Black–eyed Vidrine´s Walk–off Homer Lifts Rattlers

Taylor Vidrine (pictured) had a big day Tuesday. (File Photo: Antonio Morano Photography / www.moranomemories.photoreflect.com)

SAN ANTONIO — St. Mary’s Taylor Vidrine stepped to the plate Tuesday worrying about more than just her upcoming at–bat.

“It’s a girl’s face; you worry,” the freshman said, laughing.

But black eye and all, she wouldn’t back down.

Vidrine’s walk–off home run to left–center field—her second homer of the day—powered a 7–6 victory over Tarleton State in the back end of a doubleheader at St. Mary’s Softball Field.

Vidrine, who also homered in a 7–5, nine–inning Game 1 loss, suffered a black eye when tagged hard in the face by Tarleton State’s catcher in a bang–bang play at the plate in the fifth inning of the first game.

“I was taken aback,” said Vidrine (San Antonio), the reigning Heartland Conference Hitter of the Week. “But I got back in there.”

In her very next at–bat, Vidrine homered as part of a three–run seventh inning that turned a 5–2 hole into a deadlocked affair in the opener.

“I was like, ‘This is for hitting me!’” she said, chuckling. “I hit my first home run and was like, ‘Ha!’”

RE–WATCH THE GAME!

Joking aside, Vidrine wasn’t worried about going yard with the game on the line late in Game 2.

“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run at all,” said Vidrine, who was 3 for 6 with three RBIs, two home runs and three runs scored on the day. “I was just trying to get a base hit.”

Vidrine nearly powered another win in Game 1.

Her two–run blast in pulled the Rattlers (15–11) within one run at 5–4, and Christina Rodriguez (Jr., San Antonio) then drove in the tying run on a double.

But despite St. Mary’s having no one out and a runner on second, the TexAnns (21–8) kept the Rattlers at bay to send the game to extra innings.

After a scoreless eighth inning, Tarleton State exploded in the top of the ninth, as Alexandria Orf and Adrianna Rodriguez had back–to–back homers to seal the win.

Earlier, Tarleton State had steadily built a 3–0 lead with runs in the first, third and fourth innings, but St. Mary’s struck back with two runs in the fifth. Tarleton State later made it 5–2 before the Rattlers went on a run late.

Maricela Bissaro picked up the Game 2 victory after pitching two scoreless innings in relief, including a pair of strikeouts, to improve to 5–0 on the season. St. Mary’s reliever Crystal Keller (Jr., LaCoste, Texas) was tagged with the loss in the opener.

The two teams combined for nine home runs on the day—none bigger than Vidrine’s.

“Being in the third hole is an honor, especially with all these great players on the team,” Vidrine said. “I’m so glad Coach (Donna Fields) trusts me enough to be there. I want to show her I can be there.”

Her black–eyed home run was certainly a good start.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.

    

Coaching Staff

Head Coach Donna Fields

Donna Fields is in her 16th season as the Rattlers' head coach. She is the Rattlers' all-time leader in wins with 640, cracking the 600-wins mark in 2011 to highlight a career that has seen her win more than 70 percent of her games as St. Mary's head coach.

She has been named Heartland Conference Coach of the Year eight times, has earned NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year honors once and NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors twice. She has guided the Rattlers to 10 NCAA South Central Region Tournament appearances over the past 12 years, three NCAA College World Series berths and the 2002 NCAA Division II National Championship.

She is the first Rattler to earn a national championship as both a player (NAIA - 1986) and as a coach (NCAA Division II - 2002). She also serves as senior woman administrator for the St. Mary's Department of Athletics.

Last season, Fields led the Rattlers to the Heartland Conference Tournament championship game after winning the conference's regular-season championship with an overall record of 34-19 and a conference mark of 13-2. The Rattlers saw a star-studded freshmen class in 2012 with the leader of the pack, Taylor Vidrine. In her first season of collegiate play, Vidrine earned a starting spot at first base and in left field that turned the heads of several in the Heartland Conference and in the region. The freshman received the Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year award, an All-Conference First Team selection as a utility player as well as an NFCA All-Region Second Team nod under Fields' watch.

The 2012 season had Fields winning her eighth Coach of the Year award from the Heartland Conference and saw nine Rattlers make the All-Conference Team, with seven making the First Team. Among those honored was ace Emily Brittain, who for the second year in a row was named the conference's Pitcher of the Year.

In 2011, the Rattlers won the Heartland Conference regular-season championship and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA South Central Region tournament after going 36-21. Ten Rattlers earned All-Heartland Conference honors, with pitcher Emily Brittain earning Heartland Conference Pitcher and Freshman of the Year honors, while first baseman Jared Gonzalez took home the Co-Newcomer of the Year award. Brittain and Gonzalez also landed on several All-Region teams, with Gonzalez also earning All-American Honorable Mention honors.

In 2010, she led St. Mary's to the Heartland Conference Tournament championship and to the NCAA South Central Region tournament, finishing the year with a 34-21 record. Seven Rattlers earned All-Heartland Conference honors, with outfielders Lauren Miller and Katie Nichols earning first-team honors. Kelly Baker, Arlynda Flores, Alyssa Alfaro, Taryn Munoz and Christina Rodriguez all were second-team selections. Baker and Flores also were named College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District.

The 2008 season was a memorable one for Fields and the Rattlers. A veteran team, led by six seniors, helped the Rattlers advance to the South Central Regional. They finished with a 53-12 overall record and fresh off a perfect run through the Heartland Conference Tournament. Malissa Magee earned her three All-American Honor, while Sade Moore was named Heartland Conference co-Hitter of the Year and Fields was named Coach of the Year.

