Metro State's Fisher, 2010 Softball Team to be Honored as Sportswomen of Colorado

by Andy Schlichting, Metro State sports information director

DENVER -The 2010 softball team broke numerous school, conference and national records as it reached the semifinals of the Division II College Softball World Series.  The Roadrunners posted a 53-6 overall record, including a 37-2 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the best record in conference history.  They captured the RMAC regular season and tournament championships and received their second straight NCAA Tournament berth in just the third year of Metro State's softball program.  After topping Wayne State (Neb.) in two nailbiting victories at the Super Regional, the team advanced to the World Series for the first time in school history.

The individual awards piled up all season long as three players earned All-America honors and seven players were named all-conference.  Third baseman Tara Mickelson was a second team Daktronics All-America selection and pitcher Christie Robinson and shortstop Amber Roundtree were both honorable mention honorees.  Robinson also garnered RMAC Pitcher of the Year and Daktronics Central Region Pitcher of the Year honors.  Mickelson was named to Softball Magazine's Top-12 Division II Seniors list and she and outfielder Jennessa Tesone were both named to the NCAA All-Tournament team for their performances at the World Series.

The team shattered the NCAA Division II single season home run record with 112 homers in just 59 games, breaking the old record of 98 that was shared by the 2009 Metro State team.  Mickelson also led the nation in home runs with 25 on the season and Tesone also ranked among the nation's leaders with 19.

In addition to breaking the RMAC record for wins in conference play, the Roadrunners also broke conference records for ERA in conference games (1.47), home runs (79) and tied the team's record from 2009 for runs scored (320) in just 39 games.  No other RMAC team had posted a team ERA under 4.00 in conference play since 2005 and no team had ever posted an ERA under 3.00 while averaging over 7.0 runs per game.

Dozens of school individual and team records were broken, including Mickelson's marks for home runs (25), total bases (150) and runs batted in (78) and Robinson's records for fewest walks per seven innings (0.97), wins (30), shutouts (9), appearances (35), games started (34), complete games (29) and innings pitched (209.2).  Roundtree also broke records for runs scored (70) and walks (36).

Fisher, who will also be honored as an individual in addition to the team, was named CaptainU National Coach of the Year.  She and her staff were also honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as the Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to her team's success on the field, it also had success in the classroom and the community.  Two of her players were named Academic All-District (Robinson and Molly Clark) and her team was known for volunteering with students at Denver West High School as mentors.

Fisher accepted the head coaching position at Colorado State University, her alma mater, in August.  In her three years at Metro State, she posted a 125-36 (.776) record and was a two-time RMAC Coach of the Year.

The 2011 Metro State softball team, under the tutelage of Vanessa Becerra, who was an assistant under Fisher.