I. 2019 Recap
Miami won the MAC’s regular-season crown in 2019, though 7th-seeded Toledo came from their position in the middle of the league to pull off an upset victory in the conference tournament. The Rockets were the only conference team to participate in the NCAA tournament.
A total of eleven conference schools sponsor softball, including Akron; Ball State; Bowling Green; Buffalo; Central Michigan; Kent State; Miami; Northern Illinois; Ohio; Toledo; and Western Michigan. One conference member school does not field a softball program.
II. 2020 Predictions
Player of the Year: Brenna Brownfield, Kent State
As tough as it is to repeat as an award winner in a conference like the MAC, Brownfield’s 2019 statistics were mind-boggling, and she remains one of the conference’s best offensive threats.
Pitcher of the Year: Madi McCrady, Ohio
McCrady turned in her second consecutive solid performance in her sophomore season, and continued to post solid numbers despite a workload that increased by more than 250%.
Newcomer of the Year: Brittini Merchant, assistant coach, Central Michigan
These are our Forecasts, so we decided to bend the rules a little bit for this one. Merchant is a quality coach, as well as a CMU alum, and could & should have an immediate impact on the Chippewas’ program.
Coach of the Year: Eric Oakley, Kent State
Oakley has led the Golden Flashes to considerable success during his tenure, and earned a contract extension this summer. Further justification for this prediction also is who we picked to be…
Conference Champions: Kent State Golden Flashes
There’s a reason that the MAC is one of the most fun conferences in the nation. There’s so much parity through much of the conference, one of any number of teams could wind up the eventual champion. This year, we predict that title will go to Oakley’s Golden Flashes, though in a tight race.
III. Who to Watch
Ohio Bobcats — A year removed from a conference championship and Regional final berth in 2018, the Bobcats could have floundered after a coaching change, but first-year head coach Kenzie Roark steadied the ship and guided the program to the second-highest overall win total in the conference in 2019. Signature wins over Mississippi State and Indiana provided major bright spots for the club, while sophomore Katie Yun and senior Morgan Geno led the team in batting average and home runs, respectively. The graduations of Geno and fellow standout Alex Day will leave tough holes to fill offensively, as will the transfer of standout freshman Charlee Pond. McCrady and Mackensie Kohl do return in the circle, which is a definite positive for the Bobcats’ hopes for contention.
Andrea Scali, Kent State — After an injury forced a redshirt in her initial collegiate season, Scali came out with a vengeance in 2019, putting up eye-popping numbers as a redshirt freshman and now boasts an already-bulging trophy case. A 22-game winner last season, Scali recorded a 2.15 ERA on the season and notched 269 strikeouts. She posted a 10-strikeout performance in a loss to eventual WCWS-participant Arizona and collected a trio of no-hitters in her freshman season. She was named the MAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year after the season, and earned all-conference and all-region honors for her efforts.
Toledo Rockets — The Rockets earned the #7-overall seed in the MAC tournament, lost in their second game of the double-elimination tournament, then never lost again. The squad went on a 5-0 run through the loser’s bracket, culminating in a doubleheader sweep over Ohio to win the conference crown, including a resounding 9-2 victory in the winner-take-all matchup against the Bobcats. Junior Erin Hunt – who anchored the team’s pitching staff in 2019 – returns, but the Rockets lost a chunk of their offense, including four of their top five hitters and their three top home run sluggers from a year ago. Finding consistent offensive weapons should be priority number one in February.
Sydney Stefanick, Western Michigan — Stefanick played both ways in 2019, en route to first-team all-conference and all-region honors. In the circle, she started fifteen games and led the team with ninety-seven strikeouts in 135.1 innings. At the plate, she led the Broncos in five statistical categories, including batting average (.308), home runs (12), and slugging percentage (.698). She set the program’s single-season home run and RBI records, and still in just her junior year, could be one to watch as a potential all-American before her career is done.
Kent State Golden Flashes — We picked the Golden Flashes to win the league, and while Andrea Scali is a big factor in that prediction, so is the KSU offense. Despite hitting just .280 as a unit in 2019, the Flashes boasted five regular starters who batted over .300, including Kennadie Goth, who led the squad with a .351 mark. Bailey Brownfield graduated following the 2019 season, though her sister, Brenna, and Goth remain. The addition of Rutgers transfer Madyson Cole should also play a factor in the team’s offensive approach in 2020.
Kaitlyn Bean, Central Michigan — A small sampling of Bean’s work in 2019 showed that she’s a pitcher worth keeping an eye on in the years to come. Entering just her second collegiate season in 2020, Bean posted an 8-8 record as a freshman, with thirty-one appearances and a 3.45 ERA. She earned a nod to the conference all-freshman team after the season, and could do well for a CMU team that is trying to make themselves known in the MAC race.
IV. Key Movers
Additions: Madyson Cole, Kent State; Dayna Denner, Toledo; Caitlin Fogue, Ohio; Morgan Zerkle, assistant coach, Miami
Departures: Bailey Brownfield, Kent State; Jen Cader, Kent State; Megan Choate, Toledo; Katie Cozy, Toledo; Allison Curtis, Central Michigan; Morgan Geno, Ohio; Margo Jonker, coach, Central Michigan (retirement); Jordan Kurth, Western Michigan; Meredith Miller, Bowling Green; Kylie Norwood, Toledo (transfer); Charlee Pond, Ohio (transfer); Ashton Slone, Miami; Erika Underwood, Central Michigan; Jenny Van Geertry, Northern Illinois; Johniann Wahl, Miami;
V. Burning Questions
* Who will be this year’s team to emerge atop the parity-filled heap in the MAC?
* How will players like Andrea Scali and Kaitlyn Bean fare in their sophomore seasons?
* Which of the conference’s new coaches – at Central Michigan and Akron – will have the best success, the fastest in their new roles?
VI. Projected Standings
- Kent State Golden Flashes
- Miami RedHawks
- Northern Illinois Huskies
- Ohio Bobcats
- Ball State Cardinals
- Western Michigan Broncos
- Central Michigan Chippewas
- Buffalo Bulls
- Toledo Rockets
- Bowling Green Falcons
- Akron Zips
VII. Trivia
Northern Illinois head coach Christina Sutcliffe was inducted into her alma mater’s Hall of Fame this summer. A Florida Atlantic alumnus, Sutcliffe pitched for the Owls from 1997-2001, and collected career numbers that included a 1.47 ERA and 351 strikeouts, along with sixty-seven wins and a .211 opponent’s batting average.
