Six U-Mary Marauders Softball Players Gain NFCA Academic Honors

October 30, 2007

Bismarck, ND- The University of Mary softball team landed six student-athletes on the 2007 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete Team.  The Marauders earning All-American Scholar Athlete honors are senior Michelle Meza, sophomore Kaitlyn Richardson, and former athletes Kristi Wist, Maureen Tacke, Jessica Olson, and Hatty Rossow.

Wist, a former outfielder for the Marauders, is a two-time NFCA selection. Majoring in clinical lab science and biology, the Saskatoon, SK, native ended her senior year with a .307 BA and committed only one error. Also named to the 2007 NSIC All-Academic team, Kristi is the daughter of John and Nancy Wist.

Tacke, a native of Greenfield, ID, was also an outfielder for the Marauders. Majoring in clinical lab science, Tacke is currently doing her clinical rotations at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Tacke was also named to the 2007 NSIC All-Academic team. She is the daughter of Cliff and Sue Tacke.

Olson, a native of Tacoma, WA, is a first-time selection to the NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete Team.  A pitcher, Olson compiled a 5-2 record with a 4.42 ERA this past season. Olson majored in mathematics and also earned 2007 NSIC All-Academic team honors.  She is the daughter of Steve and Vicki Olson.

Rossow, a Lakefield, MN, native, is a former pitcher for the Marauders and led U-Mary last season with a record of 11-7 and a 2.51 ERA. Rossow was named to the 2007 NSIC All-Academic team and majored in secondary education. She is the daughter of Blake and Gloria Rossow.

Meza is a senior infielder from Sacramento, CA, who finished the 2007 season with a .275 BA. A criminal justice major, Meza was also named to the 2007 NSIC All-Academic team.  She is the daughter of Sara Meza. 

Richardson, a sophomore outfielder from Chandler, AZ, batted .298 and finished the 2007 season with 31 RBI. She also added four home runs. Majoring in business, Kaitlyn is the daughter of Kurt Richardson and Patti Faas.
To be eligible to earn NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors, student-athletes must possess at least a 3.5 GPA.

Boyes Named Head Softball Coach at MSUM

July 31, 2007

Moorhead, Minn. - Kristin Boyes, a member of championship clubs at Southwest Minnesota State University the past two years, has been named head softball coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Doug Peters, Director of Athletics at MSUM, made the announcement today.

Boyes replaces Rhonda Denbow who resigned in May after three seasons as head coach at MSU Moorhead.

A graduate assistant coach at Southwest Minnesota State the past two years, Boyes helped the Mustangs capture back-to-back Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season titles and advance to the NCAA Division II North Central Regional tournament in 2006 and 2007. Prior to joining the staff at SMSU, Boyes was an assistant coach at Dodge City High School in Dodge City, KS in 2005.

Boyes spent two seasons at Dodge City Community College from 2000-2002 as a catcher and designated hitter and was elected captain as a sophomore. She was named to the 2001 Jayhawk Conference honor team and helped Dodge City CC claim the 2002 Region VI title and qualify for the NJCAA National Championships.

She played two years at Emporia (KS) State University and helped the Hornets claim the 2004 MIAA title and advance to the regional tournament. She was named to the MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll as a junior and senior and graduated magna cum laude in 2004.

“Kristin is a good fit for Dragon athletics,” said Peters. “Her passion for the game and overall attitude are qualities I am looking for in all of our coaches. She has played and coached at a high level, and I am expecting the same results from her at MSUM.”

MSU Moorhead finished 33-20 overall and 11-7 in the NSIC last spring.

University of Mary's Ward Earns NFCA All-America Softball Honors

May 17, 2007| Full Release

University of Mary second baseman Meghan Ward was named to the 2007 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II All-America Third Team.

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference batting champion, Ward was the lone NSIC player to earn NFCA All-America honors. A junior from Escondido, Calif., Ward also has earned first-team All-NSIC and NFCA Division II North Central Region honors this season.

The leading hitter in the Northern Sun, Ward topped the NSIC with a .441 batting average. She also leads the conference in runs scored (44). Ward is second in on base percentage (.460), hits (78) and doubles (14—tied with Brunskill) and sixth in total bases (96).

Ward also has a .542 slugging percentage, 32 RBIs, and stole a team-high eight bases in 10 attempts. Ward was particularly effective in conference games, batting an incredible .565 in Northern Sun contests.

