Stacy Payton

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Kirk Meche

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Photo by: Tessa Mortensen

Position:
Catcher / Infield
Height:
6-0
Class:
Senior
High School:
Northview
Hometown:
Brazil, Ind.

CAREER NOTES ENTERING 2021 SEASON
• 2019 NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team
• 2019 First Team All-Mid-American Conference
• Two-Time Career MAC Player of the Week (May 7, 2019 & Feb. 25. 2020)
• 2019 Academic All-MAC
• 2019 MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete
• Two-Time Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete (2017-18 & 2018-19)
• Played in 136 of a possible 137 games over her career, earning 134 starts, with 93 coming at third base, 15 at second base, 13 at catcher, seven at first base and six at shortstop
• Her three home runs and eight RBI in the May 7, 2019 win over Oakland were both program records
• Has drove in nine game-winning RBI and scored nine game-winning runs over her Ball State career
• On Ball State’s Career Charts: 7th in slugging percentage (.568), T-7th in times hit by a pitch (18), T-10th in home runs (20), 12th in on base percentage (.408), T-12th in doubles (33), 14th in RBI (99), 19th in assists (244)
• On Ball State’s Single Season Charts (highest ranking only): 4th in slugging percentage (.833 in 2020), 6th in on base percentage (.495 in 2020), T-7th in batting average (.400 in 2020), T-7th in sacrifice flies (3 in 2019), T-10th in assists (129 in 2019), T-12th in times hit by a pitch (7 in 2019 & 2020), T-17th in home runs (9 in 2019), T-18th in RBI (43 in 2019), T-18th in doubles (13 in 2020)

2020 (Jr.): The season was shortened to 27 games due to the COVID-19 global pandemic … earned third letter at Ball State … MAC Player of the Week (Feb. 25) … started all 27 games, making 13 starts as catcher, six at third base, five at first base and three at second base … led the Mid-American Conference in nearly every offensive statistical category; hits (36), doubles (13), home runs (8), RBI (35), total bases (75) and slugging percentage (.833) … finished the year with a .400 batting average to become just the eighth player in program history, and first since the 2014 season, to finish the year with a .400-or-better batting average … registered at least one hit in 20 games, including a team-best eight-game hitting streak starting with three hits versus Indiana State (Feb. 21) and ending with a hit versus LIU (Feb. 29) … collected multiple hits in nine games, including a her first two career four-hit games … tallied multiple RBI in eight games … also drew 10 walks and was hit by a pitch seven times for a .495 on base percentage … scored 19 runs on the year … drove in three game-winning RBI and scored three game-winning runs … opened the season with a solo home run versus UTSA (Feb. 7) … collected three hits at No. 8 Louisiana (Feb. 7), including a first inning double and a seventh inning RBI single, while also drawing a walk … her second home run of the season was a two-run blast to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Feb. 9) … credited with her first career four-hit game in the win at Jacksonville (Feb. 14), going 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles, her third home run of the season, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored … also scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the contest after leading off the third inning with a double … scored the game-winning run vs. Green Bay (Feb. 21) after drawing a walk in the first inning … opened her eight-game hitting streak versus Indiana State with a bang, going 3-for-4 on the day with a fourth inning grand slam and a fifth inning two-run shot for a season-high six RBIs … added four RBIs in the second win over Green Bay (Feb. 22), with a two-run double in the third inning and a two-run single in the fourth inning … collected her sixth home run of the season in the come-from-behind victory over Indiana State (Feb. 23) in the championship game of the Hilltopper Classic, sparking a six-run seventh inning with a two-run blast … went 3-for-3 with a walk and was hit by a pitch in the win over Longwood, scoring three runs and driving in three RBI, with her second-inning two-run home run driving herself in for what proved to be the game-winning tally … went 4-for-4 in the second game victory at Bethune-Cookman (March 4), driving in five RBIs including what proved to be the game-winning marker with a two-run homer in the first inning for her eighth long ball of the year … also had a pair of doubles and scored two runs in the contest … credited with her fourth career triple in the win over Samford (March 8) … had a hand in turning three of the team’s 14 double plays … finished the shortened season with 125 putouts and 20 assist, while committing just three errors for a .967 fielding percentage.

