Fresno State Athletics
2016, an unforgettable year for Bulldog softball
5/31/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
By: Kimberly Fisher
kimfisher@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - A return trip to the NCAA Tournament, second-straight Mountain West Championship, four-of-five respective postseason honors and record-breaking performances just begins to touch on what was a remarkable 2016 Fresno State softball season. During the 42-win campaign, the Bulldogs notably went 22-1 during conference play in the midst of what was a nation-leading 23-game win streak.
After enjoying 14 weeks ranked in the nation's top 25, Fresno State closed out the 2016 regular season at No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and No. 20 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Softball Coaches Poll.
The Bulldogs registered four of the league's five postseason honors including Kierra Willis as the 2016 Mountain West Player of the Year, Jill Compton the Pitcher of the Year, senior catcher Paige Gumz the Defensive Player of the Year and Trisha Ford as the reigning Coach of the Year.
In just their fourth season as a MW program, the `Dogs became the first team to grab four-of-five awards. Ford became just the third coach in league history to repeat as the MW Coach of the Year, and Compton similarly was the third pitcher to earn the award twice. The conference added a defensive accolade in 2014 and Fresno State has since garnered all three, as Gumz is joined by former Bulldog outfielder Brenna Moss (`14).
Accompanied by Compton and Willis, Alyssa Villalpando and Lindsey Willmon, both transfers of Hawai'i, round out Fresno State's four All-MW first-team picks. The all-conference second-team is comprised of three Bulldogs - Gumz, Bria Kennedy and Malia Rivers.
All four first-team conference selections - Compton, Willmon, Villalpando and Willis - also deservingly reap All-Region first-team honors, meanwhile Gumz was tabbed to the second-team. Within the Pacific Region, Fresno State was the lone Mountain West program with more than one selection as Utah State and San Jose State were both represented on the second-team.
Fresno State and UCLA are tied for the most all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, as each school made their 32nd appearance this season. Of the Bulldogs 32 trips to the NCAA Tournament, they've reached the Women's College World Series on 12 occasions, which includes Fresno State's historic 1998 NCAA Championship.
The `Dogs 8-5 win over CSU Bakersfield during the 2016 NCAA Los Angeles Regional was the first postseason victory since edging Nebraska in 2011. Both of Fresno State's heartbreaking losses were credited to Big West Champion Cal State Fullerton (45-16) as the season ended on May 21, just one game shy of championship Sunday.
MOUNTAIN WEST RECORDS
At 42-12-1 overall, the `Dogs earned their second-straight conference title after racking up a 22-1 mark in MW play as the favored preseason champion. Fresno State punched the nation's first ticket to the 2016 NCAA Tournament with a seven-game lead in the conference standings on May 1.
After an all-time MW-best 10-0 start to season, the team strung together 32-consecutive conference victories dating back to the 2015 season and exceeded the longest win streak accomplished by any team in league history.
Fresno State's 14 weeks spent in the top 25 exceeds the longest in MW history, ahead of San Diego State, who owned a 13-week stretch in the 2008 NFCA poll. New Mexico was the last Mountain West program to be nationally ranked after earning four weeks in the top 25 back in 2012.
The conference began honoring a defensive player of the year in 2014 and Fresno State has since accounted for all three selections, in addition to being the only school to land a pitcher, player, coach and defensive player of the year award in one year. Before 2014, there were two seasons in which one school collected MW Player, Pitcher and Coach of the Year honors, which first happened in 2009 with BYU and again in 2013 with San Diego State.
RECORD BOOK ENTRIES
The squad's 23-game win streak exceeded the school record for most consecutive games won (21), last accomplished by the 1999 squad that reached the WCWS. The 2016 Bulldog roster also became an all-time season record holders in most home runs (61), slugging percentage (.499) and finished with the second-best conference mark (22-1) in program history.