Additionally, Ward did not strike out this season in 189 total plate appearances, the best mark in NCAA Division II softball.

U-Mary finished in a fourth-place tie in the Marauders first season competing in the Northern Sun. The Marauders completed the 2007 season 28-22 overall and 10-8 in the NSIC.

NSIC Softball Weekly Release No. 13
Johnson Named to All-Region Team

May 14, 2007| Full Release

St. Paul , Minn. - SW Minnesota State University’s pitcher Amanda Johnson was named to the North Central Regional All-Tournament team which was announced at the conclusion of the four-day long tournament on Sunday, May 13. The squad was voted on by the regional softball committee and consists of 13 student-athletes representing six different schools. There were three seniors, six juniors, a sophomore and three freshman named to the squad. Johnson was the only member from an NSIC school to be selected.

The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award went to catcher Brianna Cataudella of Nebraska-Omaha. Cataudella finished the tournament with a batting average of .667 Johnson, a native of Fremont, Neb., put together a dominate season on the mound for SMSU and broke numerous single season and career records. This spring, she was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year, first team All-NSIC and was named to the Daktronics All-North Central Region First Team. She has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week three times this season and finished with a 27-7 overall record. Johnson also broke the school record for career strikeouts earlier this season and now has a total of 575, which includes 277 this season. She finished the season with a 1.41 ERA in 233.0 innings which includes 31 complete games and 11 shutouts.

Johnson, a second-team NFCA All-North Central Region selection, finished the NCAA Regional Tournament with a 2.71 ERA while striking out 26 batters. She had a 2-2 record after pitching four complete games for a total of 31 innings. Two weekends ago at the NSIC tournament, Johnson broke the school record for career (48) and single season (25) victories. A season ago, Johnson was named second team All-North Central Region by NFCA, NSIC Pitcher of the Year, NSIC Newcomer of the Year and first team All-NSIC.

NCAA Softball - Mustangs End Season With a 4-0 Loss to Emporia State

May 13, 2007| Box Score NCAA Bracket

North Mankato, Minn. - Emporia State University's regional pitcher of the year, Courtney Reed pitched a complete game shutout earning 11 strikeouts to defeat Southwest Minnesota State University in the NCAA Regional Tournament in North Mankato, Minn.

Emporia, last year's national runners-up, will advance to the regional championship tournament game. The Mustangs fall to 38-13 overall with the loss.

ESU was able to take advantage of the wind blowing out as it hit three home runs in the game. Emporia scored three runs in the first inning off of two home runs and a total of four hits. They added their final run in the second inning with another home run.

The Mustangs were held to three hits in the game. Erin Dickhausen, Jessica Donoho and Amanda Johnson each earned a hit for SMSU. (Read More)

NCAA Softball - Nebraska Omaha Scores Five in Seventh to Defeat SMSU

May 12, 2007| Box Score NCAA Bracket

North Mankato, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs were unable to hold off University of Nebraska-Omaha as the Mavericks scored five runs in the top of the fifth to earn a 5-1 victory in the NCAA North Central Regional Tournament held in North Mankato, Minn.

With the loss Southwest will play on Sunday at 1 p.m. versus the winner of the Emporia State vs. University of Minnesota Mankato game.

The Mustangs held a 1-0 lead going into the seventh inning and were just one out away from the win. With two outs, Leslie Svaboda hit a RBI single to tie the score. Jenifer McDowell then hit a home run to score two more runs. The rally continued as UNO finished the inning with six hits and five runs. (Read More)

NCAA Softball - Winona State Eliminated by Missouri Western 7-0

May 11, 2007| Box Score NCAA Bracket

North Mankato, Minn. - The Missouri Western State softball team saw Nicole Heineman, Lindsey Predovich and Megan Sova each pound out two hits en route to a 7-0 victory over Winona State in the 2007 NCAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament held at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn. The event is hosted by Minnesota State University.

Predovich helped her own cause with a 2-for-2 performance from the plate, driving in a run and scoring one as well. She worked seven innings scattering five hits while striking out 10 Warrior batters. Heineman hit her second home run of the season as she went 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

Winona State was led at the plate by Lindsay Rosicky and Chelsea Rosenow who each went 2-for-3 from the plate.

The win improves MWSU’s record to 34-25, while Winona State ends their season with a 43-21 record.

The Griffons advance on the bottom side of the bracket and will play the loser of the Southwest Minnesota State and Emporia State contest tomorrow morning at 10 am.

