Humboldt St. Trio With Long History Looks To Return DII Powerhouse To Title
Humboldt St. Trio With Long History Looks To Return DII Powerhouse To Title
Humboldt's trifecta Madison Williams, Tiffany Hollingsworth, and Hanna Holland poised to win a Division II championship
It's no secret that Humboldt State has cultivated one of the most formidable trios in NCAA Division II softball in Madison Williams, Tiffany Hollingsworth, and Hanna Holland.
All three were named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA DII National Player of the Year preseason watch list: Williams is poised to be one of DII's top pitchers this year; Hollingsworth is the team's top second baseman; and Holland is HSU's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.
But what may surprise many is the fact that these three California natives' time together stretches far back beyond their freshman years.
"I've played with Maddie since I've been 12, so I've known Maddie for awhile," Hollingsworth told NCAA.com. "Since freshman year until now, she has grown to be an amazing pitcher. She shuts everyone down. Honestly, it's hard to find words on how great she is doing this year in the start of the [Desert Stinger] tournament and the past two years. She's just unstoppable."
As the ace of the staff, Williams went 26-2 with 257 strikeouts last year to help Humboldt State reach the national championship, where the Jacks fell to North Alabama in three games. Ranked No. 2 in the country in the NFCA Division II poll -- right behind nemesis NAU -- the veteran group of Williams, Hollingsworth, and Holland is once again looking to take Humboldt State on a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
(Photo by Sebastian Hedberg)
With Williams continuing to dominate on the mound, Hollingsworth has evolved into Humboldt's top power hitter despite being a middle infielder. She batted .377 last year with a team-leading 58 RBIs and 12 home runs. And like her fellow senior, Hollingsworth was an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association first-team selection.
Meanwhile, Holland, a junior, was the CCAA Player of the Year in 2016, leading Humboldt in batting average, hits, runs, and walks -- and setting the conference record with 70 stolen bases.
Hollingsworth certainly doesn't mind having her longtime teammate atop the Jacks' order.
"It's great," Hollingsworth said. "I've played with Hannah for four or five years now. We played travel ball together. I know what to expect from her, and she knows what to expect from me. If she gets on base, she expects me to hit her in, and if she doesn't get on base, I'm going to pick her up."
The Jacks are no strangers to being among the elite. They have won a pair of national titles and taken home the CCAA crown 21 times. Already this year, Humboldt State has jumped out to a 5-0 start, winning by a combined score of 55-10. After the Jacks recently won the Desert String tournament title, the challenge is not letting all the early-season success go to their heads.
"I don't think we think about it too much," Hollingsworth said. "We just play, and it happens. We know that we are a good team and we have a lot of depth, so we go out there and just play our game. If we lose, we learn from it. And if we win, we learn from that, too."
By Marc Raimondi
All three were named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA DII National Player of the Year preseason watch list: Williams is poised to be one of DII's top pitchers this year; Hollingsworth is the team's top second baseman; and Holland is HSU's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.
But what may surprise many is the fact that these three California natives' time together stretches far back beyond their freshman years.
"I've played with Maddie since I've been 12, so I've known Maddie for awhile," Hollingsworth told NCAA.com. "Since freshman year until now, she has grown to be an amazing pitcher. She shuts everyone down. Honestly, it's hard to find words on how great she is doing this year in the start of the [Desert Stinger] tournament and the past two years. She's just unstoppable."
As the ace of the staff, Williams went 26-2 with 257 strikeouts last year to help Humboldt State reach the national championship, where the Jacks fell to North Alabama in three games. Ranked No. 2 in the country in the NFCA Division II poll -- right behind nemesis NAU -- the veteran group of Williams, Hollingsworth, and Holland is once again looking to take Humboldt State on a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
(Photo by Sebastian Hedberg)
With Williams continuing to dominate on the mound, Hollingsworth has evolved into Humboldt's top power hitter despite being a middle infielder. She batted .377 last year with a team-leading 58 RBIs and 12 home runs. And like her fellow senior, Hollingsworth was an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association first-team selection.
Meanwhile, Holland, a junior, was the CCAA Player of the Year in 2016, leading Humboldt in batting average, hits, runs, and walks -- and setting the conference record with 70 stolen bases.
Hollingsworth certainly doesn't mind having her longtime teammate atop the Jacks' order.
"It's great," Hollingsworth said. "I've played with Hannah for four or five years now. We played travel ball together. I know what to expect from her, and she knows what to expect from me. If she gets on base, she expects me to hit her in, and if she doesn't get on base, I'm going to pick her up."
The Jacks are no strangers to being among the elite. They have won a pair of national titles and taken home the CCAA crown 21 times. Already this year, Humboldt State has jumped out to a 5-0 start, winning by a combined score of 55-10. After the Jacks recently won the Desert String tournament title, the challenge is not letting all the early-season success go to their heads.
"I don't think we think about it too much," Hollingsworth said. "We just play, and it happens. We know that we are a good team and we have a lot of depth, so we go out there and just play our game. If we lose, we learn from it. And if we win, we learn from that, too."
By Marc Raimondi