Assistant Softball Coach Kellyn Tate is entering her second season with the Vikings. Tate joined the Portland State staff on July 1, 2009.
Tate came to the Park Blocks from Miami (Ohio), where she spent the past three seasons as the lead assistant and worked with the team's hitters and outfielders. Tate serves in the same capacity at PSU and also handles recruiting duties and scheduling the team's travel.
In her first season with the Vikings, Tate coached freshman outfielder Sadie Lopez to honorable mention All-PCSC Mountain Division honors and also was instrumental in the PSU offense setting a new school single-season record with 68 doubles. Portland State's .976 fielding percentage in PCSC play led all conference teams and a big part of it was Tate's outfielders committing just three errors in 20 games.
The 2010 Viking squad finished the year 30-27 and captured the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division title with a school-record 18-2 mark.
When Tate joined the PSU staff, she was reunited with Vikings Head Coach Tobin Echo-Hawk. The two played professional softball together in the late 90s with the Akron Racers.
At the time of Tate's hiring, Echo-Hawk commented: "We are very excited to have someone with Kellyn's experience on our staff. She brings enthusiasm and passion for the game of softball, and she has a tremendous amount of knowledge that will benefit our players."
While at Miami (Ohio), Tate assisted in the team setting four offensive school records in 2007, including at-bats, RBI, walks and hits. In 2008, five Redhawk hitters were named to All-MAC teams, including a program record four to the first team.
This past season the Redhawks went 33-24 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. They picked up the school's first-ever NCAA tourney win with a 5-4 victory over Cleveland State.
Prior to her time with the Redhawks, Tate spent three seasons at Texas Tech (2003-06) and three at Penn State (1998-2001).
During Tate's time at Penn State, the Nittany Lions posted three-straight 30-win seasons and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and 2001. She coached five all-conference players, including Karen Gulini, Penn State's first NFCA All-American since 1985.
A 1998 graduate of the University of Michigan, Tate played two years in the WPSL, a professional softball league. She spent the 1998 season with the WPSL Champion Orlando Wahoos, and was the league batting champion in 1999 with the Akron Racers.
Additionally, Tate participated in several tryouts for the U.S. National team throughout her career, and also played in the National Pro Fastpitch league with the Sacramento Sunbirds in 2004.
As a player at Michigan, Tate helped lead the Wolverines to three Big Ten regular season titles, four Big Ten Tournament Championships, and to the Women's College World Series all four years. She was a two-time NFCA All-American, and a three-time All-Great Lakes Region and All-Big Ten Conference honoree.
Tate earned her bachelor's degree in sports management and communications from Michigan in 1998, where she was honored with Michigan's athletic achievement award for having consecutive grade-point averages of 3.0. Tate then earned her master's degree in higher education from Texas Tech in 2003.
