2006 coaching staﬀ -...

72006-Missouri Softball

2006 Coaching Staff

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8 2006-Missouri Softball 2006-Missouri Softball2006-Missouri Softball

fi rst championship-game showing since 1997. One week later, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament in Los Angeles for only the ninth time in school history.

In 2005 the Tigers collected four tournament titles before heading into Big 12 Conference action. Battling against nine of the nation’s top-25 teams, the Tigers fi nished the campaign with a 44-15 record and made their second straight Big 12 Tournament title game appearance. The feat was no easy task. In fact, Missouri became the fi rst school in league history to drop the tournament’s opening game, only to play their way into the championship game.

Strong athletically and academically, several Missour i p layers were recognized for their efforts in the field and in the classroom. S i x T i g e r s earned Big 12 honors; Heather Kunkel, Janessa Roening, Leanne Bowers, Kathy Masterson, M i c a e l a Minner and A m a n d a Renth, with four Mizzou p l a y e r s , K u n k e l , Roening, Jen Bruck and Erin Kalka named to the Big 12 All-To u r n a m e n t t e a m . I n a program first, Roening became Missouri’s first U S A S o f t b a l l Player of the Week with, Minner later becoming the fi rst Tiger since 2002 n a m e d to t h e NCAA Midwest All-Region team.

Academically,

Can a major D-1 softball program be nationally competitive WHILE building equally impressive achievement in the classroom and in the player’s personal lives?

Missouri Head Coach Ty Singleton thinks so and his success in returning the Mizzou program to national prominence has proven him right. His challenge to his players and staff is to commit to excellence on a daily basis in each of these key areas and now in his fourth year at Missouri, the challenge is being met with outstanding results at all levels.

Taking over a program in 2002 that had fallen to the bottom of the Big 12 Conference, Singleton has returned the Tigers to the top of the standings, fi nishing third in both 2003 and 2004. MU was the only team in the top three both years and was one game away from the conference title in 2004 and 2005. Mizzou battled to the championship game of the Big 12 tournament the past two seasons and has returned to NCAA Regional postseason play in all three of “Coach Ty’s” years in Columbia.

The Tigers’ academic success under Singleton’s leadership has been equally as impressive. Mizzou’s team grade-point average promptly climbed from 2.30 in 2002, to 3.33 in Fall 2005 and now Mizzou stands above 3.0 as a team for the third time in the last 10 years. In 2004, eight Tigers earned GPA’s above 3.0 and fi ve were named to the Dean’s List. In Singleton’s three years at Missouri, four Tigers earned National academic honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Singleton’s coaching approach builds social integrity, leadership and teamwork to better prepare the team for success in their lives and careers after college. A focus on team-building, players’ personal and career development and community services helps the Tigers learn to value service to others and team success above personal achievement, both on and off the fi eld. Singleton and his approach to balanced success has Missouri softball moving ahead on all cylinders as the Tigers continue to build something special in Columbia.

Singleton made his debut as Missouri head coach Feb. 7, 2003, at the Auburn Invitational. Taking the Tigers to their fi rst NCAA Regional tournament appearance in four years, Singleton can look back on year one proudly.

Singleton led his team to a 31-20 record, fi nishing third in the Big 12 Conference (12-5), while earning the title of Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Among the teams’ 31 wins were victories over top-20 teams and Big 12 powers Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska and a shutout sweep of rival Kansas. Under his guidance, Mizzou defeated Auburn in its season-opener, later knocking off Texas Tech in its Big 12 Conference opener and fi nally returning Missouri to the NCAA Regional Tournament after a four-year absence. Singleton was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by his peers in acknowledgment of Mizzou’s remarkable turnaround.

Building on the success of his fi rst season, Singleton’s 2004 squad fi nished the campaign with a 29-26 record including a 13-4 Big 12 Conference mark. A very challenging pre-conference schedule paired the youthful Tigers with Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State and Stanford and Mizzou went on to fi nish with 10 wins over ranked teams including Oklahoma, Nebraska, Baylor, Oregon, Texas A&M, Arizona State and Texas. The tough schedule paid off as the Tigers rolled to three clutch wins in the Big 12 tournament and advanced to the title game, losing 1-0 to regular-season and Big 12 Champion Nebraska on May 15. The appearance was Missouri’s

Ty SingletonHead Coach

Fourth Season at Missouri (104-61)Fifth Season Overall (179-106)

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2006-Missouri Softball 2006-Missouri Softball 92006-Missouri Softball

YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDSAs Head Coach:2004-05 Missouri .....................................................44-15-02003-04 Missouri .....................................................29-26-02002-03 Missouri .....................................................31-20-02001-02 Northwestern State University ..................45-25-02000-01 Northwestern State University ..................30-20-05 Years Total Record ...........................................179-106-0

As Assistant Coach:1997-2000 University of Texas ..................................154-84-11995-1997 Azusa Pacifi c University ..........................132-44-05 Years Total Record ...........................................286-128-1

MISSOURI COACHING RECORDSCoach Years Record Pct.Alexis Jarrett 1974-76 28-14 .666Debbie Duren 1976-1980 78-50 .609Barb Preist 1980-82 91-32 .740Joyce Compton 1982-86 115-77 .599Rhesa Sumrell 1986-87 14-18 .438Jay Miller 1987-2002 556-309 .643Ty Singleton 2002-Present 104-61 .630

the Tigers had four individuals named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, with Masterson earning a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.

Missouri’s proven record provided the team with their third straight NCAA Regional Tournament appearance and also allowed the Tigers the opportunity to host the event for only the second time in the 30-year history of the program. Singleton’s squad showed strength and character after suffering a 3-0 loss to Southern Illinois in the opening round, before shutting out Robert Morris (9-0) and Southern Illinois (9-0) in back-to-back no-hitters. Missouri’s two wins kept them alive in the NCAA Midwest Region Bracket and they took on fourth-ranked Stanford in the title game for the chance to advance to the fi rst-ever NCAA Super Regionals. A 3-2 loss to the Cardinal brought the record-setting season to a close and now Singleton’s 2006 squad is back with higher goals. Singleton and the Tigers have set a course for a Big 12 Conference ring and NCAA Women’s College World Series appearance. Such a trip would be only the fourth in Missouri softball history, the last coming in 1994.

Several long-standing school records have been broken since Singleton made his coaching debut four years ago. Last season the Tigers tallied a school record 82 home runs, shattering the previous season high of 36 set during the 1997 season. Individually, Minner set a new home run season record with 17 shots over the fence, followed by Bruck and Kunkel’s 16 bombs, which both tied the previous record.

Singleton took the helm of the Missouri softball program June 11, 2002, after spending the previous two seasons (2001, 2002) as the head coach at Northwestern State (La.)

Singleton, a 1992 graduate of the University of Portland, led the Demons of Northwestern State to a 75-46 mark in his two seasons as head coach. In 2002, Northwestern State made its third NCAA Tournament appearance in fi ve years. Winning the 2002 Southland Conference Tournament Championships, the Demons advanced to the NCAA Regionals after fi nishing second in the regular season standings, Singleton’s 2002 team was 45-25 overall and had a 2-5 league mark, to set a school record for wins in a year. The Demons led the league in nine offensive categories, eight defensive categories and broke 12 school records. They had the Southland Conference Player of the Year, Hitter of the Year, Freshman of the Year and conference tournament MVP. NSU also fi nished second nationally in stolen bases on the season with 185.

Alongside the Demons’ rise to national prominence on the fi eld came a drastic improvement in the classroom. The women raised the teams’s GPA from 2.20 upon Singleton’s arrival, to above a 3.0 mark following the spring semester. Fourteen Demons were named to the University Honor Roll in 2002, with two named to the All-Region Academic Team and one player received academic all-America honors.

Prior to taking over the NSU program, Singleton was an assistant coach at the University of Texas under Head Coach Connie Clark. While at Texas, Singleton worked primarily with the infi elders and hitters, where he helped produce seven All-Americans, three Verizon Academic All-Americans and a dozen All-Big 12 Conference selections.

Among Singleton’s other coaching accomplishments, he was an assistant coach at Azusa Pacifi c University in Azusa, Calif., where APU won two Golden State Athletic Conference Championships and twice fi nished fi fth in the NAIA National Championships (1996 and 1997).

Singleton and his wife Kristin have two sons, Riley Scott Singleton (three) and Zachary Tyler Singleton, born Sept. 19, 2004.

At 34, Singleton is a native of the Pacifi c Northwest and grew up in Vancouver, Wash., receiving a Master’s Degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, Calif., ) in 1996.

SINGLETON QUICK HITSPERSONALBorn: January 31, 1970Family: Kristin (wife), Riley Scott (son), Zachary Tyler (son)Education: B.S. - Portland, 1992 Masters - Fuller Theological Seminary, 1996Hired at Missouri: June 11, 2002

COACHING EXPERIENCEAssistant Coach Azusa Pacifi c University 1995-1997 University of Texas 1997-2000Head Coach Northwestern State University 2000-2002 University of Missouri 2000-present

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Entering his fourth season with the Missouri softball program is assistant coach Tom Royder.

