Cal State softball team turning the corner

When Tacy Duncan took over the reigns of the Cal State San Bernardino softball program three years ago, she was starting from scratch. The Coyotes had never made the playoffs and were a woeful 38-129 overall (24-70 in California Collegiate Athletic Association) the three years before she arrived.

But the Coyotes (27-25, 12-10) are heading down the homestretch with a chance to make the four-team postseason conference tournament. They are third behind Humboldt State (40-14, 17-7) and Cal State Stanislaus (25-19, 18-10) with Monterey Bay (27-22, 14-14), UC San Diego (28-18, 13-13) and San Francisco State (26-18, 12-12) in pursuit.

Cal State has two four-game series left — a winnable one against Chico State (23-22, 11-13), then the tougher one against nationally ranked Stanislaus.

“Six of eight will get us in,” Duncan said. “Anything less than that and we just have to see how it plays out. It would be great to get in and have that opportunity.”

In Duncan’s first season the Coyotes improved by 10 wins, it progressed by six more the following year and has equaled its win total of 2007 with eight games to go. The Coyotes are slightly ahead of the timetable she laid out.

“It really takes five years. You have to get all your own players in and have the chance to work with them,” she said. “I’m hard to please so I think it can always be better, but I am satisfied.”

Pitching depth has helped. Last year seniors Tawni Baker and Jordan Dahl carried the load with Dahl doing so out of necessity. She prefers to play the infield.

This season Baker (9-6, 2.78) has been joined by freshman Cassidy Lee (4-7, 4.73), senior Jackie Jacob (9-6, 3.83) and junior Debbie Shisler (4-5, 2.33).

Senior Nicole Camarena (.294, 31 RBI, 12 HR), a Victorville native, is behind the plate.

Duncan’s infield usually consists of sophomore first baseman Ashley Collinwood (.331, 41 RBI), senior second baseman Jamie Lowe (.361, 31 runs) and senior third baseman Tayler Wilson (.298), with Dahl (.378, 36 RBI, 43 runs, eight HR) at short.

Cajon graduate Priscilla Curiel (.294, 31 RBI, eight HR), whom Duncan touts as a conference Freshman of the Year candidate, patrols the outfield, along with junior Tori Beaudette and Shisler with freshman Jaclyn Holtzclaw in when Shisler (.328) is pitching.

The Coyotes lead the conference in hitting (.308), slugging (.475) and on-base (.388). They also have a conference-high 48 home runs.

It has also been a challenging season for Duncan, who is balancing coaching and a full-time teaching job in Riverside with motherhood. She and husband Shannon are the parents of 8-month-old twin girls.
The school is elevating her position to full-time next year, which should ease some of the burden.