Colorado State University Athletics
Preview: Rams to open 2017 season at Texas Classic
2/8/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
2017 Season Preview | Complete Release (PDF) 
Game 1: Colorado State vs. Maryland
Austin, Texas | Feb. 10 | 2 p.m. CT/1 p.m. MT
Longhorn Network/WatchESPN | Live Stats
Game 2: Colorado State at (RV)/(RV) Texas
Austin, Texas | Feb. 10 | 4:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. MT
Longhorn Network/WatchESPN | Live Stats
Game 3: Colorado State vs. Maryland
Austin, Texas | Feb. 11 | 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. MT
Longhorn Network/WatchESPN | Live Stats
Game 4: Colorado State vs. #14/16 Minnesota
Austin, Texas | Feb. 11 | 1:30 p.m. CT/12:30 p.m. MT
Longhorn Network/WatchESPN (tape delayed to 7:30 p.m. MT) | Live Stats
Game 5: Colorado State at (RV)/(RV) Texas
Austin, Texas | Feb. 12 | 12:30 p.m. CT/11:30 a.m. MT
Longhorn Network/WatchESPN | Live Stats
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Colorado State will open the 2017 season with a five-game tournament in Austin, Texas, hosted by the University of Texas. CSU will play Texas and Maryland twice and Minnesota once at the Texas Classic, Friday through Sunday. Both Texas and Minnesota (the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions) advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
CSU vs. Maryland - CSU is 0-1 all-time against Maryland. The Terrapins went 12-40 last season, with a 4-19 record in Big Ten action. The Terps played many ranked teams throughout the year, but wound up 0-11 in such contests. Maryland snapped a 13-game losing streak by beating Indiana in its final game of the season.
CSU vs. Texas - The Rams are 0-6 against the host Longhorns all-time. CSU played Texas in Austin just two seasons ago, falling twice in mid-February to the home team. In the second of the two games, then-freshman Madison Kilcrease went 2-for-3 with an RBI (scoring Haley Hutton). Texas returns five starters from its team that won 38 games and advanced to the College World Series in 2016.
CSU vs. #16 Minnesota - CSU is 4-3 against Minnesota all-time. The last meeting was in February of 2015, an 8-5 win for the Golden Gophers in Tempe, Ariz. CSU last defeated Minnesota on Feb. 12, 2011, 12-8, in Las Cruces, N.M. The 16th-ranked Minnesota squad is coming off a 43-14 campaign that led to the program's second Big Ten Tournament title in three years. They ultimately fell in the Seattle Regional to Washington in the NCAA Tournament.
FISHER'S THOUGHTS
On what she hopes to see this weekend...
"We just want to get out there and play against top competition and convince ourselves that we belong in the discussion with other top teams. I want us to buy in to our systems and to see them start to use what we've been working so hard on all fall and spring."
On the mindset behind starting the season with a tough schedule against nationally-ranked programs...
"We've been trying to teach our team for several years that you don't have to be freaks of nature to play at the highest level. With a steady team that has a lot of fight, you can go in and win. We just need the consistency. We've been unable to build that, but we are hoping to have it game-to-game, pitch-to-pitch and inning-to-inning. I think we are due to pick off one of these top teams."
On what the team expects from the newcomers and freshmen...
"One of the things our seniors were most excited about was seeing what the newcomers will bring. The veterans know we need some of the fresh energy and an expectation of winning."
On the team's chemistry...
"I think it's really important that the team cares about each other, and they've shown that day-in and day-out. That's really important because they'll play harder for each other. They're pretty hard on themselves, but it's because they understand their responsibilities. They won't let disappointment get in the way of their plans and goals and processes."
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES
Four CSU players earned All-Mountain West recognition last season, and two of those stars return for the 2017 campaign. Shortstop Haley Hutton was a First Team honoree and earned her third consecutive all-league award ater leading the MW with a .525 on base percentage and ranking in the top five in both batting average (.419) and hits (62). She also stole a career-high 15 bases and drew 26 walks. Amber Nelson was a Second Team honoree after a sterling freshman season that included a team-best .507 on base percentage during MW play. Her 28 walks drawn ranked fourth in the conference and she was third on the team in batting average (.343) and doubles (11).