As the pitching and catching coach, Royder’s batteries have led Mizzou back to the NCAA post season in each of his three years in Columbia with Coach Singleton and the Tigers.

Last season the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game, propelled into the fi nals against Stanford by back-to-back no-hit shutouts of Robert Morris and No. 20 Southern Illinois on May 21, at Missouri’s University Field. In 2005 Royder’s pitchers fi nished with a staff ERA of 1.52, second in the Big 12, in a season in which they were without their senior ace due to injury. Nonetheless, the young pitching staff limited opponents to a .202 batting average, struck out 404 in 387 innings of work, and registered 16 shutouts last season. For the second straight season, Mizzou advanced to the fi nals of the Big 12 tournament, and became the fi rst team to reach the championship game after losing their fi rst tournament game.

Since Royder’s arrival at Missouri in 2002 the Tiger pitchers have registered the lowest average team ERA in conference games and fi nished second in most Big 12 games won (43). In 2004, the Tigers broke the single-season strikeout record at Mizzou previously set in 1984.

Royder joined the Tigers as an assistant coach in 2002 after leaving Northwestern State where he was current Missouri Head Coach Ty Singleton’s assistant in 2001. At Northwestern State, Royder’s pitching staff registered a 1.41 team ERA and 45 wins. The staff struck out 483 batters and allowed only a .190 batting average with 24 shutouts for a team which broke 12 school records and led the league in eight defensive categories.

The 2001 Demons advanced to the NCAA regionals after winning the Southland tournament with tourney MVP pitching of Amanda Ortego and fellow all-conference fi rst-teamer Christa Miller, who tied the school record for wins in a season (21). In addition to his coaching duties at NSU, he was a career counselor and course instructor in the NSU Counseling and Career Services Offi ce.

Before his stint at NSU, Royder served two seasons as pitching and catching coach for the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-10, helping lead UO to a third-place fi nish in the 2000 NCAA regionals at LSU.

Royder began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant from 1995-99 at South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Washington. He also served as an assistant coach at Olympic College in Bremerton, Washington, from 1997-99.

A native of Baytown, Texas, Royder graduated with a bachelor of science in psychology from Texas A&M in 1976. He earned his masters degree in vocational rehabilitation from the University of Texas in 1979.

His years of playing baseball as a youth led Royder to fastpitch softball as a teenager when he began his playing career in the late 1960’s as a pick-up for Houston league games with the fathers of his Baytown baseball friends. His love for fastpitch was instant and led to a 29-year playing career with teams from Houston, Bryan and Austin in Texas; Redding and Sacramento in California, and fi nally in Longview, Tacoma and Seattle

in Washington. Royder took part in 15 Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and

International Softball Congress (ISC) National Tournaments, was part of two ASA National Championships and was named a two-time ASA All-American.

Tom RoyderAssistant Coach

Fourth Season at Missouri

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A former All-American outfi elder and slaphitter for the Texas Longhorns, Eastes begins her second year at the University of Missouri as an assistant coach working with the Tiger outfi elders.

In her fi rst year with the Tiger team, Eastes’ outfi elders racked up numerous honors. Current sophomore Micaela Minner earned Missouri’s fi rst All-Midwest Region team nod since 2002, while senior Janessa Roening was named USA Softball National Player of the Week for her contributions against North Dakota State and eventual Big 12 Champions Texas A&M. Both Minner and Roening were named Big 12 Player of the Week for their efforts in the fi eld and all three Tiger outfi elders, Roening, Minner and current junior Leanne Bowers were tabbed to the All-Big 12 team. Closing out Big 12 tournament action on May 14, a day in which the Tigers made their second straight league championship title game appearance, Roening was named to the All-Big 12 team with a .389 batting average and six putouts.

Eastes came to Missouri from Fresno State where she was an assistant strength and conditioning coach. While at Fresno, Eastes was directly responsible for writing and implementing strength programs for the men’s and women’s cross country, men’s tennis, softball and swimming and diving teams. Eastes trained the women’s cross country team to an NCAA team regional championship. Although Eastes enjoys coaching athletes in the weight room, her passion is the softball fi eld.

“Autumn brings with her an enthusiasm and passion for the sport of softball,” Head Coach Ty Singleton, who coached Eastes at Texas, said. “I know that she is committed to being the best coach possible and she is the type of person that will lead through service. Autumn is both an exceptional outfi elder and slaphitter and I am certain that her knowledge and excitement of the sport will carry over to the team.”

