Hailey Decker Season 2014

Career Capsule
Hailey Decker started every game at second base for Nebraska as a freshman in 2013 and 2014. Before transferring to be closer to home, Decker enjoyed one of the most productive two-year careers in school history, while helping the Huskers to back-to-back NCAA Super Regional appearances, including a trip to the 2013 Women's College World Series.

During an outstanding sophomore season, Decker was one of only three players nationally to produce 20 doubles, 10 homers and 50 RBIs in 2014. A first-team all-conference and all-region selection as a sophomore, Decker ranked fourth nationally in doubles and sixth in extra-base hits in2 014.

A native of Keizer, Ore., Decker boasted a .314 average in her two-year Husker career, slugging 34 doubles and 20 home runs, while producing 82 RBIs. Her 34 doubles and 54 extra-base hits both ranked as the second-highest totals in program history by a Husker following their freshman and sophomore seasons at NU. Decker also produced the fourth-highest combined freshman and sophomore totals at Nebraska for home runs, RBIs and runs (78) and the fifth-highest hit (121) total.

Sophomore Season [2014]
Decker was one of the nation’s top performers at second base as a sophomore in 2014, starting every game at the position for the second straight year. Although she came up just of All-America accolades, Decker was a first-team NFCA All-Midwest Region selection, and she also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. She became the first Husker second baseman to be a first-team all-region honoree since All-American Anne Steffan in 2005. Overall, Decker joined Steffan and three-time All-American Jennifer Lizama as the only Nebraska second basemen to earn first-team all-region recognition as an underclassmen.

Decker produced some of the top freshman totals in school history in 2013, and she exceeded each of those totals to put together one of the greatest sophomore seasons in Husker history. Decker led the team with a .369 average, 80 hits, 21 doubles and 53 RBIs in 2014, a noteworthy achievement considering the Husker lineup featured a pair of two-time All-America hitters. Decker was also second on the team with 51 runs scored, and she ranked third with 14 homers and a .659 slugging percentage.

One year after producing three of Nebraska’s top eight freshman marks in doubles (13), home runs (6) and RBIs (29), Decker nearly doubled each of those totals as a sophomore. Her 21 doubles tied for the second-highest total in school history, while her 14 home runs tied for eighth and her 53 RBIs also ranked eighth. Among Husker sophomores, Decker produced the most doubles, the second-most homers and the third-most RBIs. Decker also produced 35 extra-base hits in 2014, a total that ranked second overall in school history.

Decker’s impressive totals not only ranked highly in Husker history, but also among the best individual totals nationally in 2014. Decker ranked fourth nationally among all hitters in doubles, sixth in extra base hits, 42nd in RBIs, 54th in home runs and 55th in runs. She was one of only three players nationally to produce 20 doubles, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 2014, and the only underclassmen to reach each of those marks. Decker was also one of only six players nationally to produce 20 doubles in 2014, one of just nine players to produce 35 extra-base hits and one of only 23 players to score 50 runs and drive in 50 runs. Among Husker hitters, Decker joined three-time All-American Ali Viola as the only players in school history to total 20 doubles, 10 homers and 50 RBIs in the same season. Decker and Viola are also the only Huskers to produce 35 extra-base hits in a season and record 50 runs and 50 RBIs in a season.

Decker was Nebraska’s top clutch hitter in 2014, owning a team-best .397 batting average with runners in scoring position. She also led NU with a .367 batting average with two outs and 19 two-out RBIs. Decker’s 25 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI efforts were also team highs, while her season-best 14-game hitting streak was the second-longest of any Husker in 2014. She also added a game-winning, walk-off single against No. 12 Texas A&M on Feb. 21. Decker was consistently productive all season, but she took her game to another level during the second half of the season.

