Sports

Ladyjacks sign former preps star Messerly

By Matthew Semisch

07/08/2014

The Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) softball team recently filled one of its bigger position needs with an equally big signing.

Taylor Messerly of Fort Dodge, Iowa is the newest addition to the Ladyjacks’ roster. Messerly attended Fort Dodge High School, which plays in Class 5-A, the top high school division in the Hawkeye State.

Messerly played for four years on the Dodgers’ varsity softball team and was one of the group’s key components. She was an all-conference honorable mention recipient in her junior season for Fort Dodge before making the all-conference team in her final year of high school.

She proved herself to be a defensive marvel behind home plate, too. Messerly only allowed one stolen base to an opponent in her upperclassman seasons.

The Ladyjacks’ latest signing is also a strong presence in the batter’s box. In her senior season at Fort Dodge, Messerly posted a .281 batting average with 31 hits and 17 runs batted in.
In Messerly’s final season as a Dodger, her team posted a 26-16 record and finished 9-3 in its conference. Fort Dodge also made a solid postseason run before losing in its 5-A regional final to eventual state semi-finalist Ankeny.

She received an athletic scholarship out of high school from Iowa Central, a Division II junior college national powerhouse. Her family then relocated to Minot, though, and she never ended up playing for the Tritons.

“She will be a great addition to our team,” said DCB coach Mike Getzloff. The Ladyjacks recently signed Allison Scherr to be their new softball and volleyball head coach, but Getzloff will guide the softball team through its fall exhibition schedule.

“I’m looking forward to having her on the field, both with a bat in her hands and when she’s behind the plate,” Getzloff continued. “She’s a very versatile player who also has experience at third base, so she could become an infielder, too, if needed.”

DCB’s softball team is coming off the best season in the program’s history. The Ladyjacks finished 23-9 this spring and made its first-ever appearance in the NJCAA Region XIII tournament finals.