Eastes has coached with Singleton and the Tiger players at Missouri Elite camps from 2002-05.

During her four years at Texas, the former centerfi elder helped the Longhorns to a 1998 World Series appearance, a Big 12 tournament championship title and three NCAA Regional tournament appearances. Eastes was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America team and All-Midwest team in 1999. She was also named to the 1999 and 2001 All-Big 12 team and 1999 Easton Sports All-America team.

Eastes graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and minor in nutrition. Eastes is the oldest of four children. Her brother, Glenn, is a former wrestler at Fresno State, while her younger brother Cody currently plays football at Sterling College in Kansas. Eastes’ sister, Amber, is a student at Fresno State.

A native of Lake Isabella, Calif., Eastes is a certifi ed club coach with the United States Weightlifting Federation.

Assistant Coach

Second Season at Missouri

Autumn Eastes

112006-Missouri Softball

against North Dakota State and eventual Big 12 Champions Texas A&M. Both Minner and Roening were named Big 12 Player of the Week for their efforts in the fi eld and all three Tiger outfi elders, Roening, Minner and current junior Leanne Bowers were tabbed to the All-Big 12 team. Closing out Big 12 tournament action on May 14, a day in which the Tigers made their second straight league championship title game appearance, Roening was named to the All-Big 12 team with a .389 batting average

Eastes came to Missouri from Fresno State where she was an assistant strength and conditioning coach. While at Fresno, Eastes was directly

said. “I know that she is committed to being the best coach possible and she is the type of person that will lead through service. Autumn is both an exceptional outfi elder and slaphitter and I am certain that her knowledge

Eastes has coached with Singleton and the Tiger players at Missouri

During her four years at Texas, the former centerfi elder helped the Longhorns to a 1998 World Series appearance, a Big 12 tournament championship title and three NCAA Regional tournament appearances. Eastes was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America team and All-Midwest team in 1999. She was also named to the 1999 and 2001 All-Big 12 team and 1999 Easton Sports All-America

Eastes graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and minor in nutrition. Eastes is the oldest of four children. Her brother, Glenn, is a former wrestler at Fresno State, while her younger brother Cody currently plays football at Sterling College in Kansas. Eastes’ sister,

A native of Lake Isabella, Calif., Eastes is a certifi ed club coach with the

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Randy Kennedy enters his sixth year with the Total Person Program. Kennedy, a Mizzou alum, earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Wichita State and holds a B.S. in exercise physiology from Missouri. He is also working toward a doctoral degree in educational counseling and school psychology, which he is scheduled to earn in 2006. Kennedy spent seven years as a wellness coordinator in Wichita, Kan. He also served as director of athletics and head basketball coach at Northfi eld High School before coming to Mizzou in 1999.

Kennedy is responsible for monitoring the academic progress and eligibility of a number of student-athletes. In addition to softball, Kennedy oversees the academic needs for women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track and fi eld and men’s and women’s golf.

Those sports all have notched signifi cant achievements under Kennedy’s watch, starting with Kerensa Barr’s Academic All-America® honor in 2002 – the fi rst for a Mizzou women’s basketball player in 17 years. In addition, the men’s track team recorded the top grade-point average in the country last year, with the women’s squad right behind at No. 2. Under his watchful eye, the Missouri softball team tallied its highest team grade-point average (3.33) in over 15 years.

He is part of a staff that guided seven Tigers to Academic All-America® status in 2004-05 – the fourth-highest total in all of collegiate athletics. Mizzou also ranked No. 1 in the country in the number of NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award recipients, with six.

He and his wife, Cindy, are the proud parents of a four-year-old son, Cole, a one-year-old daughter, Kate, and newborn son, Will.

Emily Gatewood returns for her third year with the Missouri Media Relations offi ce. An assistant director, Gatewood is the primary contact for the softball and cross country programs, supervises a 30-member student staff and assists in the everyday activities surrounding Missouri’s 20 varsity sports.