Bottom Of The Order Guides Nebraska-Omaha To Victory Over Winona State

May 10, 2007| Box Score

North Mankato, Minn. – The Nebraska-Omaha softball squad defeated Winona State, 3-0, in their opening game of the 2007 NCAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament held at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn. The event is hosted by Minnesota State University.

Nebraska-Omaha scored a pair of runs in the second inning and that would be all starting pitcher Melissa Negrete would need as she pitched a complete-game four-hitter to guide the Mavericks to a victory.

Catcher Briana Cataudella, who bats in the eight-hole for Nebraska-Omaha, and rightfielder Chanel Reaves, who is the nine-hole hitter for the Mavericks, each had two-hit performances in the win, with Reaves collecting UNO’s only RBI of the game.

Karyn Koehnle went 2-of-3 in the loss for Winona State. Jenny Stamis worked six innings in suffering her ninth defeat of the season against 19 wins. She scattered six hits while striking out three.

Nebraska-Omaha will face the winner of Minnesota State and Missouri Western State tomorrow afternoon at 5:30 p.m. while Winona State will face the loser of the same contest.

SW Minnesota State Defeats Minnesota Duluth in SB Regional

May 10, 2007| Box Score

North Mankato, Minn. --- The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team downed Minnesota Duluth 6-3, in the opening game of the 2007 NCAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament Thursday morning. The event is hosted by Minnesota State University at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn.

After UMD jumped to an early 1-0 advantage, the Mustangs answered with three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth and two in the sixth to seal the win.

Catcher Erin Dickhausen led the Mustangs at the plate with a 2-for-4 performance with a run scored and a run batted in. Amanda Opatz went 2-for-3 with a run scored an RBI as well.

Four different Bulldogs recorded UMD’s four hits. Myriam Trepanier hit her seventh homerun of the season in the game while Sarah Kabes hit her fifth for the Bulldogs.

The Mustangs advance to the winner’s bracket and will face the winner of the Emporia State and Central Missouri State contest. The Bulldogs advance to the loser’s end of the bracket and will face the loser of the Emporia State and Central Missouri State Contest.

Daktronics All-Region Team Release

May 9, 2007| PDF Bracket

St. Cloud, Minn. - The NSIC had 12 representatives on this seasons Daktronics North Central All-Region Team. Amanda Johnson (P, SW Minnesota State), Erin Dickhausen (C, SW Minnesota State) and Amanda Yurek (Utility, Concordia-St. Paul) were all named to the first team and will advance to the national All-American ballot.

There were 16 different teams represented from the North Central Region on the two squads. The All-Region First Team consists of 13 members, including three pitchers and three outfielders, and one player at the catching, first base, second base, short stop, third base, utility and designated player positions. The 13-member squad will move on to the national ballot, which will be released on Thursday, May 10, for voting. The All-Region Second Team consisted of 16 players from 10 different schools.

The nominations and voting were compiled and completed by the North Central Region sports information directors.

SB DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION PLAYER/PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Player of the Year
Megan Davison, Emporia State
Pitcher of the Year
Courtney Reed, Emporia State

SB DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION FIRST TEAM
(Automatically placed on National Ballot)
Pitchers
Amanda Johnson, Southwest Minnesota State
Courtney Reed, Emporia State
Samantha Rohr, Minnesota State

Catcher
Erin Dickhausen, Southwest Minnesota State

First Base
Tagney Jones, South Dakota

Second Base
Katie Reed, Minnesota State

Short Stop
Rachel Adams, Central Missouri

Utility
Amanda Yurek, Concordia-St. Paul

Designated Player
Lauren Young, Central Missouri

Third Base
Megan Davison, Emporia State

Outfielders
Casie Hanson, North Dakota
Lynndi Decker, Minnesota State
Christen Belcher, Truman State

SB DAKTRONICS ALL-REGION SECOND TEAM
Pitchers
Cheris Kuster, Nebraska-Omaha
Kristen Fossell, Winona State
Jenny Stannis, Winona State
Julie Vancura, MSU, Moorhead
(*Note, there was a tie between Jenny Stannis and Julie Vancura for the third spot)

Catcher
Hallie McMillen, Fort Hays State

First Base
Amanda Tucci, Southwest Minnesota State University

Second Base
Chelsea McClernon, Emporia State
Amanda Wilhelm, Winona State
(*Note, there was a tie between Chelsea McClernon and Amanda Wilhelm for the 2nd Team spot)