The `Dogs won their last 10 games in MW play last season, starting on April 12, and continued that streak with 22-straight wins before being topped by UNLV on May 14 in the final game of the 2016 regular season. The school record for the most consecutive conference wins is a 33-game run stretching from Feb. 2, 1999 to April 22, 2000.
Back in February, Fresno State opened the season with 10-straight victories for the first time since 1997 and fifth time in program history (1982, '89, '91 and `97). The longest winning stretch to open a season came in 1982 as the Bulldogs went 17-0 before suffering their first loss.
INDIVIDUAL MILESTONES
Senior Jill Compton became just the third pitcher in Mountain West history to be named the league's pitcher of the year twice and earn all-conference honors in all four seasons of her career. With 11 conference pitcher of the week accolades, she holds the record for the most consecutive honors collected after a four-week span in 2015.
Counting conference games only, Compton is first in appearances (72), games started (61), complete games (46), shutouts (14), innings pitched (375), and finished her four-year campaign with 18 more MW victories and 92 more strikeouts than any other pitcher in league history. In overall games played, Compton etched her name in both Mountain West and program history:
• Games Started: 135 (first MW, second program)
• Wins: 88 (second MW, sixth program)
• Complete Games: 87 (second MW, 10th program)
• Shutouts: 24 (second MW)
• Innings Pitched: 821.2 (third MW, seventh program)
• Strikeouts: 686 (third MW, sixth program)
• Appearances: 161 (fourth MW, second program)
• Saves: 5 (fourth program)
• No-Hitters: 4 (sixth program)
Similarly, junior Kierra Willis has littered her name within the conference and Fresno State's top 10 career batting leaders and has served as the `Dogs starting outfielder in all 110 games over the past two years. Her nine triples tallied in 2015 currently paces the MW and ranks second among all-time Bulldog competitors.
• Walks: 90 (fifth program)
• Triples: 13 (fourth MW, eighth program)
• Single-Season Walks: 40 (fourth program)
On March 30, junior Lindsey Willmon set a single-game program and conference record with nine RBIs in Fresno State's 18-2 win over Boise State. A grand slam, three-run knock and a two-run double topped Bulldog softball's historic record of seven RBIs, accomplished four times by former Bulldog's Gina LoPiccolo (1991), and most recently Caitlin Stiglich (3x), back in 2010. The previous MW game-high of eight was held by four different players.
With two grand slams on the season (3/20 and 3/30), Willmon is joined by two members off the 2016 roster with four-run knocks including Alyssa Villalpando (3/29) and Dominique Jackson (4/30). The trio's four grand slams tied the all-time single-season record set back in 2009.
COMPETING WITH THE NATION'S ELITE
Fresno State's rating percentage index (RPI) ranged from 23 to a season-best 17, as the `Dogs competed in one of the nation's top 20 toughest schedules in 2016. The squad played 21 of its first 28 games away from home and defeated three ranked opponents - No. 8 Tennessee, No. 22 Oregon State and No. 23 Utah - while serving as the lone Mountain West program in the NCAA Women's Softball RPI top 50 this year.
The Bulldogs picked up 18 victories over teams located in the top 75 of the RPI - Indiana, Tennessee, Boston College, Utah, Kansas (twice), Northwestern (twice), Cal State Northridge, California, Weber State, Long Beach State, San Diego State (three times) and San Jose State (three times) - 12 of which were won either on the road or at neutral sites.
As the only MW program to defeat more than two top 25 opponents, additional key stats among the nine-team league included New Mexico defeating No. 23 Nebraska and San Diego State taking down No. 22 Cal and No. 9 Texas A&M.
Of Fresno State's opponents, 16 teams punched their ticket to 2016 NCAA Division I Softball Championship - Northwestern, Utah, Oregon, Long Beach State, Baylor, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Bakersfield, Tennessee, Ohio State, Oregon State, Oklahoma, Washington, Weber State, Cal, Princeton and BYU - four of which advanced to the Super Regionals - Utah, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington - and Oklahoma will compete in the Women's College World Series.
