Towson has five players earn All-CAA recognition

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Beneath a blanket of gray skies and light showers, the Towson softball team enjoyed a spirited workout as it prepared for its Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Tournament opener against the College of Charleston.
 
Despite the dreary conditions, the Tigers had a blast as they begin what they confidently believe is the first step on the road to something special. Player smiles sparkled like a Tiffany's diamond. Throws from the outfield to home plate had additional zip on them. Players sprinted around the bases at supersonic speed. The thundering sounds of the bat striking the ball in the batting cages had an extra pop.
 
Overall, the Tigers are focused and ready for their first challenge of the tournament. Towson enters the CAA Tournament having won five of its final seven games. The two setbacks during that stretch were by one run. The Tigers bring a three-game winning streak into the tournament where they have averaged seven runs.
 
For just the second time in CAA history – the first since 2002 – the tournament features five teams vying for the conference title and automatic berth to the NCAA Softball Tournament. All games will be broadcast live and for free online via CAA.tv.
 
THE MATCHUP: Towson (35-15 overall) earned the No. 2 seed and will open against No. 3 seed College of Charleston (33-21) on Wednesday afternoon at 12 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Charleston won the season series, 2-1, during the weekend of April 23-24. Towson is making its fourth straight trip to the CAA Tournament for the first time since doing it from 2008-11.
 
CAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY: Towson is 9-17 all-time in the CAA Tournament. The Tigers lost to James Madison, 3-2, and Elon, 8-6, in last season's tournament. Towson defeated Charleston, 8-6, in 2014. The Tigers have competed in the CAA Tournament championship game five times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2009 & 2014).
 
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE CAA TOURNAMENT FIELD: Towson is 5-11 against the College of Charleston, 54-56 against Delaware, 22-35 against James Madison and 6-7 against Elon.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Towson swept UNCW, 6-5 & 8-2, last Saturday to close out the regular season. In the opening game, Towson trailed 5-2 but scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to rally for the win. Shelby Stracher tied the game with a two-run homer to centerfield and Brook Miko brought home the winning run with a double. Nicole Stockinger had three hits in the opening game victory. The second game was highlighted by a five-run first inning along with homers from Holiday Cahill and Miko.
 
A LOOK AT CHARLESTON: After missing the championship field in 2015, CofC earned the No. 3 seed for this year's tournament. The Cougars lead the conference and rank 12th in Division I for team fielding percentage (.973) and have committed just 38 errors in 54 games this season. Sophomore Taylor DuPree sports the best batting average on the team (.380) and broke her own single-season stolen base record last weekend, successfully swiping her 27th bag in 29 attempts this year.
 
WINNING TRADITION: For Towson, this is its 13th season with 30 or more victories and seventh season with at least 35 wins. This is the Tigers' second consecutive season with at least 35 wins.
 
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS: Towson has established single-season team records for home runs (66), runs scored (304) and total bases (684). The Tigers are poised to set a couple of more single-season school standards. With 80 doubles, Towson needs three doubles to set single-season record in that category. The Tigers need five bases on balls to set single-season record in that category. Tigers currently have 161 bases on balls. In addition, Towson has tied the single-season record with 71 stolen bases.
 
NEUTRAL NAVIGATORS: The Tigers are 12-0 on neutral fields. This will be Towson's first neutral site game since it beat Portland State, 5-1, at Mount St. Mary's on March 12.
 
HOMER HAPPY: Towson has hit at least one home run in 34 games. The Tigers have hit at least two homers in a game 17 times. Towson enters the tournament having hit a home run in six consecutive games. Three players with at least 10 home runs (Shelby Stracher – 15, Holiday Cahill – 11 and Brook Miko – 10). Towson hit five home runs in a 10-2 win over Virginia on March 8. The Tigers surpassed the previous single-season standard of 49, which was set last season. Towson has hit 115 home runs over the last two years.
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW: Towson has won 38 consecutive games when scoring at least seven runs ... The Tigers are 26-1 this season when scoring at least six runs ... Towson is 22-0 when leading after six innings. ... The Tigers have scored double-digit runs 11 times.
 
ELEVEN IS HEAVEN: Towson scored 11 runs and had 10 hits in the fourth inning against UMBC of its 13-3 victory on March 1. Towson had 3 doubles and 2 homers in the inning. Nicole Stockinger and Kendyl Scott had two hits each in the fourth inning of that game.
 
RALLY TIGERS: In seven of its last 10 victories, Towson has trailed at some point. Towson rallied from four-run deficits to beat Drexel (April 10) and Villanova (April 26).
 
COSTELLO MILESTONE: Head coach Lisa Costello earned her 600th career victory following a 2-1 win over Rider on February 27. She currently has 627 victories.
 
