Becky Sande

Becky Smith

14U National Head Coach

Becky Sande

  • Vortex & A’s Head Coach for 5 years
  • Director of Player Development for 4 years
  • STMA Varsity Head Coach for 1 year
    • State Appearance 2023
    • Section 8AAAA Coach of the Year
  • Hitting & Defense Instructor
  • All-American Shortstop at UMD 2015-2018
  • NFCA Member
  • Graduated from Orono HS in 2014

AS A BULLDOG: 

2017 – Collected her third-straight All-NSIC second team honor … posted second-best batting numbers among the team in batting average (.345), runs (40), hits (67), home runs (6), runs driven in (41), and slugging percentage (.540) … was one of four Bulldogs to start all 55 games … on two occasions recorded back-to-back games with a home run … was on a tear in the middle of the season, posting four straight multi-hit games … a lethal .403 hitter with runners in scoring position … notched a team-high 122 assists and a .982 fielding percentage — the highest among regular starters with Kalynn Tilton … was a part of the fielding crew that notched the program single-season record for fielding percentage (.974) in school history … named to the NSIC All-Academic Team for a second consecutive year.

2016 – Secured All-NSIC second team acclaim for a second straight year … placed fourth among Bulldogs with a .320 batting average while setting personal highs for runs (36) and fielding percentage (.938) … closed out the year on a tear — batted .524 in the postseason while hitting safely in each of the final six games of the season … was part of the Bulldogs’ starting lineup in all 52 games … turned in the second two-homer afternoon of her career in a 15-3 throttling of Minnesota State-Moorhead on Feb. 22  … qualified for the NSIC All-Academic Team and was a a NFCA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.
2015 – Might have been freshman, but played like a battle-tested collegiate veteran … joined fellow Bulldog Hannah Schmoll as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II National Freshman of the Year Award Top 10 Finalist … also was an All-NSIC second team shortstop … ranked first on the club in slugging percentage (.663– the highest figure ever turned in by a first-year Bulldog) and fourth in hitting (.349) while establishing UMD single-season marks for both RBIs (57) and doubles (22) … reigned as the NSIC rookie leader in a host of regular season categories including home runs, doubles, total bases, RBIs and slugging percentage … belted 11 home runs (the second highest total on the club) and hit .403 with runners in scoring position … cobbled together a nine-game hitting streak between March 28 and April 4 … batted a Bulldog-best .403 with runners in scoring position … was one of just three Bulldogs to start in all 55 games … received a NFCA Scholar-Athlete Award.

BEFORE UMD: Is a 2014 graduate of Orono High School and played five years under head coach Mike Carter … captained the Spartans her final two prep seasons … appeared in the Minnesota State Class AAA three times, including in 2012 when the Spartans placed third … was named to the AAA State All-Tournament Teams in 2012 and 2013 … claimed MFCA All-State first team honors  in 2014 after nabbing second team honors the previous two seasons … selected as a All-Wright County Conference selection from 2011-2014 including a honorable mention pick in 2010 … was a two-time all-Region 6AAA nominee and landed a spot on Minneapolis Star Tribune All-Metro team on two occasions … was a finalist for Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2013 … also lettered five years in hockey for the Spartans … excelled in the classroom as well, receiving the Student-Athlete Academic Gold All-Star award in addition to being on a “A” honor roll all four years … was a member of National Honor Society at Orono High School.

PERSONAL: Born Rebekah Rose Smith in Long Lake, Minn. … is the daughter of Craig and Kathy Smith … has two older brothers (Josh and Jake) … is majoring in environmental science at UMD.

Courtesy of umdbulldogs.com