Softball | 2/3/2015 3:41:00 PM

Burnaby, BC – The Simon Fraser University softball team enters the 2015 season poised to bounce back from a disappointing 2014 campaign in which the team won just four games. Head coach Mike Renney returns a team virtually intact from a year ago and welcomes back all-star pitcher Kelsie Hawkins to the squad.
 
"Last year was a subpar year for us where a number of things went wrong that were out of our control but the flip side of that is we played a lot of kids and they got a lot of experience," said Renney.
 
Hawkins, who led the GNAC in strikeouts and was second in wins in 2013, returns to the mound after missing all of last season recovering from injury, and if healthy, her presence alone makes the Clan better. The senior from Victoria, BC, compiled a 17-8 record and a 2.77 ERA in earning first team all-league honors in 2013. She also led the conference in shutouts.
 
"If Kelsie can return to form then she makes us a different team and a better team," said Renney. "She can keep teams off the scoreboard."
 
Hawkins is still recovering from her injury and Renny plans to limit her work load early in the season.
 
Simon Fraser opens the season Saturday in Hawaii against Hawaii Pacific Sea Wolves. The Clan's first home stand begins Feb. 24 against UBC at Beedie Field on campus. Season tickets are available now for $50, almost 40% off the regular price. Season tickets can be reserved by emailing tickets@sfu.ca or calling 778-782-4056.
 
Junior Jessica Goulet (Cambridge, ON) starts the season as the Clan's No. 1 pitcher and she is joined by Hawkins and freshmen Alia Stachoski (Port Coquitlam, BC) and Meghan Malkowich (New Westminster, BC).  Goulet pitched the majority of the innings in Hawkins' absence in 2014, starting 19 games and throwing 121 2/3 innings.  She finished with a 3-17 record and a 4.95 ERA.
 
"Goulet was thrown into the fire last season, and although she was up-and-down, that experience has made her a better pitcher this year," said Renney. "We will pitch by committee with Jessica leading and try to manage the games and schedule to our advantage."
 
For the Clan, everyone who started 50 percent or more of SFU's games a year ago is back, including three players who earned all-league honors last season. Renney will be counting on junior outfielder Rachel Proctor (Surrey, BC), a second team selection who hit .333 with two home runs and 15 RBI, senior shortstop Danielle Raison (Langley, BC) and sophomore outfielder Robyn Mogavero (Whitby, ON), both honorable mention picks.
 
Raison started 22 games and was hitting .354 before suffering a season-ending injury. Mogavero started all but one game for SFU and finished the season with a solid .298 average and led the team in runs scored (24) and hits (36).
 
"We will have a strong defensive team if we are able to play everyone in their primary positions and offensively we should be stronger will all of our returning players," said Renney.
 
Other returning starters include catcher Kaitlyn Cameron (Sr., Langley, BC), catcher-designated player Nicole Ratel (Jr., Langley, BC), first baseman Alex Baylak (Jr., Regina, SK), middle infielder Stephanie Caron (Jr., Delta, BC), third baseman Stefanie Sheard (So., Winnipeg, MB), outfielder Kendra Goodman (So., Surrey, BC).
 
Cameron batted .284 and led the team in runs batted in with 17 and tied Proctor for the team lead in doubles with 10. Ratel hit .253 and drove in 12 runs, while Baylak hit .221 and had 19 RBIs. Caron hit .164, Sheard hit .255 and Goodman batted .206.
 
If the coaches' pre-season poll is any indication this spring's GNAC softball race figures to be a photo finish. Defending champion Western Oregon and Central Washington are the pre-season favorites with Western Washington and 2013 champion Saint Martin's not too far behind.
 
Simon Fraser was ranked fifth in the poll.
 
"The last couple of years we have lost the reputation that used to precede us to our parks and almost guarantee us a couple of runs based on other teams' errors," said Renney, who coached the Clan to four NAIA national championships, the last coming in 2010, before SFU moved to NCAA. "We have to earn that back and this group has the makings of a team that will do it."
 
The top four teams in the regular-season qualify for the GNAC tournament, which will be played Apr. 30-May 2 at Yakima.
 
"Our goal is to finish top four and to make the playoffs," said Renney. "We will scratch and claw to get into the top 4 and then anything can happen."
 
Simon Fraser is Canada's only university competing in NCAA with 17 men's and women's varsity sports and 400 student-athletes who get access to the NCAA athletic experience and a Canadian education.