Seniors looking to lead the Stars in 2015 are from left, Maria Gomez, Emily Krienke, Maci-Brooke Lambert, Kylee Rounsaville, Jamie Rateliff, Jocelin Diaz, Carissa Turang and Cheyanne Terry.

Softball 2/12/2015 11:11:00 AM

Stars look to contend this softball season

OCU brings back bulk of last year's World Series team

Oklahoma City University looks to return to the NAIA Softball World Series in 2015 with a veteran squad of 11 returners.
The Stars will begin their 2015 campaign as the NAIA's fifth-ranked team and favorite to win the Sooner Athletic Conference.
OCU opens the new season against Saint Mary (Kan.) at 10 a.m. Friday in the Cowtown Classic in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We feel like we are better in every position than we were last year," OCU coach Phil McSpadden said. "You return someone who you think will be better than they were a year ago and recruited someone to fill a hole. Everywhere we think offensively and defensively we are better."
OCU went 55-13 a season ago and collected the SAC Tournament Championship. The Stars topped Spring Hill (Ala.) in the NAIA Championship Opening Round Oklahoma City Bracket to make the program's 28th appearance in the NAIA Championships. Oklahoma City finished tied for third in the World Series. OCU has won NAIA titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2007.
Seniors Jamie Rateliff and Kylee Rounsaville return to lead OCU in 2015.
Rateliff, of Mustang, Okla., gathered second-team all-SAC last season and first-team all-American from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in 2013 while playing in the outfield and pitching. She hit .353 with seven home runs, 51 RBIs and 11 stolen bases while posting a 13-2 record in the circle with 39 strikeouts and four complete games.
"She will probably pitch some for us, but I can't guarantee that because she means so much to us in the outfield," McSpadden said. "She has had a solid career, and I expect her to do the same her senior year."
Rounsaville, of Mustang, Okla., collected first-team all-SAC last season and was named NAIA catcher of the year by the NFCA and earned consensus first-team all-American status in 2012. She hit .303 with 65 RBIs, 17 doubles and nine home runs.
"She has a strong arm, a good leader and is a power hitter," McSpadden said. "She is one of the best receivers in the NAIA. I'm expecting big things out of her this year."

Pitching

Joining Rateliff in the circle are seniors Maci-Brooke Lambert and Maria Gomez.
Lambert, a right-hander from Healdton, Okla., posted a 1.31 earned run average in 29 appearances and three starts a season ago. She notched a 6-3 record with two complete games, four saves and 40 strikeouts.
"She was our reliever last year, a power pitcher," McSpadden said. "She did a good job for us last year coming out of the pen. She is throwing the ball better this year than last year. She will throw a lot of innings."
Gomez, a right-hander from Yaracuy, Venezuela, owned a 13-3 record in 22 appearances and 19 starts. She pitched ~~98.0~~ 98 innings with 10 complete games and 94 strikeouts.
"She has all the pitches," McSpadden said. "She will definitely be a rotation pitcher. We are hoping she finishes stronger this year than she did a year ago."
Newcomer Abby Meador completes the pitching rotation. Meador, a right-handed freshman from Midwest City, Okla., come to OCU by way of Midwest City Carl Albert High School (Okla.).
"I'm expecting her to be the most significant defensive addition," McSpadden said. "She has the ability. She throws the ball pretty hard, and she's a good athlete."