Her strong finish began with an outstanding performance the final week of March, when she was honored as the Big Ten Player of the Week. The week began with a 2-for-4 performance at UNO that included a grand slam and a career-high six RBIs. Decker then went 7-for-11 with a double, two home runs and seven runs scored in Nebraska’s series victory at No. 23 Northwestern, including a school-record four runs scored in game two of the series. That weekend propelled Decker to one of the Big Ten’s most productive conference seasons. Decker batted .443 in league play with eight doubles, six homers and 23 RBIs. She tied for the Big Ten lead with 35 hits in conference play, while ranking second in average and second in runs (27). Decker averaged more than one hit, one run and one RBI per game during Nebraska’s 23-game conference schedule.

Decker’s conference season was merely a prelude to an outstanding NCAA Tournament. Decker hit .429 (12-for-28) during the postseason with four doubles, five homers and 10 RBIs in only seven games. She was simply outstanding in leading Nebraska to the NCAA Columbia (Mo.) Regional title. Decker was 10-for-20 with three doubles, five home runs and 10 RBIs in five games at the regional. She enjoyed a career day on May 18, when Nebraska twice defeated No. 15 Missouri to win the regional championship. Decker homered in the first inning of each game to give the Huskers an early lead, and she finished the day 5-for-8 with four home runs and eight RBIs. She produced two home runs in each game, the only two multi-homer games of her career. Decker finished with five home runs in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first Husker to hit more than two home runs in a single postseason.

She added two hits, including another double against No. 2 Alabama and four-time All-America pitcher Jaclyn Traina in the NCAA Super Regional. Decker finished the 2014 NCAA Tournament tied for the national lead with four doubles, while ranking second in total bases (31), third in home runs (5) and fifth in RBIs (10). Each of the players ranked ahead of her in doubles, total bases, homers and RBIs benefitted from extra games played at the Women’s College World Series.

Decker was also perfect defensively in 33 chances at second base during the NCAA Tournament. Overall, she posted a .964 fielding percentage as a sophomore.

In addition to her excellence on the field, Decker was an academic All-Big Ten selection, and she earned a spot on the 2014 Tom Osborne Citizenship Team.

Freshman Season [2013]
Decker started all 61 games at second base for NU in 2013, and she put together one of the finest statistical seasons by a freshman in school history. Decker hit .244 and produced six homers, 13 doubles and 29 RBIs. She tied for 10th in the Big Ten in doubles and was third on the team in RBIs.

Decker ranked highly among past Husker freshman standouts. Her 13 doubles were the third-most by a freshman in school history, and her six home runs and 29 RBIs both ranked eighth on Nebraska’s all-time freshman chart. She put herself in elite company, as four of the seven players ahead of her on the NU freshman home run and RBI lists went on to become All-Americans. Decker also produced 19 extra-base hits, another total that ranked among the top 10 freshman marks in Husker history. Decker’s power helped her slug .429. She also drew 19 walks and struck out just 12 times, averaging fewer strikeouts per at bat than any other Husker and among the league leaders in the Big Ten. She posted 11 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI efforts, while also drawing multiple walks in five contests.

A highly-regarded recruit, Decker put her potential on full display on the first day of the season. She opened her career with a two-run home run in her first at bat against Illinois-Chicago, becoming the third player in school history to homer in her first career at bat. She finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the season opener, before going 3-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI in the second game of the day at New Mexico State. Her two doubles against the Aggies marked one of four games in 2013 where Decker produced more than one extra-base hit. Two weeks later, Decker put together her first perfect effort at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs against Maryland. She then slugged a double and a homer while producing two RBIs the next weekend at Oklahoma State.

Decker’s numbers increased during the Big Ten portion of Nebraska’s schedule, when she hit .293 with six doubles, a homer and 13 RBIs. Her biggest hit of the conference season was in the rubber match against No. 9 Michigan, when she hit a go-ahead three-run homer with Nebraska trailing in the bottom of the sixth inning. She finished 2-for-3 in the game with a double, a homer and three RBIs as the Huskers won the season series over the Wolverines. Decker also excelled in the postseason. She slugged two doubles in Nebraska’s Women’s College World Series-clinching victory at Oregon, her home state school. Then in Oklahoma City, Decker ignited Nebraska’s comeback from a four-run deficit against No. 2 Florida with a fifth-inning solo home run.

