Central Michigan University Athletics
Softball
McCall Salmon
- Title:
- Head Coach
- E-Mail Address:
- mccall.salmon@cmich.edu
- Phone:
- (989) 774-6688
- Year at CMU:
- 8th
- Hometown:
- Grand Ledge, Mich.
- Alma Mater/Year:
- Aquinas/2007
- Experience:
- 19th year (14th as HC)
McCall Salmon was named to head the Central Michigan softball program in June 2019.
Salmon had major shoes to fill in taking over for the legendary Margo Jonker, who led the program for 40 years (1980-2019), becoming an iconic name in college softball coaching circles.
Salmon notched her first victory as the Chippewas’ coach on Feb. 21, 2020, when CMU downed Austin Peay, 4-3, in Athens, Ga. CMU finished the abbreviated 2020 season 6-13, winning four of its final six games.
In year two, Salmon led CMU to 18 Mid-American Conference wins, including finishing the season on a tear, taking nine of the last 11 conference games. Freshman outfielder Abbey Tolmie burst onto the scene, leading CMU in batting average (.355), runs (34) and hits (54) en route to earning Second Team All-MAC honors. Another freshman, Grace Lehto, led Central Michigan in the circle, recording a team best 11 wins and 107 strikeouts in 122.0 innings pitched.
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The 2022 season was a 27-win season for Salmon and the Chippewas in her third year at the helm of the program, making the Mid-American Conference for a second straight year under her leadership. Central Michigan posted a .970 fielding percentage on the season which was top 50 in the nation. Salmon was name MAC Coach of the year for the 2022 season. The Chippewas finished with a 18-11 conference record, highlighted by an 11-game winning streak from April 12 – April 26, 2023.
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In 2023, Salmon led Team 45 to their third straight Mid-American Conference Tournament appearance and a 29-win season. A .977 team fielding percentage landed the Chippewas as the 14th best fielding percentage in the country. The Chippewas finished with a 18-11 conference record, highlighted by an 11-game winning streak from April 12 – April 26, 2023.
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The 2024 season brought the Chippewas back to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the fourth straight year under Salmon and her staff. An incredibly rigorous pre-season stretch for the Chippewas was highlighted by an extra innings battle with No. 23 Arizona in Tucson. The Chippewas won 13 conference games, including handing Miami (OH) their only loss of the 2024 MAC Season.
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Some freshmen standouts proved themselves in the 2024 season, most notably Carly Sleeman. Sleeman recorded 19 doubles on the season, two short of breaking the program record in just her first year. The program graduated eight seniors – two redshirt-seniors and six four-year seniors. Abbey Tolmie and Grace Lehto were among those seniors who graduated with a plethora of academic and athletic records.
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In 2025, Team 47 charted milestones that set new records in CMU Softball history. The Chippewas finished with a 26-25 record, 17-8 in MAC play, and made their fifth tournament appearance under Coach Salmon – the 14th consecutive for the Chippewa Softball program.
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Salmon earned her 100th win as the leader of CMU on February 8th with an 8-0 (6 inn.) win over Tennessee State. The Chippewas charted two wins over power conference opponents in 2025, grabbing a win over Northwestern on February 28th (4-2), and over Michigan State on March 26th (4-0), in East Lansing.
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The 2025 squad had an offensive season that set new records in runs scored (281), RBI (259), walks drawn (198) and sacrifice flies in a single season (19). The Chippewas drew the most walks, charted 81 doubles which was good for 2nd best in the conference, and recorded a .970 fielding percentage, also 2nd best. The team batting average of .304 was 3rd best in the MAC, along with their 258 RBI and the team strikeout total was also the 3rd best in the conference (197). In MAC play, the Chippewas had a .417 on-base percentage, which led the conference.
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Carly Sleeman’s 50 RBI in 2025 set a new program record, and her 17 home runs tied the record set by Shannon Stein in 2022, also under Salmon’s leadership.
CMU had two First Team All-MAC honorees, Mackenzie Langan and Carly Sleeman, Grace Koenig and London Williams earned second team honors, and Williams and Maddison Diekman were named to the All-Freshman Team.
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Williams is just the third player to earn All-MAC recognition and be on the All-Freshman Team in program history.
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In the 2026 season, Central Michigan made its 15th straight appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
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The team boasted the highest team batting average in program history (.325), the most runs (285), the most hits (450) and most RBI (268).
On February 22nd, the team defeated Minnesota for Salmon’s fourth win over a power conference team, and her third in the Big Ten.
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Cierra Laska, a 2026 senior tallied the most saves in a single season by any pitcher in program history (7), collecting it in the victory at Ohio (3/28/26). Salmon’s team completed the sweep over Western Michigan in April. In her tenure at Central Michigan, Salmon is 14-3 against the Broncos, outscoring the in-state rival 98-25 in her 17 meetings.
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The Chippewas charted 21 games with 10 or more hits, had 7 10 or more run games and ended the season leading the conference with a .975 fielding percentage. Eight of the consistent starters for Team 48 hit .300+ through the season.