2019 (So.): Earned second letter at Ball State … National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Great Lakes Region Third Team … First Team All-Mid-American Conference … MAC Player of the Week on May 7, 2019 … Academic All-MAC and MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete … Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete … started all 54 games, making 42 starts at third base and 12 starts at second base … led the Ball State offense with a .318 batting average and 43 RBI, while ranking second with 33 runs scored, 11 doubles and nine home runs … also logged a pair of triples … drew 26 walks and was hit by a pitch seven times to give her a .430 on base percentage … set program single-game records with three home runs and eight RBI, including the game-winner, in the May 7 win over Oakland, blasting a two-run home run in the first inning, her first career grand slam in the second inning and another two-run blast in the fourth to give the team to a 10-0 (5) victory … drove in four game-winning RBI and scored five game-winning runs on the year … registered multiple hits in 12 games and multiple RBI in eight … recorded her first game-winning RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the win over Central Arkansas (Feb. 16) … scored the game-winning run later in the day versus Delaware (Feb. 16), going 2-for-2 at the plate with two RBI, a walk and a hit by pitch … went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in the 10-0 win over Northern Colorado (Feb. 22) … drove in what proved to be the game-winning run versus CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 23) with a fifth-inning RBI single … registered her first triple of the season in the 9-1 win over Montana, going 2-for-2 on the day with a walk, hit by pitch, two RBI and a run scored … blasted her first home run of the season versus Penn (March 2) … followed by drawing a pair of walks, tallying a hit and scoring two runs, including the game-winner, versus Furman (March 2) … went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored, including the game-winner, in the 10-0 (5) victory over Georgetown … scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the 10-4 victory over South Dakota (March 15) and capped the scoring in the game with a three-run double … opened league play with an impressive performance versus Akron (March 22), going 3-for-3 at the plate with five RBI, two runs scored, a home run and a double … however, it was her third-inning RBI single which ultimately drove in the game-winning run in the 14-6 (6) victory … followed by scoring the winning run in the opening game of the March 23 doubleheader versus the Zips … also blasted home runs in the first game of a doubleheader at Western Michigan (April 13), in the second game of a doubleheader at Central Michigan (April 26) and in the series finale versus CMU (April 17) … also had three hits in the nightcap versus the Chippewas, including her second triple of the season … her 129 assists on the season tie as the 10th-best single season total in program history … also credited with 63 putouts and finished the season with a .950 fielding percentage.

2018 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … Easton/NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete … played in 55 games, earning 53 starts … made 45 starts at third base, six starts at shortstop and two at first base … finished the season with a .261 batting average, including nine doubles, a triple and three home runs … also drew 11 walks and was hit by a pitch four times for a .327 on base percentage … drove in 21 RBI and scored 15 runs … recorded multiple hits in seven games, while earning multiple RBI in six contests … her first career hit was a single in the sixth inning of the season-opener versus Memphis (Feb. 9) … registered her first of nine doubles on the year in the win over Boston University (Feb. 17) … scored her first collegiate run in the win at ECU (Feb. 24) … followed with a 3-for-3 performance the next day versus Canisius (Feb. 25), with a pair of doubles, two runs scored and her first two career RBI … earned her second career three-hit game against Delaware (March 3) … collected three RBI, a pair of doubles and a pair of runs scored in the win over LIU-Brooklyn … launched her first two career home runs, to go along with a season-high four RBI in the victory over Tennessee State (Feb. 17), with her two-run home run to left-center field in the top of the first giving her both the eventual game-winning RBI and game-winning run scored … also drove in the game-winning RBI in the day’s nightcap win over St. Bonaventure (March 17), going 3-for-3 in the game with three RBI, a double, and a run scored … smashed her third career home run in the first game of a March 31 doubleheader sweep at Akron … put together a season-long five-game hitting streak starting in the opening game at Northern Illinois (April 11) and ending with her first career triple in the series finale versus Western Michigan (April 15) … was also hit by a pitch in the following game at Butler (April 18) to reach base safely in a season-high six consecutive games … recorded at least one hit in 30 games … recorded 65 putouts and 95 assists on defense.

HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in softball at Northview High School for coach Kathy Vossmer … first team all-state as a senior, after earning third team honors her junior season … four-time All-Western Indiana Conference selection for the Knights … team captain as a junior and senior … named team MVP all four seasons, while being named the WTHI Wabash Valley Softball Player of the Year as a senior … finished her senior campaign batting .633 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBI and 32 runs scored … also drew 31 walks and stole seven bases over 24 games her senior season … tallied a .623 batting average her junior year, with 11 doubles, a triple and nine home runs to go along with 44 RBI and 38 runs scored … also drew 33 walks and stole 17 bases her junior campaign … finished her sophomore season with a .506 batting average, including eight doubles, three triples and eight home runs … batted .429 as a freshman with nine doubles, a triple and three home runs … also earned four letters in basketball at Northview, earning all-conference honors her final three seasons … was the team MVP as a junior and senior, averaging 17.5 points as a junior and 25.2 points as a senior … team captain as a junior and senior … played three seasons of club softball with the Indiana Dreams.

PERSONAL: Daughter of Tony and Linda Payton … has one brother, Seth … born Jan. 8, 1999 in Terre Haute, Ind. … full name is Stacy Laine Payton … majoring in chemistry.