14 ... hit by 11 pitches this year to rank second in the Pac-12.
» Hannah Howell reached safely in 33 of her 45 games played ... collected 10 multi-hit games ... hit a team-best .344 in Pac-12 play.
» Kristina Inouye was team leader in RBI (31) and amassed eight multi-RBI games ... second on team with 13 multi-hit games.
» Emily Klingaman reached base in 38 of her 53 games played, including 11 straight from March 1-24.
» Carolyn Lee ranked 11th in the Pac-12 in ERA (3.34), 11th in strikeouts (108) and 11th in victories (12) ... logged 4+ innings in 23 of 30 starts.
» Kiana Pancino was 7-0 with eight saves and a 2.49 ERA over 29 appearances (one start) ... led the Pac-12 and was fourth in the nation in saves (8).
» Emily Schultz ranked third on the team in average (.304) and was second in SLG (.569) and OB% (.419) ... went 5-for-6 with three doubles, a home run and seven RBI over a doubleheader against Saint Mary's on March 27 ... launched a two-run homer to provide all the  run support Stanford would need in a 2-1 win over #2 UCLA on May 3 ... saw 17 of her 31 hits go for extra bases (10 2B, four 3B, three HR ... amassed nine multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games.
» Emily Young reached in 11 straight games from March 27 - April 14 ... connected for a two-out inside-the-park grand slam in the bottom of the third against Seattle University on February 9 ... ranked second in the Pac-12 in triples (5) ... was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on March 5.

LEE NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA

Senior Carolyn Lee was named a 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-America second team selection, as picked by CoSIDA. Lee is the fifth Stanford softball player to earn Academic All-America honors, including the first since Kayla Bonstrom (2015). Sarah Beeson (2002) was the first selection before Missy Penna (2009) and Alissa Haber (2010) were lauded in consecutive seasons. Lee, the Pac-12 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic first team pick, and was named an Easton/NFCA NCAA Scholar-Athlete in each of her final three seasons. Lee guided Stanford to its 17th NCAA appearance overall, and first since 2013, where she earned a victory over Boston University (13-2) in the Gainesville Regional. She finished her senior campaign tied with a team-best 12 wins, marking her single-season career-high. She placed 11th in the Pac-12 in ERA (3.34) while making the second-most starts (30), accompanied with the seventh-most innings pitched (157.1). Lee led the Cardinal in strikeouts (108) and moved into seventh in program history with 333 career strikeouts, while her 558.2 career innings pitched ranks sixth after making 126 appearances during her time on The Farm.

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She may be CoSIDA Academic All-American #???? in program history, but @calee97 is also: . 1??: A fierce competitor ?? 2??: The best teammate ?? 3??: A media personality ?? 4??: A fashion icon ?? . #GoStanford

A post shared by Stanford Softball (@stanfordsoftball) on Jun 6, 2019 at 12:26pm PDT

ALLISTER TABBED PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR

Second-year head coach Jessica Allister was named 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year, joining John Rittman (2001 and 2004) as only the second Stanford coach to garner the award. Under Allister's guidance in 2018, Stanford finished the season with a 24-31 overall record and a 3-21 mark in the Pac-12 – the most overall and conference wins for the Cardinal since 2014. Picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll this season, Allister has guided her squad to another huge step forward in 2019. Finishing fifth in the Pac-12 standings, the Cardinal will close the season with its first winning record since 2014. This year's team also earned a national ranking (#22 according to Softball America) on March 5 for the first time since April 1, 2014. Boasting a pair of wins over top-10 opponents, the Cardinal collected eight Pac-12 wins – more than the seven compiled over the previous four years combined. More notably, Stanford's 30-7 record to start the season was the best since opening 2010 with the same record, and its 32 wins are the most in a season since 2013 (39-21).

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@pac12conference Coach of the Year Jessica Allister. That has a nice ?? to it. #GoStanford

A post shared by Stanford Softball (@stanfordsoftball) on May 8, 2019 at 11:36am PDT

TOP SCHOLAR

Senior Carolyn Lee was selected as the Pac-12 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Lee, a mechanical engineering major, was Co-Vice President for Stanford's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where she oversaw the events committee. Lee was a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honors society, joining as a junior after placing in the top-12 percent of the engineering junior class. Her work in the classroom included serving as a mentor for students in the engineering program while engaging with faculty to shape curriculum and provide feedback during the term. A member of the long-range planning student committee for first-year and major design teams, she also provided feedback to those in charge of forming first-year experience. Following graduation in June, Lee took a position at Microsoft working on the mechanical team for Hololens – a project she has worked on during her time at Stanford. To be eligible for the award, student-athletes must be seniors based on athletic eligibility, on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Both athletic and academic accomplishments are taken into consideration in voting for the award. A Scholar-Athlete of the Year is named in each of the Pac-12's 24 sponsored sports, and each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, with the winners selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season.

ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS

In addition to Jessica Allister's Coach of the Year selection, Stanford also placed four players on the All-Conference teams, and two on the All-Freshman squad. Juniors Teaghan Cowles and Kristina Inouye highlight the list of All-Conference selections for Stanford, with each earning a spot on the second team. The two second-team selections are the most for the Card since Kylie Sorenson and Leah White earned second-team honors in 2014. Stanford placed two more players on the third team, as senior Carolyn Lee and freshman Emily Young were lauded. Young also earned a spot on the All-Freshman team, joined by Emily Schultz. Those selections mark the first All-Freshman team picks since Lee earned a spot in 2016. The last time Stanford had at least two All-Freshman honorees was 2014, as Sorenson, Madi Schreyer and Bessie Noll were each selected.