During the 2007 season she led the team to its eighth straight 40-plus win season and the seventh straight trip to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament. St. Mary s just missed out on what would have been its fourth trip to the NCAA College World Series, falling to Angelo State in the finals. The Rattlers also won their seventh straight Heartland Conference tournament title and finished the season ranked 13th in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

In 2006, the Rattlers went 49-25 overall and advanced to the NCAA South Central Region Tournament semifinals, despite fielding a very young squad. After starting the season 9-9, the Rattlers went 40-16. Malissa Magee was named Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Year for the second straight season. St. Mary s finished the season ranked 20th in the nation.

In 2005, St. Mary s returned to the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament for the third time in four years. The Lady Rattlers finished fifth in the nation, and completed a 49-11 season. In advancing to the NCAA Championships, St. Mary s won the NCAA Division II South Central Regional championship for the third time. Also, the team won its fifth Heartland Conference title. Fields garnered Heartland coach-of-the-year honors for the fifth straight year.

In 2004, the Lady Rattlers finished the season with a 46-12 record. The team won the Heartland Conference title for the fourth year in a row, and Fields garnered Heartland Coach-of-the-Year honors for the fourth year in a row. The Rattlers hosted the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament for the third year in a row. The Rattlers finished third in the region.

In 2003, the Rattlers won the Heartland Conference title and the South Central Regional crown. Fields led her team to the number three final ranking in the nation, losing in extra innings 5-3 to eventual national champion California-Davis in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2002, the Rattlers claimed their second national title. In addition the Rattlers won the Heartland Conference and hosted South Central Regional Tournaments on their way to the Division II final eight. The Rattlers finished with a school record mark (58-11) and the top spot on the final USA Today/National Fast pitch Coaches Association Division II national poll. Coach Fields and graduate-assistant coach Jessica Peoples were named the 2002 Speedline/NFCA Division II National Coaching Staff of the Year, receiving South Central Regional Staff of the Year honors in the process.

As a three-sport scholarship athlete at St Mary's, Fields made her mark in volleyball, basketball, and softball graduating in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. She was named NAIA All-American in softball as a leftfielder her senior year and played on the Lady Rattlers' 1986 softball national championship team. Fields was named to the All-Big State Conference and NAIA All-District volleyball teams and was voted NAIA District Freshman of the Year in basketball. The university highlighted her accomplishments, as she was inducted to the St. Mary's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 for softball and basketball. She was also inducted into the Oliver Wendell Holmes High School Hall of Fame in 1999. In December of 2001, Coach Fields completed her master's degree as a Distinguished Graduate in education at St. Mary's.

Prior to returning to St. Mary's as a coach, Fields coached and taught at William Taft High School in San Antonio for 10 years. During that time she held the softball head coach position for three years and accumulated a record of 58-12-1, including a district championship and three playoff appearances. She spent five years as head volleyball coach and was honored as San Antonio Coach of the Year.

Fields is married to Andrew Fields, a captain in the San Antonio Fire Department. They have three children, Hannah, Drew and Allison. Hannah, a former star softball player at Sandra Day O'Connor High School, will begin playing volleyball and softball for St. Mary's in the fall of 2012.

- Coached 2002 NCAA Division II National Champions
- Played on 1986 NAIA National Champions
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 10
- NCAA World Series Appearances: 3
- Heartland Conference Titles: 11
- Heartland Conference Coach of the Year: 8

Assistant Coach Haley Long

Taking on a dual role in her first year on the St. Mary's coaching staff, Haley Long will serve as the Rattlers' head cross country coach and assistant softball coach, leading with experience and high expectations for success.

Long comes into her new coaching roles as a former athlete herself, having enjoyed an extensive softball career dating back to her star-studded career at Brenham High School in her hometown of Brenham, Texas, where she earned First-Team All-State, Academic All-State and helped her team to a state title. The former right fielder then took her play to the collegiate level, playing her freshman year at Blinn College before finishing her career at the University of Nebraska. After slugging away for a .355 batting average, 43 runs scored, five doubles, 33 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a team-high 10 triples in her sole season at Bilnn, Long became a three-year starter in right field for the University of Nebraska. There, her success led to a Second Team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore. As a junior competing in the Big 12 championship, Long earned an All-Tournament Team selection. Her three years at the University of Nebraska also gave Long a three-time stint on the Big 12 Commissioners' Honor Roll.

Long completed her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 2009 and completed her master's degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas-Permian Basin in 2012.

While completing her master's degree, Long took her first step in coaching as one of Blinn College's assistant softball coaches and helped the Buccaneers to a fourth-place national championship finish in 2012. During her two years on the coaching staff, Blinn received the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year both years.

With a Division I, Big 12 athletic transcript and an accredited coaching background, Long looks forward to being an asset to St. Mary's softball team and taking the cross country team to new heights.

"I'm excited to see what their expectations are of themselves," says Long of her Rattler runners, "and see how they respond to my expectations for them. My expectations of them are to work hard every day and build a work ethic of a winning mentality. I want them to put themselves on the map and know that they do matter. This is going to become a growing program, and we re going to be expected to win."

Long takes on her head cross country and assistant softball coach position with confidence, priming for two teams of Rattler talent to work with.

"I'm just excited to get started," she said.

2012 St. Mary's Team Roster