Excellent recap article......ended season 16-8/35-21........cumulative record all-time is now 454-561 (.447) but
last five years is 160-127 (.557) all games and 68-57 (.544) in SLC.....all-time as D1 is 241-274 (.468) and SLC is 105-137 (.434).
http://www.ucasports.com/news/2015/6/22/SB_0622152142.aspx20TH ANNIVERSARY PROVES MAGICAL FOR CENTRAL ARKANSAS SOFTBALL
6/22/2015 2:10:00 PM
Conway – The 20th season of Central Arkansas turned out to be a magical one for the Bears. Head coach David Kuhn's squad reached the 30-win mark for the third time in the past four seasons, winning their first-ever Southland Conference Tournament title and making the first NCAA Regional Appearance in program history.
After opening the season with a 12-6 record in tournaments at Louisiana-Lafayette, LSU, South Florida, and in Conway, the Bears got off to their best conference start ever, opening the SLC slate on an 11-game winning streak that included sweeps of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Stephen F. Austin, and Abilene Christian, and a series win over Nicholls. Central Arkansas turned this start into a third-place finish in the SLC, which ties for the highest the Bears have ever finished in the Southland.
The third-place finish set up a first-round matchup in the SLC Tournament against TAMCC, a matchup which turned out to be a game for the ages. The Bears and the Islanders played the longest game in SLC tourney history, with Central Arkansas squeaking out a 1-0 victory in 13 innings. In the second round, the Bears scored the 6-2 upset over second-seeded McNeese State, before wrapping up a clean sweep in the winner's bracket with a 7-0 win over Lamar. The Bears faced off with host, and top-seeded, Northwestern State in the Championship game, earning the SLC's automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals with a 4-2 win over the Lady Demons.
The Bears were placed in the Norman Regional, where their season came to an end with losses to Oklahoma and Lehigh.
"I thought this team had a chance to be really good, since we returned all of our starters except Taylor Dear," said Kuhn. "Any time that happens you expect to be pretty good. We had a great fall and the spring started out really well. I think we were 23-10 by the time March ended, and we had a bit of a hiccup in April and May. But we stayed healthy all year, and I'm just so glad for this team, because these girls are just so special. They embody everything you hear about when you hear about championship teams. They're so good, both on and off the field, they're selfless and unselfish and so caring. With it being the 20th Anniversary, and with so many people getting to be at the championship game in Nacogdoches, and at the regional in Norman, it's just been amazing."
The Bears, who returned all eight starters in the field and staff ace Kylee Studioso on the mound, were led be a trio of seniors, in Studioso, first baseman Ashley Boswell, and shortstop Hayley Parker. "Boswell was the only four-year senior we had this year, she was the only one from her class left," said Kuhn of the Tahlequah, Oklahoma native. "She was the Michelle Short Scholarship recipient, and she's just an amazing person in all aspects of life. She started almost every game in her four years, and she's been a tremendous player for us. I hate to see her go, because she embodies everything that the Michelle Short Scholarship is about. She's sort of a mama hen for our girls, and she's just an amazing player."
Of Nettleton, Mississippi native Parker, Kuhn said, "She's just a gritty, tough competitor. She had arm surgery, and played through a lot of injuries. She had a great attitude and tremendous work ethic, and I think she was a great leader that brought a great mentality of just working hard every single day, which was huge for our young players."
Of Studioso, who was named All-SLC second team and SLC Tournament MVP, the Bears' skipper said, "You can't have a great team without a great pitcher, and Kylee is certainly that. The transition from JUCO to here was a bit tough last season, but she got better as the season went. She worked so hard in the fall on improving her game and getting some off-speed pitches and she was the reason why were able to be so successful this year. She started getting banged up towards the end of the season, but she sucked it up and dealt with it."
Central Arkansas opened the postseason by having five players named to the All-Southland Conference Teams. Junior second baseman Sarah Bigej was named All-SLC first team, while junior third baseman Sam Forrest, sophomore right fielder Briana Whisenhunt, and Studioso were named to the second team. Junior catcher Jessie Taylor rounded out the list by being placed on the third team. At the Southland Tournament, the Bears dominated the All-Tournament team, as Studioso was named Tournament MVP and Bigej, Forrest, Whisenhunt, and Taylor were all named to the team. The Bears continued to add honors as the postseason moved on, with Studioso earning Southland All-Academic first team honors, and Taylor and Whisenhunt being named to the All-Academic second team.
A number of records fell as the Bears enjoyed their most successful season ever. Four single-season records were set this season, while Forrest set a career record for doubles and Bigej set a new career mark in walks. Kuhn also set a record, as won his 208th game at the helm for Central Arkansas, making him the winningest head coach in Central Arkansas softball history. "There are a lot of records being taken down right now by our girls, which is nice to see, because we've had some great players here over the last 20 years and obviously that means that we're getting better," said Kuhn of the Bears' record-breaking performances this spring. "When you're breaking records, you're obviously doing great things and to have a great team you have to have great performers. When you have good individual performances, it goes hand-in-hand with good team performances, so it's great to see these girls throw their names all over the record books."
Kuhn was excited about the Bears' first NCAA tournament appearance for a number of reasons, saying, "it's amazing! I've heard from so many friends and fans that saw us on TV or saw our name on the selection show, so it gives a good sense of pride for anybody that's affiliated with Central Arkansas. Anytime you can get to the national tournament, it gets your name out there, it helps with recruiting, you start getting more questionnaires coming in, all that stuff. But most importantly, it gives everyone of our girls a memory that's going to last forever."