Metro State can attest to the adage: Seeing is believing. As if a switch turned on, Tillery transformed herself into one of Division II’s softball’s top power hitters with three swings during a February game in Las Vegas. In a 12-11 loss to St. Cloud (Minn.) State, the sophomore from Windsor swatted three home runs. Jaws dropped.
Tillery, after all, failed to hit a home run during her freshman year, though she had two to that point in the early going this season.
Suddenly, the softball looked as big as a soccer ball.
“When I hit those three in Vegas, I was seeing the ball really well,” Tillery said. “It really showed me that I could hit home runs. I wanted more. And it’s happened.”
Tillery, a 5-foot-8 catcher, begins today’s opening round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament (sites: Colorado Mines and Regis) as Division II’s national leader in home runs with 22, one ahead of .
(25-25) has won eight of its past 10 games. The sixth-seeded Roadrunners are ensured at least two more games in the double-elimination tournament, but they’ll need a longer tourney run for Tillery to likely have a shot at the all-time Division II record of 28 home runs in a season set by Carmen Paez of Florida Gulf Coast in 2007. Tillery has her eyes on the Metro State single-season record of 25 homers.
The unassuming Tillery said her power surge has been a big surprise. But it’s not like she was always a slap hitter. Usually batting cleanup, Tillery earned all-conference honors during each of her four years at Windsor High School, finishing her prep career with a .425 batting average, 84 runs batted in, 24 doubles, 12 triples and five home runs.
She remembers being 10 or 11 years old and hitting a “softie” ball in the backyard as far or farther than her father, who had played baseball through his high school years.
That was just a start.
“Kelsey didn’t get enough at-bats for us last year to show what she could do,” said Metro junior Aubree Maul, an all-RMAC pitcher from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. “But I remember playing with her in 14-and-under softball, and she was always a great hitter.”
Tillery said being a catcher helps her hitting because she sometimes knows what a particular umpire’s strike zone is before her first at-bat. That enables her to have a better feel for what is a strike and swing aggressively, although that has never been a problem.
“I get up there and swing as hard as I can at every pitch,” she said with a smile.
Where does all that power come from? Tillery has quick hands and strong legs, and excels at turning her hips through the swing, similar to that of a long-hitting golfer.
First-year Metro State coach Kristi Lansford, a cousin of Rockies hitting coach Carney Lansford, said confidence and attitude also play a big role.
Tillery is hitting .349, which ranks second on the team. In addition to home runs, she also leads Metro with 56 RBIs — as the Roadrunners’ leadoff hitter. Lansford said she moved Tillery to the top of the batting order because the team needed somebody at that spot to consistently get on base.
“Kelsey definitely doesn’t get cheated. She takes her hacks,” Lansford said. “She puts everything she has into the swing.”
Metro State’s single-season home run record of 25 was set two years ago by Tara Mickelson, who happens to be the Roadrunners’ student coach this season.
“Kelsey is more aggressive than I was,” Mickelson said. “When I used to hit, I’d wait for a good pitch. Kelsey swings at anything in the strike zone.
“But I don’t want her to go up thinking about hitting home runs. I can see she does that sometimes. I would rather her be relaxed and just hit. And if a home run happens, it happens. It’s easier to play that way.”
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