Defensively, Decker’s quickness and strong arm played a key role in Nebraska leading the nation with a school-record 49 double plays. She posted a .967 fielding percentage on the year and did not commit an error in 22 of her final 24 games.

Before Nebraska
Decker was a four-time all-state selection and two-time Oregon Offensive Player of the Year at McNary High School in Keizer, Ore. On the national level, Decker was one of 42 athletes invited to try out for the U.S. Junior National Team in the spring of 2010. Decker was one of the youngest players invited to try out, as most of the invitees had completed their high school careers, including current Husker senior Taylor Edwards.

In her four-year high school career, Decker posted a .599 batting average with 43 doubles, 12 triples, 27 home runs and 150 RBIs. She added 50 stolen bases on 55 attempts and posted a .709 on-base percentage and a 1.031 slugging percentage.

As a senior, Decker batted .633 with 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 31 RBIs. She also added 12 stolen bases and 41 runs scored. Decker walked 25 times as a senior and was limited to only 60 at bats. She was selected as Oregon’s top hitter for the second straight season and was named the Oregon Class 6A Player of the Year.

As a junior in 2011, Decker was widely regarded as Oregon’s top hitter. Despite being pitched around and drawing 28 walks, Decker batted .642 with seven doubles, five triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs, 40 runs scored, a .735 on-base percentage and a 1.254 slugging percentage. Her speed was also on display, as she stole 18 bases. Her coach, Jeff Auvinen, estimated that Decker was intentionally walked 20 times. Decker put up her impressive numbers despite battling an arm injury that limited her to hitting-only duties for part of the year. For her efforts, she earned recognition as the Oregon co-player of the year in Class 6A, the state’s largest classification. Decker also earned Central Valley Conference player-of-the-year honors for the second straight season.

As a sophomore in 2010, Decker hit .538 with six doubles, two triples, 13 home runs, 45 RBIs, 42 runs scored and a 1.077 slugging percentage. She was the conference player of the year, in addition to being a first-team all-state selection.

Decker burst onto the scene as a freshman, batting .538 with 12 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 25 runs scored and 31 RBIs. She also posted a .954 slugging percentage and .557 on-base percentage, while helping McNary to the second round of the state playoffs. McNary made four state tournament appearances during Decker’s career.

Decker played her club ball for the Northwest Bullets, the same team as Husker senior Kylee Muir. Decker earned invites to the adidas Futures National Camp and the OnDeck Softball National Elite Futures Camp in 2009.
    
Personal
Hailey Cassandra Decker is the daughter of Steve and Maite Decker and was born on March 31, 1994, in Salem, Ore. She has a younger sister Cammie (16). Hailey’s father was a former major league catcher who played for the San Francisco Giants, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Steve Decker also managed the Fresno Grizzlies, the Triple-A affiliate of the Giants, for two seasons in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, he became the Coordinator of Minor League Hitting Instruction for the Giants’ organization. Both of Hailey’s parents were All-Americans at Lewis-Clark State, an NAIA school in Lewiston, Idaho. Hailey’s mother, Maite, was also an academic All-American volleyball player for the Warriors. Hailey is a psychology major.

In the classroom, Hailey earned a spot on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in each of her first two semesters.

Year	Avg.	GP-GS	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	OB%	SLG%	SB-ATT	FLD%
2013	.244	61-61	168	27	41	13	0	6	29	19	12	.319	.429	2-5	.967
2014	.369	62-62	217	51	80	21	0	14	53	11	24	.403	.659	4-5	.964
Total	.314	123-123	385	78	121	34	0	20	82	30	36	.365	.558	6-10	.966