Short Stop
Amanda Opatz, Southwest Minnesota State University

Utility
Megan Simpson, Northwest Missouri State

Designated Player
Nikki Davis, Upper Iowa University

Third Base
Tish Williams, Washburn

Outfielders
Chelsea Rosenow, Winona State
Morgan Viola, Emporia State
Ashley Homan, St. Cloud State University
Jena Kilburg, Upper Iowa University
(*Note, there was a tie between Ashley Homan and Jena Kilburg for the third spot)

SW Minnesota State & Winona State Advance to NCAA Regional

May 6, 2007| PDF Bracket

Indianapolis - Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State will play in the NCAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament starting on May 10th. SW Minnesota State earned the automatic qualifier while Winona State was an at large bid. SW Minnesota State, NSIC Regular Season Co-Champions with Winona State, is the third seed in the tournament and will take on sixth seeded Minnesota Duluth at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday. Winona State was awarded the fifth seed and will take on fourth seeded Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday and 3:00 p.m.

Play will begin with the North Central Region tournament to be played at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn. on Thursday and will continue with play scheduled through Monday, May 14. The winner of the North Central Region will advance to the NCAA Division II Finals at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio May 17-21.

NCAA Division II Softball North Central Region
Caswell Park, North Mankato, Minn.
Thursday, May 10 10:00 a.m.
#3-seed Southwest Minnesota State vs. # 6 seed Minnesota Duluth (Visitor) 10:00 a.m.
#2-seed Emporia State vs. #7-seed Central Missouri 12:30 p.m.
#4-seed Nebraska-Omaha vs. #5-seed Winona State 3:00 p.m.
#1-seed Minnesota State vs. #8-seed Missouri Western 5:30 p.m.

NSIC Softball Release No. 12

May 7, 2007 | Full PDF Release

Indianapolis - Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State will play in the NCAA North Central Regional Softball Tournament starting on May 10th. SW Minnesota State earned the automatic qualifier while Winona State was an at large bid. SW Minnesota State, NSIC Regular Season Co-Champions with Winona State, is the third seed in the tournament and will take on sixth seeded Minnesota Duluth at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday. Winona State was awarded the fifth seed and will take on fourth seeded Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday and 3:00 p.m.

Play will begin with the North Central Region tournament to be played at Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn. on Thursday and will continue with play scheduled through Monday, May 14. The winner of the North Central Region will advance to the NCAA Division II Finals at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio May 17-21.

SW Minnesota State Wins NSIC Softball Tournament Championship

May 5, 2007| PDF Bracket

MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State's Amanda Johnson hit a RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive the winning run to earn the 4-3 victory over Winona State University in the NSIC Tournament Championship game.

Winona State held a 3-0 lead after the first three innings of play, as the Mustangs got their first run in the bottom of the fourth resulting from a WSU error.

SMSU added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Johnson lead off with a double down the left field line. Mary Sobiech followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second. Andrea Fennern then stepped up and hit a RBI single up the middle to score the Mustangs second run of the game. The tying run was scored due to another Winona State error.

The bottom of the seventh started out with a lead-off single from Erin Dickhausen. She then advanced to second after Amanda Tucci laid down a sacrifice bunt. Winona then intentionally walked Amanda Opatz and was able to strike out the next SMSU batter. With two outs and runners on second and first, Johnson hit a RBI single to the pitcher to drive in the winning run. Read More

2007 Northern Sun Conference All-Tournament Team

Amanda Opatz, Southwest Minnesota State
Amanda Burkhart, Southwest Minnesota State
Mallory Olson, Concordia
Katie Hanson, Winona State
Amanda Wilhelm, Winona State
Chelsea Rosenow, Winona State
Jena Kilburg, Upper Iowa
Brittany Sinwell, Upper Iowa
DP-Amanda Tucci, Southwest Minnesota State
P-Kristen Fossell, Winona State
P-Amanda Johnson, Southwest Minnesota State

Marshall, Minn. - MARSHALL, MINN.: Southwest Minnesota State's Amanda Johnson laced a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead SMSU to a thrilling 6-5 victory over Concordia in the second round of the NSIC Tournament. The victory for the top-seeded Mustangs moves them into the winner's bracket final against No. 3 seed MSU Moorhead at 12 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.SMSU, currently ranked No. 23 in the country and third in the region, held a 4-1 lead after six innings of play but saw Concordia rally with four unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-4 lead.

