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South Dakota State University Athletics
Seniors Enjoy Final Campaign; Riding Success
4/16/2019 9:44:00 AM | Softball
Nine seniors have laid groundwork for program's turn-around
By Carson Herbert
SDSU Sports Information Intern
Growth, Resilience, Integrity and Trust.
Shortened to GRIT, these are the four core values the South Dakota State softball team strives to follow each day.
Dedication to those values has carried the team to the most successful run in its Division I era, helped along by a group of Jackrabbits approaching the twilight of their SDSU careers.
Julia Andersen, Lyndsey Crist, Ali Herdliska, Baily Janssen, Mallory McQuistan, Erin Mullen, Yanney Ponce, Megan Rushing and Kerigan Torres make up the largest senior class in the program's history, and with the core of this group arriving four years ago, have carried the torch in the program's turnaround.
After two years of intense culture change, the senior class saw the hard work pay off in 2018, as the program won 37 games, reached the postseason for the first time in Division I and posted a winning record for the first time in 13 years.
The Jacks have continued that success in 2019, and at 26-12 (5-4 Summit League) are within reach of another postseason appearance.
How have they done it?
Herdliska said the work ethic, chemistry and competitiveness has been the secret to success.
"It hasn't always been pretty, and it hasn't always been easy, but we are the class that will put our heads together and our efforts together and we'll make it work," she said.
The group is also the first four-year class recruited by head coach Krista Wood, now in her fifth season leading the Jackrabbits.
"They've stuck through what I would call the bad times, the times where we had to rebuild the culture and they've helped us set the standard of what the culture is," Wood said.
While marching along this road map to victory through their years at SDSU, the group has celebrated many high spots, and worked through the struggles.
Numerous program records have been broken by the group, as Herdliska owns the school's home run, RBI, total base and walk records, Andersen is No. 1 all-time in doubles and Crist trails only Herdliska in career walks.
It was announced after the regular season concluded that Andersen was a member of the 2018 All-Summit League First Team as Herdliska and Rushing were named to the second team.
Herdliska also found a spot on the 2017 All-Summit League second team and was joined by Crist on the 2016 All-Summit League First Team. Crist hit .453 with two home runs and 10 RBI in conference play. In the same year, Herdliska was named the league's Freshman of the Year after matching the school's single-season home run record.
Andersen tied the single-season hits and doubles record in 2018.
With the many achievements that come with this team, there has also been struggles.
"We knew coming in as freshmen that it wasn't going to be easy," Mullen said. "Our whole class really bought into the program and with Coach Wood's vision. At first it was challenging to envision ourselves where we are now because there was definitely work we needed to do. But as time went on we kept improving and trusting the process, which is what got us to where we are now."
The team looked to be making progress after a 22-34 2016 season. But the number of home runs dropped from 53 to 32 and the batting average lowered in just a 19-win season. But both the highs and the lows are what makes a team better and it has been proven by the results in the past two seasons.
The program's recent success should come as no surprise, however, as Herdliska remembers the expectations laid out in front of the signing class back in 2015.
But it was a good amount of pressure knowing they would be the first four year class under Wood, Herdliska said. The team had the 'nothing to lose and they can only go up from here' mentality.
"At Coach Wood's first go at it, she got all seven of her original class to stay and gain two," Herdliska said. Â "It's a compliment to both her and us. Obviously with our personalities, she knew what she was looking for and she knew who was going to come here to get the job done."
The group has also come to understand that value has nothing to do with on-field production, but rather in dedication to their role on the team. Whether it is hitting, defense, providing depth or keeping the dugout energized, this senior class has shown that they can do it all.
Andersen says each member of the team has made an impact in some way.
"People just accepting the roles they have," Andersen said. "Maybe you're not a starter, but you're supposed to be that person when we're in an international tiebreaker that will give us the best chance to win by entering as a pinch-runner. When it's time to do what they are supposed to do, they don't complain about it. Everyone is a team player."
"A lot of people think of just the people playing on the field, but there is a lot more that goes into the game than just that," Mullen said.
According to Mullen, the team began handing out ribbons ribbons after each series to recognize people for their successes. There are ribbons for defense, hard hits, quality at bats, pitching, teammate, and clutch plays.
"I feel like since we started doing that, we have become more aware of how our role affects the team which has made it easier to accept those roles," she said. "It feels good to be recognized for something you did well and I think it makes us want to work harder for the next team we face."