2016 IN REVIEW
CSU went 22-24 (8-12 MW) in 2016. The season featured a 5-10 start followed by an 11-2 stretch in the month of March. The 8-12 league mark put the Rams in sixth place in the MW, but only two games out of the No. 3 spot. Haley Hutton and Jaelyn Manzanares were First Team All-MW honorees, while Kristina Akiona and Amber Nelson landed on the Second Team. The Rams closed the season with a road sweep of UNLV, including a no-hitter for senior Holly Reinke. Overall, the Rams won four of their final five contests after a six-game losing streak at the end of April.
HUTTON LEAVING A LEGACY
Senior Haley Hutton, a three-time All-MW honoree and shortstop extraordinaire, has already left her mark on the CSU record books. She is currently the all-time career batting average leader (.394), and holds two of the top five single-season marks in school history, including her .411 average in 2016, which ranks fourth. She also set the career bases on balls record last season, and now has 93 in her career. She will likely become the only Ram to eclipse 100 BBs in her career. She is also within reasonable striking distance of the top five in runs scored (needs 7 for fifth), hits (needs 36 for fifth) and stolen bases (needs two for fifth).
LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE
CSU's two seniors will hope to lead the team from their middle infield positions. Haley Hutton (shortstop) and Taryn Arcarese (second base), both Colorado natives, will give the Rams one of the best middle infield duos in the conference. The pair combined for 48 RBI and 100 hits last season, and both ranked in the top 10 in the MW in defensive assists. "They have been crucial to us for three years," head coach Jen Fisher said about the duo. "They are crucial to us in the way they play, but they are so much more to us than their arm or their range. They are competitors and they want to win. It is so neat to see them work together and be great friends like they are. They have incredible instincts and competitiveness, and they are coachable. Their attitudes are great. As good of players as they are they are even better people. It is exciting to be going into this season with those two."
NEW ACES IN THE CIRCLE
With the exit of Holly Reinke, one of the most impactful pitchers in program history, CSU will have new faces step up to fill her void in the circle. Sophomore Bridgette Hutton returns as the most-used pitcher from a year ago, pitching in 23 games and 91 innings last season (4-11, 5.31 ERA). Fourth-year junior Larisa Petakoff will also make an impact after appearing in 10 games and 22.2 innings in 2016 with a 2-0 record. UC Riverside transfer Kaylynn Pierce will also be seen after going 9-4 with a 4.20 ERA for the Highlanders a year ago. Freshman Taylor Ward will likely eat up some middle innings for the Rams, as well. "We are going to put them all out there and see who gets outs and how they get them," Fisher said about her pitching corps. "We just have to give them more run support. I think the pitchers have to have some pressure off of them, and then we should be good to go."
CLOER ADDED TO COACHING STAFF
The Rams added former Arkansas standout catcher Whitney Cloer as an Assistant Coach this summer. Cloer comes to CSU after serving as the assistant coach and assistant general manager for the Scrap Yard Dawgs of National Pro Fastpitch, where she had been since last August. The former standout catcher at Arkansas (2005-09) has quickly made an impact on the team. "I like everything about the system that she has put in. It is very simple and our players are really adjusting well to that system of hitting so I think it is going to be positive on that end," Fisher said about her new assistant. "She has a great background and spent some time in the SEC. She's been a great addition to our program."
RAMS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN MW
The league's coaches pegged CSU to finish tied for sixth with UNLV in the MW in 2017. CSU totaled 27 points in the poll. Positions 4-8 were separated by just seven points, which could be foreshadowing to a tight MW race this season. Fresno State was picked to win its third league title in a row, but just narrowly over San Diego State and San Jose State. The Bulldogs accrued 59 points and four of the nine possible first-place votes, with SDSU (three first-place votes) and SJSU (two) splitting up the rest. The Rams (8-12 MW record) finished just two games out of a top-three finish in the conference in 2016, but wound up finishing sixth in the tightly-contested middle portion of the MW standings.
UP NEXT
CSU will head to Las Vegas for the DeMarini Desert Classic, Feb. 17-19. The Rams will face Idaho State, Northern Iowa, Southern Utah, Hawaii and Weber State in the five-game weekend. The tournament will be the second half of CSU's season-opening 10-game road swing, and precedes six consecutive games at home. The Rams will host Northern Colordao on Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. for their home opener at Ram Field.