Northern State was elimated by Upper Iowa with a 9-1 loss in six innings.

MSU Moorhead scored five in the 8th inning to defeat Winona State 8-3. Wayne State also elimated Bemidji State with a 1-0 win.

SW Minnesota State trailed 2-0 in the fourth innning, but rallied back as the tournament hosts scored five unanswered runs to defeat Northern State 5-2 in the NSIC Softball Tournament. Concordia-St. Paul had the first upset, although mild, in the tournament as the fifth seeded Golden Bears knocked off Upper Iowa 6-3. Due to heavy rains, game times have been moved up slightly in order to get the games in.

Winona State and MSU Moorhead both picked up one run wins in the first round of the NSIC Softball Tournament. Second seeded Winona State snuck past the seventh seeded Bemidji State Beavers 7-6 while the third seed of MSU Moorhead defeated the sixth seed from Wayne State 2-1. Check back for updated bracket and game results from throughout the tournament.

The NSIC Softball Tournament began Friday, May 4th at 10:00 a.m. at SMSU Field and the Marshall Softball Complex and will continue through Saturday, May 5th. It is a double elimination tournament with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA North Central Region Tournament.

NSIC Softball All-Conference Release

May 4, 2007 | PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - The NSIC has released the 2007 NSIC All-Conference Softball Team. NSIC Regular Season Co-Champions of SMSU took home three of the four specialty awards as Erin Dickhausen was named NSIC Player of the Year, Amanda Johnson was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year and Shawn Semler was named NSIC Coach of the Year. For Johnson and Semler it is the second consecutive year they have won their awards. NSIC Rookie of the Year honors went to Andrea (Dre) Brunskill of the University of Mary.

2007 NSIC Player of the Year
Erin Dickhausen, Jr., C, SW Minnesota State

2007 NSIC Pitcher of the Year
Amanda Johnson, So.., P, SW Minnesota State

2007 NSIC Rookie of the Year
Dre Brunskill, Fr., C, University of Mary

2007 NSIC Coach of the Year
Shawn Semler, SW Minnesota State

NSIC Softball Tournament Bracket

May 1, 2007 | PDF Bracket

St. Paul, Minn. - The NSIC has release the 2007 NSIC Softball Tournament Bracket. Southwest Minnesota State earned the honor of hosting the event as they were NSIC Regular Season Co-Champions with Winona State. The Mustangs swept the Warriors during the regular season earning the right to host. MSU Moorhead will be the third seed followed by Upper Iowa in the fourth position. Concordia St. Paul was fifth, Wayne State sixth, Bemidji State seventh and Northern State eighth. The University of Mary is a provisional member of the NCAA, and with the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Regional are not eligible for this years tournament. The NSIC Softball Tournament will begin Friday, May 4th at 10:00 a.m. at SMSU Field and the Marshall Softball Complex and will continue through Saturday, May 5th. It is a double elimination tournament with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA North Central Region Tournament.

NSIC Record Winning Streak Ends at 30

April 30, 2007 | Box Scores

MARSHALL, MINN.: Southwest Minnesota State needed one win Monday to claim the NSIC title outright but suffered two disappointing losses to Upper Iowa University. The Mustangs rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning in both games but came up one run short both times as they were swept 4-3 and 6-5. The loss in game one ended an NSIC record winning streak of 30 games for the Mustangs dating back to last season.

With the losses the Mustangs will share the conference title with Winona State University (37-17, 16-2). SMSU falls to 31-10 overall and 16-2 in the NSIC.. Upper Iowa improved to 17-29 overall and 9-7 in the conference with today’s victories and moves into a tie with Concordia-St. Paul (25-28, 9-7) for fourth place in the league. Upper Iowa and Concordia-St. Paul will meet Tuesday, May 1st for a doubleheader in Fayette, Iowa.

NSIC Softball Release No. 11

April 30, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#8 Holly Kitchen
CF, Jr., R/R
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Oak Park HS
MSU Moorhead

Holly Kitchen batted .571 in eight games last week with 12 hits in 21 at bats. She totaled six RBI, five runs scored, four doubles and a triple as the Dragons went 5-3 last week. MSU Moorhead ranks ninth in the April 25th NCAA II North Central Regional poll.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#6 Hatty Rossow
RHP, So., R/R
Lakefield, Minn.
Jackson County Central HS
University of Mary

Hatty Rossow won all three of her starts last week while compiling a microscopic ERA of 0.68. Rossow pitched three complete games, one a shutout, and totaled 20.2 innings that included one relief outing. She allowed 17 hits, two walks, two earned runs and struck out 11 batters. Rossow shut out Northern State on three hits, no walks and seven strikeouts, held Bemidji State to no earned runs, and allowed two earned runs, six hits and a walk in a 10-2 win over Minnesota State University Moorhead.