Now in their final seasons, the group's attention has turned to finishing strong, and leaving the program with a solid footing when they're gone. That's included mentoring younger players and holding teammates accountable, no matter what.
With nine seniors and only one junior on the roster, this year's group is filled with underclassman (including nine freshmen) still gaining collegiate experience.
Peyton Daugherty has batted in front of a talented lineup as the leadoff hitter this season while Morgan DeMarais is 6-3 with a 3.65 earned run average on the mound.
"The great thing about the freshmen is they have a great senior class to learn from," Wood said. "They are very athletic, they have a lot of speed they have a lot of power and in any other situation, these guys would be starting on the field but we have nine seniors so they are getting to play, spot play here-and-there. When they do, they capitalize on their opportunities.
The youth movement extends outside of the freshman class. On the mound, sophomore pitcher Kendra Conard has won 10 of her 12 starts this season and has a 2.19 ERA. Taylor Compton has built off a strong freshman campaign as she is 6-4 and has struck out 36 batters so far in 2019. The bench is deep with underclassmen position players looking to contribute in any way.
"It has just started from the top and gone from the bottom," Andersen said. "You can have good talent and everything but we've literally meshed so well together. There's no divide between being a senior and being a freshman. I consider us all the same age. I feel like that's been a big thing that has helped us."
So what is it going to take to continue the G.R.I.T. standards and to keep the success going? Andersen said high expectations need to stay the same.
"I feel like they know the expectations as well as everyone else on the team so I feel like that should carry and shouldn't be lowered just because we leave next year," she said.
Much like Andersen, Ponce doesn't expect the expectations to be different when the class leaves.
"I know when we leave it won't change," she said on the expectations. "Coach Wood and the rest of the coaching staff has been the leading impact in the team success, having them around will push the girls coming in to exceed the levels we set."
"As a class, I want our legacy to be remembered as the start of turning this program," Ponce said. "We came in young and built the program as we grew. In the last two years we have found new levels of expectations. We desire to be great. As the years went on we exceeded levels of expectation and continued to discover new ones."
The Jackrabbits will host Fort Wayne in a three-game series this weekend at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader Friday (noon/2 p.m.) and a single-game Saturday (11 a.m.)
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SDSU Sports Information Intern
Growth, Resilience, Integrity and Trust.
Shortened to GRIT, these are the four core values the South Dakota State softball team strives to follow each day.
Dedication to those values has carried the team to the most successful run in its Division I era, helped along by a group of Jackrabbits approaching the twilight of their SDSU careers.
Julia Andersen, Lyndsey Crist, Ali Herdliska, Baily Janssen, Mallory McQuistan, Erin Mullen, Yanney Ponce, Megan Rushing and Kerigan Torres make up the largest senior class in the program's history, and with the core of this group arriving four years ago, have carried the torch in the program's turnaround.
After two years of intense culture change, the senior class saw the hard work pay off in 2018, as the program won 37 games, reached the postseason for the first time in Division I and posted a winning record for the first time in 13 years.
The Jacks have continued that success in 2019, and at 26-12 (5-4 Summit League) are within reach of another postseason appearance.
How have they done it?
Herdliska said the work ethic, chemistry and competitiveness has been the secret to success.
"It hasn't always been pretty, and it hasn't always been easy, but we are the class that will put our heads together and our efforts together and we'll make it work," she said.
The group is also the first four-year class recruited by head coach Krista Wood, now in her fifth season leading the Jackrabbits.
"They've stuck through what I would call the bad times, the times where we had to rebuild the culture and they've helped us set the standard of what the culture is," Wood said.
While marching along this road map to victory through their years at SDSU, the group has celebrated many high spots, and worked through the struggles.
Numerous program records have been broken by the group, as Herdliska owns the school's home run, RBI, total base and walk records, Andersen is No. 1 all-time in doubles and Crist trails only Herdliska in career walks.
It was announced after the regular season concluded that Andersen was a member of the 2018 All-Summit League First Team as Herdliska and Rushing were named to the second team.
Herdliska also found a spot on the 2017 All-Summit League second team and was joined by Crist on the 2016 All-Summit League First Team. Crist hit .453 with two home runs and 10 RBI in conference play. In the same year, Herdliska was named the league's Freshman of the Year after matching the school's single-season home run record.