WALK IT OFF: Towson has enjoyed the euphoria of three walk-off homers this season. Stracher's blast helped the Tigers open the season with a victory over Georgetown on Feb. 12. Brook Miko hit a two-run homer to beat Seton Hall on Feb. 19. Kendyl Scott slammed a homer leading off the bottom of the seventh to give Towson a victory over Fordham on March 18.
 
RUN PRODUCING TRIO: In a unique twist, Towson has the top three CAA RBI leaders in Stracher (56, first), Cahill (45, second) and Miko (42, third).
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Bailey Boyd: Two-time CAA Rookie of the Week (April 14 & 21) ... Nicole Stockinger: CAA Rookie of the Week (February 15) ... Brook Miko: CAA Player of the Week (April 18) ... Shelby Stracher: College Sports Madness CAA Player of the Week (April 19) ... Holiday Cahill: CAA Player of the Week (May 2), USA Softball National Player of the Week (May 3) & ECAC Player of the Week (May 4). Shelby Stracher: CAA Player of the Week (May 9)
 
SENSATIONAL STRACHER: Stracher set Towson single-season program records for home runs (15) and RBIs (56). Has 16 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games. Stracher drove in a career-high six RBIs against Pacific on March 15. Hit two homers in a 10-2 win over Virginia on March 8. Finished the season with a .400 batting average. With 46 runs scored, Stracher needs two runs to set the all-time single season record. Had a season-high four hits against Appalachian State on February 28. Stracher leads the CAA in slugging percentage (.800), home runs, total bases (116), sacrifice flies (five) and RBIs. She is second in the CAA in runs scored (46) and third in batting average (.400) and on-base percentage (.429). Stracher is tied for fourth with 28 bases on balls.
 
HOT HOLIDAY: Cahill established a Towson single-game program record with three home runs and seven RBIs against Delaware on May 1. Has 101 career RBIs to become the eighth player in program history with triple-digit RBIs. Her 27 career home runs is second all-time in program history. Has hit two grand slams this season. Has 13 multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI games. She has driven in at least four runs in a single-game five times. Enters the CAA Tournament with four home runs in her last three games. Cahill is tied for third in the CAA with 11 homers and second with 45 RBIs. She's also third with 94 total bases.
 
OLIVIA'S OUTSTANDING: She has nine multi-hit and three multi-RBI games. Leads Towson in stolen bases with 19. Yarbrough is Towson's all-time leader in runs scored with 145. She is sixth all-time in hits with 204. She needs two to surpass Brook Clyde and move into fifth-place all-time. Has reached base in 11 consecutive games. Yarbrough is third in the CAA in stolen bases.
 
MAGNIFICENT MIKO: She has nine multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI games. Had a career-high five RBIs against Norfolk State on April 5. She had four hits twice against Drexel on April 10 and Villanova on April 26. Since April 1, Miko has 27 RBIs. Has a current six-game hitting streak. She's tied for second in the CAA in doubles (14) third in in RBIs (42) and fifth in home runs (10).
 
GREAT SCOTT: Scott has 12 multi-hit and five multi-RBI games. She hit walk-off homer to defeat Fordham on March 19. She enjoyed a season-best 11-game hitting streak from April 5-24. Scott is second on the team with 18 stolen bases. She had a season best three RBIs against Morgan State (March 5) and Elon (April 16).
 
AWESOME AMBAR: Pitcher Ambar Hickman has won 14 games to tie for the team lead with Megan Detjer. She has a 2.62 earned run average along with 12 complete games. Hickman has thrown two shutouts this season. She has tossed seven consecutive complete games. One of her most courageous efforts this season was a 9-inning gem in which Towson eventually won, 2-1 against Delaware on April 30.
 
TAKING THE FIFTH: Towson has outscored its opponents, 61-23, in the fifth inning this season.
 
DYNAMITE DETJER: In her last start against UNCW, Dejter retired the final 14 batters she faced. For the season, Detjer has a 3.90 ERA and 14 victories. She has 19 complete games. Detjer has thrown a team-best 147.1 innings.
 
EXCELLENT EDWARDS: Daria Edwards has hit nine home runs for the Tigers this season. In addition, she has 11 multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games. She hit two homers against Cleveland State. She finished the regular season with a .302 average. She hit .750 in the weekend series against UNCW. Edwards is third in the CAA in sacrifice bunts with 10.
 
WHAT'S NEXT: The winner advances to face the survivor of Game 4 (James Madison-Elon-Delaware winner) on Thursday at 12 p.m. while the loser meets the loser of Game 1 (Delaware or Elon) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in an elimination contest.