NSIC Softball Release No. 10

April 23, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#20 Amanda Tucci
P/1B, So., R/R
Oakdale, Minn.
Tartan HS
SW Minnesota State

Amanda Tucci had 10 hits and scored nine runs over the past nine games to help SMSU earn a 9-0 record this week. Tucci had a .345 batting average, hitting four homeruns and driving in 13 RBI. She also added three doubles and one triple. She tied the school record for home runs in a single game with three bombs versus Minnesota, Crookston. SMSU softball set an NSIC record with its 28th straight conference victory breaking their previous record of 27 straight games (1992-95).

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#15 Christi Schulte
RHP, Sr., R/R
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Northern State

Christi Schulte picked up all three NSU wins this week and finished with a.037 ERA. She pitched four complete games while allowing just two earned runs while striking out 22 batters in 37.2 innings of work. She walked just six batters. Against Concordia-St. Paul, Schulte fanned six batters and did not give up an earned run through nine innings pitched. She marked five Ks, did not allow an earned run, and did not walk a batter in the win over Wayne State.

Mustangs Earn Road Sweep Over Winona State

April 19, 2007 | Box Scores

WINONA, MINN.: Southwest Minnesota State University sophomore Amanda Johnson pitched two complete games to help the Mustangs earn 5-0 and 5-2 NSIC victories over Winona State.

SMSU improves to 24-8 and 9-0 in the conference with the win, while taking the lead in the NSIC standings. Winona State falls to 28-14 overall and 9-2 in NSIC play.

In game one, the Mustangs didn't score until late as they scored one run in the six and then added four in the seventh. In the sixth, SMSU's Jessica Paczosa had a lead-off double which was followed by a sacrifice bunt by Andrea Fennern to place Paczosa in scoring position. Erin Dickhausen then stepped up and hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the first run.

In the seventh, SMSU started off with a walk followed by a single. One batter later Nikki Disel hit a double to score two runs. Later in the inning Paczosa added an RBI single and then Fennern finished out the scoring rally with a triple to score one more run. (Read More)

NSIC Softball Release No. 9

April 16, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#13 Amy Klaers
3B, So., R/R
Elk River, Minn.
Elk River HS
Bemidji State

Amy Klaers was 8-for-13 (.615) for Bemidji State this weekend as the sophomore third basemen helped the Beavers to a 3-1 record. She totaled eight hits which included two doubles, a triple, four RBI and five runs scored. She also knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the seventh inning to beat the University of Mary, 4-3.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#12 Jenny Stannis
RHP, Sr., R/R
Union Grove, Wis.
Union Grove HS
Winona State

Jenny Stannis pitched in four games, starting three, as she went 2-1. She pitched 23.1 innings, including three complete games. She gave up eight runs (six earned) on 18 hits with 19 strikeouts and eight walks. She held her opponents batting average to .214 on the week. Stannis came up with a win and a save in the doubleheader with Concordia University St. Paul and added another win with a complete game against North Dakota.

NSIC Softball Release No. 8

April 11, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#24 Abby Brundidge
IF/OF, Fr., R/R
Neekoosa, Wis.
Assumption HS
Concordia-St. Paul

Abby Brundidge went 9-15 (.600) with three doubles, a home run and 13 RBI in five games at the NSIC Crossover. Against the University of Mary, Brundidge went 2-4 with two two-run doubles, including the game winner in the bottom of the seventh. She finished with five RBI in the game. Against Northern State, she went 3-3 with a 3-run home run, four RBI and two runs scored. She finished going 2-3 with a double and two RBI against UM Crookston. On the week, she finished with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#21 Amanda Johnson
P, So., R/R
Fremont, Neb.
Papillion-LaVista HS
SW Minnesota State

Amanda Johnson broke the SMSU school record for career strikeouts this weekend at the NSIC Crossover as she fanned 48 batters and increased her total to 431 strikeouts. Johnson had a 1.30 ERA while having five appearances this past week. She went 4-0 while striking out 48 batters and allowing only five earned runs. Johnson, the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, has now been named player of the week three times this season. In the April 8th NCAA Nation Stats, Johnson ranked seventh in the nation in ERA (0.59) and is 11th in strikeouts per 7 innings (9.8).

