Full Release

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- January 31, 2017 -- Chadron State College senior shortstop Courtney Lecher was named to the 2017 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Softball Preseason All-Conference team by a vote of the league's coaches, in a release Tuesday.

Lecher was the Eagles' top batter in 2016, hitting .401 for the season. She led the RMAC with 20 stolen bases last season, and needs just three more to become the all-time steals leader at CSC.

In a poll of the 12 RMAC head coaches, CSC was ranked third behind Colorado Mesa University, who received 8 of 12 first place votes, and MSU Denver, who received the remaining four. The three teams finished in the same order at the conclusion of the 2016 regular season.

CSC head softball coach Rob Stack's Eagles are coming off one of their best seasons ever.  They were 29-18-1 overall and 21-11 in the RMAC to finish third. Their overall record was the program's best in 10 seasons.

There were eight seniors on last year's team, but the Eagles return 10 letterwinners, including five of the top six hitters.  Stack said six seniors are expected to be in the starting lineup.

Pitching is the question mark this spring, the coach said.  Both Tayler Hall and Cierra Cosslett, each of whom threw 130 innings a year ago, have concluded their eligibility.  While the Eagles have a half dozen pitching candidates, all are inexperienced. Stack reported that as of this week, true freshman Jessica Jarecki and senior Kinsley Mason will be the top two in the bullpen.

"We're going to have to play good defense this season, and I think we will," Stack stated, noting their infield's left side of Lecher and third baseman Taylor Bauer carried a .960 fielding percentage last year.

The team will open its season by playing six games during the Eckerd College Spring Invitational Tournament in Clearwater, Florida, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  All four of the Eagles' opponents are from Florida.

The Eagles went 2-2-1 during last year's Florida trip.  The following weekend, the team will head south again for a tournament hosted by West Texas A&M at Canyon.