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Senior Angela Petrovitch led that charge hitting .397 and Alexa Carter hit .313 with a .462 slugging percentage, 24 walks and 10 home runs. Both Carter and Petrovitch were named Second Team All-MAC at the conclusion of the season.
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In the Mid-American Conference Tournament, sophomore London Williams emerged and was named to the All-MAC Tournament Team. In the tournament, Williams hit .625, slugged 1.500 had six RBI, two home runs and tallied an OPS of 2.227.
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Salmon coached at Davenport University in Grand Rapids from 2014-19, posting a 235-63 record (a .788 winning percentage) and leading the program through a successful transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
In 2019, Salmon led Davenport to a 32-21 record and a second-consecutive runner-up finish in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She led the Panthers to a 35-21 finish in 2018.
Prior to the move to Division II, Davenport was the preeminent program in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, winning four-consecutive conference regular-season and tournament titles from 2014-17, and advancing to the national tournament in each of those years.
Salmon guided the Panthers to an NAIA World Series berth in 2017 and she twice earned the WHAC Coach of the Year Award.
In two NCAA Division II years with Salmon at the helm, six Panthers earned First Team All-GLIAC honors and three were recognized as all-region. Prior to the move to Division II, Salmon coached five NAIA All-Americans, three players who earned the WHAC Newcomer of the Year Award, two WHAC Players of the Year, and two WHAC Pitchers of the Year at Davenport.
Salmon’s Panther squads were also strong academically, posting a team grade point average of 3.40 or better over six consecutive seasons.
Salmon served as an assistant coach at Davenport from 2008-13, working with the program from its beginnings. She helped lead the Panthers to two league regular-season titles and two conference tournament crowns.
Salmon was a first baseman/utility player at Aquinas, playing on three-consecutive WHAC championships from 2005-07. She earned all-conference honors three times in her career and served as a team captain during her final two seasons. She received the prestigious Helen Louise Brogger Award, which goes to Aquinas’ top female athlete.
Salmon earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in business administration and sport management from Aquinas. Salmon and her husband Paul have two children, Colt and Kayla.
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Salmon had major shoes to fill in taking over for the legendary Margo Jonker, who led the program for 40 years (1980-2019), becoming an iconic name in college softball coaching circles.
Salmon notched her first victory as the Chippewas’ coach on Feb. 21, 2020, when CMU downed Austin Peay, 4-3, in Athens, Ga. CMU finished the abbreviated 2020 season 6-13, winning four of its final six games.
In year two, Salmon led CMU to 18 Mid-American Conference wins, including finishing the season on a tear, taking nine of the last 11 conference games. Freshman outfielder Abbey Tolmie burst onto the scene, leading CMU in batting average (.355), runs (34) and hits (54) en route to earning Second Team All-MAC honors. Another freshman, Grace Lehto, led Central Michigan in the circle, recording a team best 11 wins and 107 strikeouts in 122.0 innings pitched.
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The 2022 season was a 27-win season for Salmon and the Chippewas in her third year at the helm of the program, making the Mid-American Conference for a second straight year under her leadership. Central Michigan posted a .970 fielding percentage on the season which was top 50 in the nation. Salmon was name MAC Coach of the year for the 2022 season. The Chippewas finished with a 18-11 conference record, highlighted by an 11-game winning streak from April 12 – April 26, 2023.
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In 2023, Salmon led Team 45 to their third straight Mid-American Conference Tournament appearance and a 29-win season. A .977 team fielding percentage landed the Chippewas as the 14th best fielding percentage in the country. The Chippewas finished with a 18-11 conference record, highlighted by an 11-game winning streak from April 12 – April 26, 2023.
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The 2024 season brought the Chippewas back to the Mid-American Conference Tournament for the fourth straight year under Salmon and her staff. An incredibly rigorous pre-season stretch for the Chippewas was highlighted by an extra innings battle with No. 23 Arizona in Tucson. The Chippewas won 13 conference games, including handing Miami (OH) their only loss of the 2024 MAC Season.
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Some freshmen standouts proved themselves in the 2024 season, most notably Carly Sleeman. Sleeman recorded 19 doubles on the season, two short of breaking the program record in just her first year. The program graduated eight seniors – two redshirt-seniors and six four-year seniors. Abbey Tolmie and Grace Lehto were among those seniors who graduated with a plethora of academic and athletic records.
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In 2025, Team 47 charted milestones that set new records in CMU Softball history. The Chippewas finished with a 26-25 record, 17-8 in MAC play, and made their fifth tournament appearance under Coach Salmon – the 14th consecutive for the Chippewa Softball program.
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Salmon earned her 100th win as the leader of CMU on February 8th with an 8-0 (6 inn.) win over Tennessee State. The Chippewas charted two wins over power conference opponents in 2025, grabbing a win over Northwestern on February 28th (4-2), and over Michigan State on March 26th (4-0), in East Lansing.
