St. Thomas University softball gets a recruiting boost from a former baseball star
Ben Ancheff was once the hefty pitcher who gained national notoriety for leading St. Thomas University to the NAIA World Series, finishing in second place.
Now — exactly one decade later — Ancheff is still paying dividends for STU athletics.
Ancheff, 33, is the athletic director at Williams Valley High in Tower City, Pennsylvania. As such, he recommended ex-Williams Valley outfielder Mya Achenbach to STU softball coach JC Gutierrez, who was a baseball assistant when the Bobcats made that 2015 run to the World Series.
It has turned out to be a great call by Ancheff.
Achenbach is the leading hitter on a Bobcats team that is 47-6 and ranked 16th in the nation. On Wednesday, NAIA officials will announce where the Bobcats will open the 48-team national playoffs.
In the meantime, Achenbach tops the Bobcats in batting average (.377); on-base percentage (.438) and steals (15 for 16).
She has also has eight homers and a 1.073 OPS.
'Mya should be in [NCAA] Division I,' Gutierrez said. 'But she had an arm injury before she got here, and that [disrupted] things with D1 schools.'
Ancheff, who went viral after a story in the Miami Herald one decade ago, said he is still battling his weight issues at about the same size he was during his STU days — 330 pounds on a 6-1 frame.
However, he said he has actually lost weight from his most unhealthy point at 420 pounds, and he is even more aware of his situation now that he is the father of a son, Finnley, 4, and a daughter, Fallon, 1.
As for Achenbach, Ancheff said he knew she was special since her days at Williams Valley. In four years there, she won two state titles and one award as Pennsylvania Player of the Year. Her team also finished second at state twice.
But when Achenbach got no softball offers after high school, she quit the sport and joined the Air Force.
Ancheff, though, helped get her to the State College of Florida for junior college ball, and that led to the Bobcats, who are on a roll the past few years
Since making the switch from baseball assistant to softball head coach in 2021, Gutierrez had led the Bobcats to more wins each year he has been on the job.
That first season, STU finished 14-11. Since then, the Bobcats have gone 21-23; 35-18; 40-12; and 47-6 this season, shattering the program record for wins.
This year's team is led by pitcher Anna Toon, a Montana native who is 21-2 with a 1.24 ERA.
'She wanted to find the sun,' Gutierrez joked when asked why Toon came to Florida.
Toon, who is also a steady hitter (.317 batting average), praised Achenbach's contributions to the Bobcats.
'As our leadoff hitter, Mya sets the tone with her grit, mental toughness and athleticism,' Toon said. 'Her military background brings a rare and valuable form of leadership that few programs have.'
Other STU standouts include outfielder Kaitlynn Martinez (.366 batting average); first baseman Gabriella Gilbert (.347 batting average from the cleanup position); and shortstop Victoria Navarro (.339 batting average).
Navarro is also 14-2 with a 1.76 ERA as a pitcher.
Achenbach said she feels confident in the Bobcats, especially when Toon is on the mound.
'She's a different breed,' Achenbach said. 'I know she'll get it done.'
THIS AND THAT
▪ FIU's baseball team (26-22) has been on a crazy ride. The Panthers had lost five in a row before a win over Miami ignited a four-game win streak. Now, the Panthers will take a four-game losing skid to Wednesday's game at Miami.
The Hurricanes (29-18) are one of the hottest teams in the ACC at 14-9 in league play, but they need to beat FIU on Wednesday to split their four-game season series.
▪ In the NCAA Division II softball playoffs, Nova Southeastern University (38-14) will face Barry (35--18) in the opening game of the South 1 Region, which will start this Thursday. Top-seeded Tampa (40-8) is the host, and Spring Hill (31-21) is the fourth seed. It's a double-elimination tournament.
NSU, which is on a seven-game win streak, has made the NCAA playoffs four straight years. The Sharks also took two of of three games from host Barry back in February.
▪ FIU's women's tennis team lost to 25th-ranked Stanford 4-1 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Lubbock, Texas. FIU won the doubles point before losing four straight singles matches.
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