Marshall Softball Wraps Up Most Successful Season in History

5/14/2003

Randi Nielson, head coach Shonda Stanton and Amanda Williams all received specialty awards at the Mid-American Conference banquet.

Shattering nearly every program record, including collecting 41 wins against only 17 losses, the Marshall University Thundering Herd softball team set a new bar for the program in 2003. The Mid-American Conference regular season champions just missed a trip to the NCAA tournament.

The Herd kept up a torrid offensive pace batting .293 as a team and obliterating the former home run record of 15, going deep 32 times on the year. Marshall also broke team records for runs scored (278), RBIs (227) and stolen bases (111). Each of those totals earned the Herd a spot on the Mid-American Conference record books. MU produced and knocked in more runs than any team in MAC history other that Akron’s 1994 squad. Stanton’s fleet-footed squad is also third in conference history in the stolen department.

Several individual performances stood out for MU this season. Sierra Davenport wreaked havoc on the base paths, setting new stolen base marks in both the career (81) and single season (41) category as a junior. Freshman phenom Amanda Williams averaged .421 at the plate and reset MU’s single season hits record, pounding out 75 hits. MAC Pitcher of the Year Randi Nielson had a stellar season on the mound, collecting a record 23 wins for the Herd.

Seniors Karri Britt and De’Shaun Drake ended their careers with a bang, hitting 14 homers between them. Drake set both the Herd’s single season home run (9) and RBI (54) records. Huntington native Karri Britt wrapped up her four-year career hitting nearly .600 at the MAC championships and earning All-Mid-American Conference Tournament honors.

Head Coach Shonda Stanton blew past her 100th win mark at Marshall this season and now posts a 119-95 record leading the MU program. The 29 year-old has the best winning percentage of any Herd skipper and looks to bring the program to the next level.

With 14 of 16 letter winners returning and an impressive group of incoming freshman, the Thundering Herd has every reason to look forward to a bright future.