DETROIT (6/2/16) – Under the direction of head coach John Conway, the University of Detroit Mercy softball program continues to trend in the right direction.
 
Since taking over prior to the 2015 season, the Titans have increased their win total each spring under Conway, capped off by the 2016 squad's 17 wins – a seven-win improvement from 2015 and the most wins in a season for the program since 2006. The 2015 and 2016 squads also posted back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since the teams of 2007 and 2008.  
 
The 2016 Titans recorded many noteworthy accomplishments this spring, including a four-game win streak for the first time since 2008 and a three-game shutout streak for the first time since 1992. The 2016 team also reached seven conference wins for the first time since 2002. The team won their season opener, 5-3 in extra innings against Missouri State, the first season opener the team has won since 2002.
 
To reach these milestones, the Titans received significant contributions from the top of the order to the bottom, from starters to role players.
 
At the head of the charge was a dynamic duo in the middle of the lineup with senior Christa McGahuey and freshman Jordan Manno.
 
McGahuey earned Second Team All-Horizon League honors and became the school's all-time home run leader with 28 career long balls. McGahuey also became the first Titan to hit nine or more home runs in three consecutive seasons. McGahuey finished the year ranked fifth in the league in homers, while her five long balls during conference play were the third-most in the league. She also ranked eighth in RBI and eighth in opponents batting average from the pitcher's circle.
 
Manno had one of the best rookie campaigns in Titan history, earning Second Team and All-Freshman Horizon League honors. Manno led Detroit in most offensive categories, including batting average (.320), runs (29), hits (47), doubles (7), on-base percentage (.422) and walks (20). Manno excelled during the second half of the season in conference play and ranked among the leaders with a .385 conference batting average (5th) and a .468 on-base percentage (6th). She was also fifth in triples, 10th in total bases and second in assists.

A season after earning Second Team and All-Freshman Team honors herself, sophomore Savvy Ferstle returned to provide another staple in the heart of the Titan lineup. Ferstle hit .264 on the season and added five homers and a team-high 31 RBI. 
 
The pitching staff took a big step forward as well, with McGahuey, freshman Ashley Mauser and junior transfer Alexis Robison-Kohrs lowering the team ERA more than a full run from 2015.
 
Mauser's season ended prematurely after an injury, but not before she picked up six wins with a team-best 4.23 ERA. Mauser's six wins were the most for a Titan since 2007. She added six complete games and led the team with 107.2 innings pitched.
 
Robison-Kohrs exceled during Horizon League play with a 2.88 ERA and 3-4 record. In conference action, she led the team with three complete games, a .253 opponent batting average and added 47 strikeouts in 60.2 innings pitched.
 
On the field and at the plate, the Titans received major contributions from senior Katy Severson and junior transfers Laura Villagrana and Alyssa James. Severson hit .283 in conference play, while Villagrana hit .311 from the top of the order, with a team-high 14 runs scored. James hit .285 on the season and was a steadying force in the middle of the order.
 
The 2016 team narrowly missed the Horizon League Tournament during the last week of the regular season, but returns many vital pieces for 2017 and adds a promising rookie class. With Coach Conway at the helm, the Titans will be in position once again to push the program to heights it has not seen in a number of years.