Infield

Returning to help anchor the infield is junior Kyndra Holsaek. The sophomore from Mustang, Okla., was named first-team NAIA all-American and first-team NFCA NAIA all-American last season. Holsaek posted an NAIA single-season record 120 hits last year, while clobbering a .506 batting average with 26 doubles, 11 home runs, 65 RBIs and .781 slugging percentage.
"She's a good athlete," McSpadden said. "She can get fooled on a pitch, but have enough pop to drive a one-hopper to the fence. She's doing what we thought she could do and doing it at an earlier stage."
Joining Holsaek in the diamond are fellow returners Amanda Ingram, Jocelin Diaz and Emily Krienke.
Ingram, a sophomore from Oklahoma City, hit .329 with 19 RBIs and 25 stolen bases on the year. She also collected a gold glove honor from the SAC.
"She and Jocelin are the best athletes," McSpadden said of Ingram. "She can run, throw, good hand-eye coordination and probably the best base stealer we have. She's one of the leaders on the team because she's so passionate about what she does."
Diaz, a senior from Maracay, Venezuela, can play anywhere on the field. Last season, she had the second best batting average on the team at .410 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 65 RBIs.
"She is arguably the best athlete on the team," McSpadden said. "You can put her anywhere on the field and feel good about where she is. Wherever she goes is a strength."
Krienke, a senior from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, will split time between first, third and designated player. She slugged a .294 average with eight doubles, two home runs and 18 RBIs last season.
"She is very intelligent," McSpadden said. "She did a great job for us last year at third."
Newcomers Laci Joyner, Jeananne Ruck, Madison Ellis and Carissa Turang will make up the rest of the OCU infield.
Joyner, a freshman from Mustang, Okla., came to OCU by way of Mustang High school where she earned Oklahoma Fastpitch Coaches Association all-state and ~~district~~ District 6A-1 offensive player of the year as a senior.
"She is a good athlete," McSpadden said. "She can help you in a lot of different areas, but we haven't yet figured out where her strength is. I would be surprised if she's not starting somewhere before the end of the year, I just don't know where."
Ruck, a junior from San Luis Obispo, Calif., hit .385 with seven doubles, six home runs and 49 RBIs while playing at Cuesta Junior College (Calif.). Ruck has made a comeback to college softball after coming to OCU in the 1990s.
"She's a power hitter," McSpadden said. "She's a student of the game and will most likely be a corner infielder for us. She has the ability to help us, definitely from an offensive standpoint."
Ellis, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., will spend time at third and hit .174 with two doubles, seven RBIs and had a .929 fielding percentage at Oklahoma State last season.
"She drives the ball well," McSpadden said. "She has good reactions and is very intelligent. We are excited about her being here. She will be a good ball player before her career is over."
Turang, a senior from Whittier, Calif., was named to the second-team all-Big West Conference as a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton. She hit .246 with one home run, seven RBIs and 11 runs scored last season.
"She has good pedigree with a good looking resume," McSpadden said. "She is a good athlete with tremendous foot speed. I'm not sure how to use her yet, but you have to put the speed somewhere. She is versatile."

Outfield

Joining Rateliff in the outfield are fellow returners Cheyanne Terry, Kayley Humann and Shelbi Legg.
Terry, a senior from Little Axe, Okla., will be back in right field for the Stars. Last season, she hit .337 with 54 runs scored, 40 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.
"She is a hard worker and is very consistent," McSpadden said. "She is a solid outfielder with a good arm. She is a quiet leader and definitely fits in the nucleus of everything we do."
Humann, a junior from Edmond, Okla., hit .302 with 21 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 19 RBIs a year ago.
"She has good quickness," McSpadden said. "She plays smart and can do so many things."
Legg, a junior from Mustang, Okla., averaged .247 with 20 runs scored, four doubles and 19 RBIs last year for OCU.
"She is a smart player and a hard worker," McSpadden said. "She is a competitor and we love the way she competes. She is always wanting to get after it."
Newcomers McRae Cayton and Sarah De La Cruz round out the outfield lineup.
Cayton, a junior from Irvine, Calif., hit .457 with 40 runs scored, 14 doubles, eight home runs and 54 RBIs at Santiago Canyon Junior College (Calif.).
"You may not like the balls she swings at," McSpadden said. "But she drives the ball and hits it hard wherever it goes. I see her being the most significant newcomer offensively."
Cruz, a freshman from Houston, received first-team all-district as a senior at Houston Bellaire High School (Texas).
"She's quick with good foot speed and puts the ball in play at the plate," McSpadden said. "She needs to refine her skills but is still a good ball player."

According to McSpadden, the key to the team's success is peaking at the right time.
"Last season we were playing out best ball in the end," McSpadden said. "There is always an ebb and flow with any ball club where you feel you are playing your best ball. I hope I can get our team to play their best ball in May."

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Players Mentioned

#3 Jocelin Diaz: INF; 5' 1"; Senior; S/R

#19 Maria Gomez: P; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#5 Kayley Humann: OF; 5' 4"; Junior; R/R

#9 Amanda Ingram: INF; 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R

#6 Emily Krienke: INF; 5' 9"; Senior; L/R

#18 Maci-Brooke Lambert: P; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#8 Shelbi Legg: OF; 5' 5"; Junior; L/R

#4 Jamie Rateliff: P/OF; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#14 Kylee Rounsaville: C; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#1 Cheyanne Terry: OF; 5' 2"; Senior; L/R

Players Mentioned

#3 Jocelin Diaz
: 5' 1"; Senior; S/R
: INF

#19 Maria Gomez
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: P

#5 Kayley Humann
: 5' 4"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#9 Amanda Ingram
: 5' 9"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#6 Emily Krienke
: 5' 9"; Senior; L/R
: INF

#18 Maci-Brooke Lambert
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: P

#8 Shelbi Legg
: 5' 5"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#4 Jamie Rateliff
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: P/OF

#14 Kylee Rounsaville
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: C

#1 Cheyanne Terry
: 5' 2"; Senior; L/R
: OF