Mercedes Garcia Student Assistant
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Lady Buff Softball 2014 WEST TEXAS A&M LADY BUFF SOFTBALL RECORD BOOK CONTENTS UNIVERSITY FACTS Location . Canyon, Texas Table of Contents/University Facts ...........1 All-Time Results vs. Opponents .......... 9-11 Founded . 1910 Head Coach Kevin Blaskowski ..................2 WT Softball All-Americans ......................13 Enrollment . 8,389 Assistant Coaches .....................................3 Team Records ..........................................14 President . Dr . Patrick O’Brien Schaeffer Park ...........................................4 Lady Buff Record Book ...................... 15-18 Athletic Director . Michael McBroom 2013 In-Review ...................................... 5-6 LSC Record Book .....................................19 Nickname . Lady Buffs Game-By-Game Results ........................5 The Lone Star Conference .......................20 Colors . Maroon and White Individual Statistics ...............................6 Media Information ................................. IBC Affiliation . NCAA Division II Year-By-Year Results ............................. 7-8 Conference . Lone Star Stadium . Schaeffer Park Capacity . 500 Surface . AstroTurf GameDay 3D Athletic Department Phone . (806) 651-4400 Athletic Ticket Manager . J Rich Sparks Ticket Office Phone Number . (806) 651-1414 MEDIA RELATIONS Assitant Director/SB Contact . Brent Seals Office Phone . (806) 651-4442 Cell Phone . (806) 674-7050 Fax . (806) 651-4409 E-Mail . bseals@wtamu .edu Web Site . .. www .GoBuffsGo .com SID Mailing Address . WTAMU Box 60049 Canyon, Texas 79016 Overnight Address . 2403 Russell Long Blvd . Canyon, Texas 79016 COACHING STAFF Head Coach . Kevin Blaskowski Alma Mater . Valley City State (1986) Overall Record . 612-489 (21 Years) WT Record . 260-212 (8 Years) Associate Head Coach . Christina Helland Assistant Coach . Ross Middleton Student Assistant . Mercedes Garcia TEAM INFORMATION 2013 Overall Record . 44-13 2013 LSC Record (Finish) . 20-7 (2nd) NCAA Postseason Appearances . 2 LSC South Division Championships . .. 1 LSC Tournament Titles . .. 1 Cover Photo Courtesy Of: Caitlin Fairly 1 KEVIN BLASKOWSKI HEAD COACH NINTH SEASON VALLEY CITY STATE ‘86 Kevin Blaskowski is now in his ninth season at Prior to ENMU, Blaskowski coached at Southern the helm of the Lady Buff softball program, leading Arkansas University for five years, where he WT to a 44-13 overall record in 2013 including the started the SAU softball program and led them to program’s third appearance in the NCAA Postsea- the postseason in each of his five years . In 2003, son and fifth consecutive Lone Star Conference SAU was the co-Champion of the West Division in tournament appearance . Coach B reached another the Gulf South Conference with a 31-19 overall career milestone in 2013 as he claimed his 600th record and a 19-4 conference mark . career victory against St . Edward’s in Austin, Texas While at Southern Arkansas, Blaskowski’s teams on April 14th . also excelled in the classroom as they finished The 2012 season saw the Lady Buffs make in the top ten in the National Fastpitch Coaches another appearance in the LSC Tournament before Association Team GPA Rankings his last four years . falling to rival Angelo State in the semifinal round, SAU was ranked in the Top 10 of the team grade WT just missed out on the NCAA Postseason, point average rankings in 1999-00 (5th), 2000-01 finishing the season with an overall record of (7th), 2001-02 (8th), and 2002-03 (7th) . 35-18 . Blaskowski reached a personal milestone While at SAU, Blaskowski served as a mem- BLASKOWSKI’S on February 19, 2012 as he coached his 1,000th ber of the NCAA Division II South Region rating career game in a win over New Mexico Highlands committee in addition to being named Gulf South COACHING FILE in Canyon . Conference Co-Coach of the Year in 2000 . The 2011 season saw the Lady Buffs make a Blaskowski also has served as the head coach EDUCATION historic run to their first ever South Central Re- at Phillips University from 1996-1998 . He started B .S . Valley City State University/Physical Education, gional Championship as they finished the season the program at Phillips which qualified for post- 1986 . with an overall record of 50-18 . WT claimed the season play in each of its two seasons before the program’s first ever Lone Star Conference Tourna- school closed in 1998 . M .S . Emporia State University/Physical Education, ment Championship in 2011 . Blaskowski was also the head coach at Wash- 1989 . Blaskowski also reached a personal milestone burn University in Topeka, Kan ., and Kansas Wes- in 2011, claiming his 500th career victory on leyan University, in Salina, Kan . He was chosen at CAREER ACCOLADES March 5 in a 15-2 win over Eastern New Mexico at the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Lady Buff Yard in Canyon, the win was also special Coach of the Year at Kansas Wesleyan in 1993 and Gulf Conference Co-Coach