Andersen tied the single-season hits and doubles record in 2018.
With the many achievements that come with this team, there has also been struggles.
"We knew coming in as freshmen that it wasn't going to be easy," Mullen said. "Our whole class really bought into the program and with Coach Wood's vision. At first it was challenging to envision ourselves where we are now because there was definitely work we needed to do. But as time went on we kept improving and trusting the process, which is what got us to where we are now."
The team looked to be making progress after a 22-34 2016 season. But the number of home runs dropped from 53 to 32 and the batting average lowered in just a 19-win season. But both the highs and the lows are what makes a team better and it has been proven by the results in the past two seasons.
The program's recent success should come as no surprise, however, as Herdliska remembers the expectations laid out in front of the signing class back in 2015.
But it was a good amount of pressure knowing they would be the first four year class under Wood, Herdliska said. The team had the 'nothing to lose and they can only go up from here' mentality.
"At Coach Wood's first go at it, she got all seven of her original class to stay and gain two," Herdliska said. Â "It's a compliment to both her and us. Obviously with our personalities, she knew what she was looking for and she knew who was going to come here to get the job done."
The group has also come to understand that value has nothing to do with on-field production, but rather in dedication to their role on the team. Whether it is hitting, defense, providing depth or keeping the dugout energized, this senior class has shown that they can do it all.
Andersen says each member of the team has made an impact in some way.
"People just accepting the roles they have," Andersen said. "Maybe you're not a starter, but you're supposed to be that person when we're in an international tiebreaker that will give us the best chance to win by entering as a pinch-runner. When it's time to do what they are supposed to do, they don't complain about it. Everyone is a team player."
"A lot of people think of just the people playing on the field, but there is a lot more that goes into the game than just that," Mullen said.
According to Mullen, the team began handing out ribbons ribbons after each series to recognize people for their successes. There are ribbons for defense, hard hits, quality at bats, pitching, teammate, and clutch plays.
"I feel like since we started doing that, we have become more aware of how our role affects the team which has made it easier to accept those roles," she said. "It feels good to be recognized for something you did well and I think it makes us want to work harder for the next team we face."
Now in their final seasons, the group's attention has turned to finishing strong, and leaving the program with a solid footing when they're gone. That's included mentoring younger players and holding teammates accountable, no matter what.
With nine seniors and only one junior on the roster, this year's group is filled with underclassman (including nine freshmen) still gaining collegiate experience.
Peyton Daugherty has batted in front of a talented lineup as the leadoff hitter this season while Morgan DeMarais is 6-3 with a 3.65 earned run average on the mound.
"The great thing about the freshmen is they have a great senior class to learn from," Wood said. "They are very athletic, they have a lot of speed they have a lot of power and in any other situation, these guys would be starting on the field but we have nine seniors so they are getting to play, spot play here-and-there. When they do, they capitalize on their opportunities.
The youth movement extends outside of the freshman class. On the mound, sophomore pitcher Kendra Conard has won 10 of her 12 starts this season and has a 2.19 ERA. Taylor Compton has built off a strong freshman campaign as she is 6-4 and has struck out 36 batters so far in 2019. The bench is deep with underclassmen position players looking to contribute in any way.
"It has just started from the top and gone from the bottom," Andersen said. "You can have good talent and everything but we've literally meshed so well together. There's no divide between being a senior and being a freshman. I consider us all the same age. I feel like that's been a big thing that has helped us."
So what is it going to take to continue the G.R.I.T. standards and to keep the success going? Andersen said high expectations need to stay the same.
"I feel like they know the expectations as well as everyone else on the team so I feel like that should carry and shouldn't be lowered just because we leave next year," she said.
Much like Andersen, Ponce doesn't expect the expectations to be different when the class leaves.
"I know when we leave it won't change," she said on the expectations. "Coach Wood and the rest of the coaching staff has been the leading impact in the team success, having them around will push the girls coming in to exceed the levels we set."
"As a class, I want our legacy to be remembered as the start of turning this program," Ponce said. "We came in young and built the program as we grew. In the last two years we have found new levels of expectations. We desire to be great. As the years went on we exceeded levels of expectation and continued to discover new ones."
The Jackrabbits will host Fort Wayne in a three-game series this weekend at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium. The teams are scheduled for a doubleheader Friday (noon/2 p.m.) and a single-game Saturday (11 a.m.)
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Players Mentioned
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