NCAA STATISTICS
At the 2016 season's-end, the Bulldogs were sited within the nation's top 50 in six categories. According to the NCAA statistics, the `Dogs 42-12-1 overall record ranked No. 12 followed by No. 21 in scoring (6.31), No. 25 in home runs per game (1.11), No. 27 in slugging percentage (.449), No. 30 in on-base percentage (.404) and No. 36 in batting average (.315).
Four Bulldogs ranked within the top 50 including Jill Compton (No. 14 victories, 25), Whitney Smith (No. 26 sacrifice hits per game, 0.25), Kierra Willis (No. 29 walks, 40 and No. 50 runs per game, 0.98) and Alyssa Villalpando (No. 31 RBI per game, 1.05).
The final NCAA Division I Statistics will be release following the completion of the 2016 Women's College World Series, and can be accessed at the NCAA.com.
FORD'S SUCCESS
After taking over the storied Bulldog softball program in June of 2012, Ford claimed her first conference title in 2015 and has led the `Dogs to the postseason back-to-back years. In 2013, Fresno State transitioned into its first season in the Mountain West and Ford has since totaled a record of 68-21 in conference play and endures the program's winning tradition with a 142-71-1 overall mark.
Over a four-year span, Fresno State has garnered three MW defensive honors, two pitcher of the year awards, a pair of coaching accolades and notched one overall player of the year. This year's four first-team picks ties the 2013 season-high and adds to the 23 total selections under Ford's tenure. That number ranks first in the league since 2013 as San Diego State trails with 16 combined over the last four years.
Since 1982, Fresno State has amassed 120 All-Region honors, including 87 named to the first-team. Ford has charted six first-team selections and 10 overall since 2014.
For the past two years, softball has claimed the Fresno State Athletics Bob Duncan Female Athlete of the Year, with Brenna Moss as the 2015 recipient and Jill Compton winning it this year. The duo have both signed professional contracts to compete in the National Pro Fastpitch softball league.
WHAT'S TO COME?
The squad bid farewell to eight seniors, the largest graduating class under Ford's direction, and will return 14 players including nine upperclassmen, four of which secured a spot in this season's starting lineup. Fresno State plans to welcome one of the nation's top recruiting class for the 2017 campaign.
2016 RECORDS
42-12-1 Overall
22-1 Mountain West
1-2 NCAA Regional
41-10-1 Regular Season
17-2 Home
12-1 Away
13-9-1 Neutral
MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS
Fresno State: 42-12, 22-1 MW
San José State: 28-24, 17-7 MW
Nevada: 32-15, 10-10 MW
San Diego State: 30-22, 12-12 MW
Utah State: 26-25, 12-12 MW
Colorado State: 22-24, 8-12 MW
New Mexico: 23-27, 8-15 MW
UNLV: 24-31, 8-16 MW
Boise State: 14-38, 6-18 MW
PACIFIC ALL-REGION
Jill Compton (First-Team)
Lindsey Willmon (First-Team)
Alyssa Villalpando (First-Team)
Kierra Willis (First-Team)
Paige Gumz (Second-Team)
ALL-CONFERENCE
Jill Compton (First-Team)
Alyssa Villalpando (First-Team)
Kierra Willis (First-Team)
Lindsey Willmon (First-Team)
Paige Gumz (Second-Team)
Bria Kennedy (Second-Team)
Malia Rivers (Second-Team)
ACADEMICS
Malia Rivers Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar
2016 PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Jill Compton - NFCA (2/16)
Lindsey Willmon - Mountain West (5/13, 2/16)
Jill Compton - Mountain West (4/18, 2/16)
Dominique Jackson - Fresno State (4/18)
Alyssa Villalpando - Fresno State (2/23)
Lindsey Willmon - Fresno State (5/2, 4/4)