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The Card placed five players on the @pac12conference All-Conference or All-Freshman Teams! ... Second Team: @thatonenerdygirl & @kinouye3 Third Team: @calee97 & Emily Young All-Freshman Team: Emily Young & @em.schultz ... #GoStanford

A post shared by Stanford Softball (@stanfordsoftball) on May 8, 2019 at 11:39am PDT

STRONG ACADEMIC HAUL

Nine Stanford softball players earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors, as announced in May. Pitchers Maddy Dwyer and Carolyn Lee were first-team selections, while Whitney Burks, Alyssa Horeczko, Hannah Howell and Kiana Pancino earned a spot on the second team. Teaghan Cowles, Montana Dixon and Kristina Inouye rounded out the selections with honorable mention nods.

ALL-REGION SELECTIONS

Stanford placed two players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Region teams, as junior Teaghan Cowles and senior Carolyn Lee earned a spot on the third team at outfield and pitcher, respectively. The third-team selection marks the second in as many years for Cowles, while Lee was selected for the first time in her career. Cowles was picked as a third baseman last year, but transitioned to the outfield for the 2019 season. The Pac-12 garnered 38 total honorees. The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third teams selected for each region. The all-region teams were voted on by NFCA member coaches from each respective region.

WINS FOR THE AGES

Stanford picked up a few historic wins in 2019, collecting its first win over Cal on March 23 since earning a 14-13 win on March 14, 2014. The comeback victory on March 24 also secured the Card's first Pac-12 series win since sweeping the Bears from May 3-5, 2013. Stanford's 8-6 victory over Oregon on March 29 pushed the Card to its first 3-0 start to Pac-12 play in program history. That win was also the first for the Cardinal over Oregon since April 6, 2012 – snapping a string of 19 consecutive losses to the Ducks. Stanford finished the series with a 7-6 win over the Ducks to secure its first series win over Oregon since sweeping the Ducks from May 13-15, 2010. Stanford then posted a win over No. 2 UCLA on May 3 - the first victory over a top-two opponent since beating No. 2 UCLA, 12-9, on May 2, 2014. Finally, after reaching its first NCAA Tournament since 2013, the Cardinal collected its first postseason win since May 18, 2013 on May 18 of this season - defeating Boston University 13-2.

QUITE THE LEADER

Junior Teaghan Cowles emerged as one of the top leadoff options in the nation, hitting first in each of the 53 games this year. Cowles hit a team-best .374 overall, including .372 (42x113) with the bases empty. Furthermore, she reached at a .481 clip (39x81) and hit .356 (26x73) when leading off an inning. In true leadoff at bats to start a game, Cowles hit .333 (16x48) with two home runs and a triple.

EARLY RUNS

Despite being outscored 11-0 in the series against Oregon in the first inning, Stanford still outscored opponents, 42-22, in the first inning this year. The Card hit .263 (56x213) with 13 doubles, five triples and six homers in the opening stanza. Reaching base at a .352 clip, Stanford drew 24 walks. Including a 31-17 advantage in the second inning, Stanford outscored opponents, 73-39, in the first two frames.

MAKE IT A TRIPLE

Teaghan Cowles had six triples in 2018, tying for second all-time for a single season in Stanford program history. It was the most in a year since Cassandra Roulund also had six in 2013. Cowles did not triple over the first three weekends of this season, but recorded a pair in five games played at the Stanford Invitational. Finishing with five for a share of the team lead in 2019 with Emily Young, Cowles has racked up 15 triples in her first three years on The Farm - third-most all-time. It seems the triple was contagious in 2019, as Stanford managed a program-record 25 to lead the Pac-12 and place second in the NCAA in triples per game.

THREE SELECTED FOR ACE PROGRAM

Freshmen Emily Klingaman and Emily Schultz will join junior Hannah Howell as three of 20 Stanford student-athletes selected to participate in the Rubenstein-Bing Student-Athlete Civic Engagement (ACE) Program. Klingaman and Schultz are scheduled to go to Peru from July 20 - August 10, while Howell will kick-off the program from June 15 - July 6 in South Africa. The program provides one-time funding for accepted Stanford and Duke student-athletes to participate in three-week, immersive summer service experiences with international community partners. ACE is a joint collaboration between the Stanford and Duke athletic departments, as well as Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford and DukeEngage at Duke. The program is made possible by the generous supports of David Rubenstein and Peter and Helen Bing. Student-athletes from both institutions will have the chance to volunteer together in one of four international group programs (South Africa, Vietnam, China and Peru) with diverse service themes including coaching, education, environmental sustainability and conservation, and more. Teaghan Cowles (South Africa, 2017), Kristina Inouye (India, 2017) and Carolyn Lee (Vietnam, 2016) are past participants in the program.

COWLES NAMED PAC-12 & NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

After batting .818 to guide Stanford to a 5-0 record the previous week, junior Teaghan Cowles was tabbed Pac-12 and Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week on March 5. The National Player of the Week selection was the first for the Cardinal since Kelsey Stevens captured the honor from the NFCA on February 26, 2013. Cowles, who shared the honor with NC State's Brigette Nordberg, also became the ninth player in Stanford history to claim a National Player of the Week selection. Cowles went 9-for-11 over the five games, including a victory over then-No. 23 Northwestern on March 1. Serving as the leadoff hitter in the order, she reached base at an .889 clip and slugged 1.455 while collecting 11 runs scored, two triples, a homer and two RBI. Cowles' on-base percentage was strengthened further by six walks and one hit-by-pitch. Once aboard, Cowles was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts. The native of Ridgefield, Wash. batted 3-for-3 with four runs scored, a double, a homer and two RBI against Montana on March 1, finishing a double short of the cycle. She closed the week with a perfect 2-for-2 day on March 3 against Cal Poly, scoring four times and drawing three walks – two intentional. All told, Cowles reached safely in 16 of 18 plate appearances, including 15 of her final 16.