of the Year, 2000 . for WT’s centerfielder Kim LeComte who hit for the was selected as the NAIA District 10 Coach of the first cycle in program history . Year at Kansas Wesleyan University in 1994 . NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year, 1994 . The Lady Buffs finished the 2010 season with Blaskowski received a Bachelor of Science in a 45-18 overall record and advanced to the NCAA education with a major in physical education from Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Coach of South Central Region Finals . Blaskowski was hon- Valley City State University in North Dakota in the Year, 1993 . ored as the Lone Star Conference South Division 1986 . He completed a Master of Science in educa- Coach of the Year . tion with an emphasis in health, physical educa- Lone Star Conference South Division Coach of the Blaskowski was hired in December of 2004 tion and recreation at Emporia State University in Year, 2010 . to bring back the softball program to WTAMU’s Kansas in 1989 . campus after a 24 year absence . In his first eight In his career, Blaskowski has also been an COLLEGIATE HEAD years, Blaskowski has led the Lady Buffs to a instructor at Eastern New Mexico, Southern Arkan- 260-212 mark . In his 21 years as a collegiate sas, Kansas Wesleyan and West Texas A&M . He COACHING RECORD head coach, Blaskowski has recorded a 612-489 was the Sports Information Director at Phillips and At Eastern New Mexico: 11-36 (1 Season) overall record . Kansas Wesleyan, and also served as head coach At Southern Arkansas: 136-126 (5 Seasons) Blaskowski came to WTAMU from Lone Star of women’s basketball at Kansas Wesleyan and At Phillips: 79-37 (2 Seasons) Conference rival Eastern New Mexico University Assistant Sports Information Director at Washburn . At Washburn: 31-27 (2 Seasons) where he served as the head coach for one year . Blaskowski and his beautiful wife, April, are the At Kansas Wesleyan: 95-51 (3 Seasons) At West Texas A&M: 260-212 (8 Seasons) parents of two daughters, Kaelyn Rose and Kelsey OVERALL: 612-489 (21 Seasons) Rhea . Lady Buff Softball 2 2014 West Texas A&M Lady Buff Softball Record Book Lady Buff Softball ASSISTANT COACHES CHRISTINA HELLAND ROSS MIDDLETON ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH ASSISTANT COACH FIFTH SEASON SECOND SEASON ST. GREGORY’S ‘09 Ross Middleton enters his second Christina Helland enters her fifth season season as a member of the Lady Buff at West Texas A&M University as a member coaching staff as an assistant coach of the Lady Buff Softball coaching staff that will work mainly with the WT including her second as the Associate Head catchers . Coach . Her duties revolve around the WT Middleton began his exposure to hitters as well as the everyday operations of Fastpitch Softball in the Navy when he the program and recruiting . was selected to play on the “Captains Helland played at LSC-member Eastern Team” that represented the Norfolk Na- New Mexico . As a member of the Zia softball val Station . A long time club and travel team, she earned two all-LSC Awards (2005, team coach, Middleton coaching has 2006) . In 2007, she was sidelined with an always revolved around working with catchers and hitters . injury and took a medical redshirt . Middleton currently owns and operates The Batters Box, Helland finished her career at St . Gregory’s (Okla .) in the an indoor hitting and pitching facility in Amarillo . Sooner Athletic Conference . She was a key player in St . Along with his WT coaching duties, the Amarillo native Gregory’s sixth-place finish at the 2008 NAIA National Cham- is currently a full time student working toward a degree in pionships . In 2008, she earned Academic all-America honors . Sports & Exercise Science at West Texas A&M . In her final season, Helland helped St . Gregory’s to the schools highest finish, as they finished runner-up at the 2009 NAIA National Championships . A native of Albuquerque, N .M ., Helland earned her Bachelor of Science degree from St . Gregory’s in 2009 and her masters degree in Sports Management from West Texas A&M in 2011 . MERCEDES GARCIA STUDENT ASSISTANT FIRST SEASON Mercedes Garcia makes the transi- tion from player to coach during the 2013-14 academic year as she begins her first season as a Student Assistant Coach for the Lady Buffs . The Tucson, Arizona native completed an impressive two year career for the Lady Buffs where she started 99 games at second base, hitting just under .300 with 12 doubles and eight homeruns to drive in 53 career RBI . Garcia proved to be a senior leader during the 2013 season, hitting .329 with eight doubles, one triple and six homeruns to drive in 33 RBI . She was named a member of the All-Lone Star Conference 1st Team for her efforts on the diamond . Garcia and teammate Alyssa Lemos were featured in an ESPN Documentary entitled “Strength in Friendship” that was released in early March of 2013 . The feature The feature follows both players and their families through the loss of their mothers to cancer .