MSSU Softball Interim head coach Melissa Chmielewski has named Chelsea Erickson as her assistant coach for the 2016 season.
Before coming to Joplin, Erickson spent two seasons as the assistant coach at Upper Iowa University in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. While at UIU Erickson coached the outfield and pitchers. Before UIU, Erickson was the outfield and pitching coach for the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
Erickson will coach the outfield and the pitchers this Spring for the Lions.
Erickson enjoyed a very illustrious playing career at Minnesota State Mankato, playing in a total of 220 games and earning four consecutive trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament. As a junior, Erickson and the Mavericks finished fourth in the nation after dropping their final two games in the 2011 NCAA Softball Championships.
During that season, Erickson set the single-season record for games played with 70, while recording a .286 batting average, 46 runs batted in, 9 home runs, 10 doubles and she scored 39 times. The Mavericks played in the NCAA Regional, the Super Regional and the NCAA Championships before falling to fifth-seeded Midwestern State in their final game of the season. MSU posted a school-record 54 wins that year, losing only 16 times all season.
In her final year in the purple and gold, the Mavericks were primed for another deep postseason run. Yet the Golden Bears of Concordia University had other plans; MSU lost to CU, 3-1, in game six of the NCAA Regional Tournament failing to advance to the Super Regional.
As a senior, Erickson was named an All-NSIC First Team performer and an NFCA First Team All-Central Region selection after tying for the team-high in home runs (11) and leading the Mavericks with 47 runs scored, 50 runs batted in, 36 walks and 16 stolen bases. Erickson also finished second on the team in batting average (.333), slugging percentage (.594), on base percentage (.459), hits (55), total bases (98) and she posted a clutch .600 batting average with the bases loaded.
At the time of her graduation, she led all active Mavericks in home runs (29) and RBI (132) while recording 32 doubles. The 29 homers and 132 career RBI ranks second all-time on the MSU charts. Rounding out her senior season, Erickson was named to the NSIC All-Tournament Team as the Mavericks hosted the NCAA Regional Tournament in Mankato.
In High School, Erickson was a three-sport athlete as she competed in softball, volleyball and basketball. As a junior and senior, she earned All-State honors and was named a four-time All-Mississippi 8 selection. Erickson made appearances in the state tournament three years in a row finishing as a senior and fourth as a junior.
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