Named the 2005 National Wrestling Media Association (NWMA) Publicist of the Year as an associate, Gatewood was recently promoted to assistant director after serving as primary contact for wrestling and softball in 2004 and 2005. During those two years, Gatewood assisted in co-hosting the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and also served as host to the 2005 NCAA Softball Regional Tournament at University Field in Columbia, Mo. Gatewood’s 2003-04 wrestling media guide was voted fi fth-best in the nation by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Gatewood graduated from Elon College in 2000 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Corporate and Broadcast Communications, interning at WTTG Fox 5, MCI Center and the Greensboro Coliseum during her four years of college. A 2003 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Gatewood earned her Master’s in Sports Communications while acting as graduate assistant in the Nebraska Sports Information offi ce. Over the course of two years, Gatewood served as SID to the men’s and women’s track and fi eld and cross country teams and men’s gymnastics program, assisting with hosting duties for the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships and 2003 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Division I Championships.

The daughter of retired Navy Cdr. Joel and Marcia Gatewood, Emily is a native of Poway, Calif., and is a member of CoSIDA.

Academic Advisor

Sixth Season at Missouri

RandyKennedy

Academic AdvisorMedia Relations

Th ird Season at Missouri

EmilyGatewood

Media Relations

Gatewood

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In May 2004, Josh Stoner was named associate director of strength and conditioning by the University of Missouri and Pat Ivey.

In that capacity, Stoner is responsible for assisting with the player development program for football as well as being responsible for Missouri’s softball team and the throwing portion of the track and fi eld team. His duties include the design and implementation of athletic performance programs, supervising team and individual training sessions, and testing the strength, power, and conditioning of athletes. He works closely with the coaches and athletes to meet specifi c athletic goals.

Prior to his arrival at Missouri, Stoner was the assistant director of strength and conditioning at the University of Tulsa from March 2002 to May 2004, where he was responsible for assisting with the player development program for football as well as being responsible for the Tulsa women’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, track and fi eld as well as cross country teams.

Stoner was a graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Southern Mississippi from Jan. 2001 – Dec. 2002. There, Stoner assisted with player development for football and men’s basketball, as well as being responsible for women’s soccer, volleyball and softball.

Stoner also spent one year as the strength and conditioning coach at Centenary College of Louisiana, where he was responsible for all of its athletic teams.

Stoner received his undergraduate degree in 1999 with a double major in applied science and health and exercise science from Centenary College of Louisiana and he later completed his master’s in exercise science from Southern Mississippi in 2001. Stoner holds certifi cation from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, as well as United States Weightlifting. Stoner is married to the former Christin Lawrence from Bossier City, La.

Entering her second year as the Missouri softball athletic trainer is Kara Williams. Williams takes over the Sports Medicine duties for the Tigers, working with the softball team in the prevention and rehabilitation of injuries.

Williams came to Missouri after spending four years at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. During her time with the Seahawks, Williams worked with the volleyball, swimming and diving, track, softball and women’s basketball teams.

At UNCW, Williams spent a year as an intern, two years as an athletic trainer and one year as the interim director of athletic training.

Williams graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1998 with a Bachelor’s Degree in health promotion, with an emphasis in athletic training. She later received her Master’s in sports administration from Louisville in 2000, while serving as a graduate assistant with the men’s and women’s soccer, track and fi eld and softball programs.

A native of Tiffi n, Ohio, Williams is a member of the National Athletic Training Association (NATA).

Athletic Trainer


KaraWilliams

Strength Coach


JoshStoner

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14 2006-Missouri Softball 2006-Missouri Softball

Missouri Support Staff

Sarah ReesmanAssociate Athletic

Director for Student Services

Mary Ann AustinAssociate Athletic

Director for Compliance

Frank CuervoAssistant Athletic

Director for External Operations

Pat BeckmannAthletic Trainer

Tim HickmanAssociate Athletic

Director for Operations

Marty FinnDirector of Ticket

Operations

Gene McArtorDirector of Project

Management

Eric MorrisonAssistant Athletic

Director for External Operations

Bob StanleyAssistant Athletic

Director for Athletic Facilities

Scott StevensDirector of Suite

Operations

Ed StewartAssociate Athletic

Director for Administration

Mike KellyDirector of Broadcast

Operations

Mario MocciaSenior Associate Athletic Director

Bryan MaggardAssociate Athletic

Director for Academic Services

Chad MollerDirector of Media

Relations

Nicole WadeStudent Manager

Monica AnwanderStudent Trainer

Colleen EngelhardAssistant Director of

Game Operations

Tad DunnAssistant Athletic

Director for Game Operations

Ro g e r Cr u m p t o nAssistant

Athletic Director for Arena Operations

Mitzi ClaytonAssistant Athletic

Director for Compliance

Lori FranzFaculty Athletic Representative

Mark AlnuttAssistant Athletic

Director for Football Operations

Emily HawkinsMarketing Graduate

Assistant

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2006 coaching staﬀ -...

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