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The 2025 squad had an offensive season that set new records in runs scored (281), RBI (259), walks drawn (198) and sacrifice flies in a single season (19). The Chippewas drew the most walks, charted 81 doubles which was good for 2nd best in the conference, and recorded a .970 fielding percentage, also 2nd best. The team batting average of .304 was 3rd best in the MAC, along with their 258 RBI and the team strikeout total was also the 3rd best in the conference (197). In MAC play, the Chippewas had a .417 on-base percentage, which led the conference.
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Carly Sleeman’s 50 RBI in 2025 set a new program record, and her 17 home runs tied the record set by Shannon Stein in 2022, also under Salmon’s leadership.
CMU had two First Team All-MAC honorees, Mackenzie Langan and Carly Sleeman, Grace Koenig and London Williams earned second team honors, and Williams and Maddison Diekman were named to the All-Freshman Team.
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Williams is just the third player to earn All-MAC recognition and be on the All-Freshman Team in program history.
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In the 2026 season, Central Michigan made its 15th straight appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
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The team boasted the highest team batting average in program history (.325), the most runs (285), the most hits (450) and most RBI (268).
On February 22nd, the team defeated Minnesota for Salmon’s fourth win over a power conference team, and her third in the Big Ten.
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Cierra Laska, a 2026 senior tallied the most saves in a single season by any pitcher in program history (7), collecting it in the victory at Ohio (3/28/26). Salmon’s team completed the sweep over Western Michigan in April. In her tenure at Central Michigan, Salmon is 14-3 against the Broncos, outscoring the in-state rival 98-25 in her 17 meetings.
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The Chippewas charted 21 games with 10 or more hits, had 7 10 or more run games and ended the season leading the conference with a .975 fielding percentage. Eight of the consistent starters for Team 48 hit .300+ through the season.
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Senior Angela Petrovitch led that charge hitting .397 and Alexa Carter hit .313 with a .462 slugging percentage, 24 walks and 10 home runs. Both Carter and Petrovitch were named Second Team All-MAC at the conclusion of the season.
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In the Mid-American Conference Tournament, sophomore London Williams emerged and was named to the All-MAC Tournament Team. In the tournament, Williams hit .625, slugged 1.500 had six RBI, two home runs and tallied an OPS of 2.227.
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Salmon coached at Davenport University in Grand Rapids from 2014-19, posting a 235-63 record (a .788 winning percentage) and leading the program through a successful transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
In 2019, Salmon led Davenport to a 32-21 record and a second-consecutive runner-up finish in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She led the Panthers to a 35-21 finish in 2018.
Prior to the move to Division II, Davenport was the preeminent program in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference, winning four-consecutive conference regular-season and tournament titles from 2014-17, and advancing to the national tournament in each of those years.
Salmon guided the Panthers to an NAIA World Series berth in 2017 and she twice earned the WHAC Coach of the Year Award.
In two NCAA Division II years with Salmon at the helm, six Panthers earned First Team All-GLIAC honors and three were recognized as all-region. Prior to the move to Division II, Salmon coached five NAIA All-Americans, three players who earned the WHAC Newcomer of the Year Award, two WHAC Players of the Year, and two WHAC Pitchers of the Year at Davenport.
Salmon’s Panther squads were also strong academically, posting a team grade point average of 3.40 or better over six consecutive seasons.
Salmon served as an assistant coach at Davenport from 2008-13, working with the program from its beginnings. She helped lead the Panthers to two league regular-season titles and two conference tournament crowns.
Salmon was a first baseman/utility player at Aquinas, playing on three-consecutive WHAC championships from 2005-07. She earned all-conference honors three times in her career and served as a team captain during her final two seasons. She received the prestigious Helen Louise Brogger Award, which goes to Aquinas’ top female athlete.
Salmon earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in business administration and sport management from Aquinas. Salmon and her husband Paul have two children, Colt and Kayla.
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| SEASON | OVERALL RECORD | CONFERENCE RECORD | WIN PERCENTAGE |
| 2014 | 38-10 (Davenport) | 16-2 (WHAC) | .791 |
| 2015 | 42-10 (Davenport) | 15-3 (WHAC) | .808 |
| 2016 | 39-12 (Davenport) | 15-3 (WHAC) | .765 |
| 2017 | 49-10 (Davenport) | 16-4 (WHAC) | .831 |
| 2018 | 35-21 (Davenport) | 17-13 (GLIAC) | .625 |
| 2019 | 32-21 (Davenport) | 22-10 (GLIAC) | .604 |
| 2020 | 6-13 (CMU) * COVID | N/A | .316 |
| 2021 | 20-28 (CMU) | 18-20 (MAC) | .417 |
| 2022 | 27-26 (CMU) | 17-11 (MAC) | .509 |
| 2023 | 29-26 | 18-11 (MAC) | .527 |
| 2024 | 17-33 | 13-12 (MAC) | .340 |
| 2025 | 26-25 | 17-8 (MAC) | .510 |
| 2026 | 25-24 | 15-11 (MAC) | .510 |
| CAREER | 385-249 | 199-108 | .648 |
Tuesday, May 05
Monday, April 27
Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 25