NSIC Softball Release No. 7

April 3, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#14 Jesseca White
2B, Sr., R/R
Loveland, Colo.
Loveland HS
MSU Moorhead

Jesseca White (Sr., 2B, Loveland, Colo.) batted .471 in four games last week with eight hits in 17 at bats. She produced a whopping 11 RBI, including a school record nine in a 17-1 victory over Northern State. White also produced 15 total bases, including two home runs and a triple, and scored six runs.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#7 Kristen Fossell
RHP, Jr.
Oak Creek, Wis.
Oak Creek HS
Winona State

Kristen Fossell (Jr., RHP, Oak Creek, Wis.) went 6 2/3 innings in 2-0 win over UMD, scattering six hits. She tossed a two-hitter in 2-1 win over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. In three games Fossell was 2-1 with a 0.00 ERA. She gave up no earned runs on nine hits while holding her opponent’s batting average to .164 during the week. This marks the second week in a row Fossell has been named NSIC Pitcher of the week.

NSIC Softball Release No. 6

March 26, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#10 Valerie Robinson
IF, Fr., R/R
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Thomas Jefferson HS
Wayne State

Valerie Robinson went 9-for-13 (.692) in four games last week to extend her hitting streak to six games. For the week, she had 2 home runs, a double, five RBI and four runs scored. Robinson had a pair of three hit games, going 3-for-4 with a double in a 6-1 win vs. Mount Marty and was 3-for-3 with two RBI, two runs scored, a home run and two stolen bases in a 5-1 win over South Dakota. For the season, Robinson is hitting .397 for the surprising Wildcats, who are 16-4 under first year head coach Krista Unger after going just 10-34 last season.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#7 Kristen Fossell
RHP, Jr.
Oak Creek, Wis.
Oak Creek HS
Winona State

Kristen Fossell pitched a two hit, complete game shutout allowing only two walks while holding her opponents batting average to .083. She had a no-hitter going for six and 2/3 innings before she allowed her two hits as the Warriors swept the University of South Dakota 6-4 and 7-0 in the nightcap.

NSIC Softball Release No. 5

March 19, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#21 Kristen Humphries
DH/IF, Sr. R/R
Troy, Ill.
Omaha Burke HS
Wayne State

Kristen Humphries, a former Wayne State women’s basketball standout, can also play some softball as she went 10-for-20 in six games this past week, recording at least one hit in every game. Her best game was 4-for-4 performance with three RBI in an 11-10 win over Northern State. For the season, Humphries is hitting .462, going 24-for-52 with three homers and 15 RBI, helping WSC to a 12-4 start, already surpassing last season’s mark of 10-34 under first year head coach Krista Unger.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#21 Amanda Johnson
P, So., R/R
Fremont, Neb.
Papillion-LaVista HS
SW Minnesota State

Amanda Johnson helped the Mustangs to go 7-5 at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. this past week. She had a record of 5-2 on the mound as she pitched 51.1 innings and had 70 strikeouts with a 2.70 ERA. She now has an overall record of 7-2. She allowed only 29 hits over the course of eight games while allowing only two earned runs. This marks the second time this season Johnson has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week.

NSIC Softball Release No. 4

March 14, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#3 Kaitlyn Richardson
LF, Fr.
Chandler, Ariz.
Chandler HS
University of Mary

Kaitlyn Richardson blasted three home runs, including the game-winning shot in each game of a double-header sweep at Montana State University – Billings. In game one, Richardson hit a two-out three-run home run in the eighth inning to give the Marauders a 5-4 win. In the second game, Richardson hit another two-out three-run home run, this time in the fourth inning to give U-Mary an insurmountable 4-1 lead. She would add a solo shot in the seventh inning to cap the 5-2 U-Mary win. In the double-header, U-Mary’s lone action of the week, Richardson was 3-for-8 with three home runs, three runs scored and seven RBIs. She also had an assist from the outfield.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#7 Kristen Fossell
RHP, Jr., R/R
Oak Creek, Wis.
Oak Creek HS
Winona State

Kristen Fossell appeared in three games with two starts. She went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings. She gave up three runs on ten hits with 13 strikeouts while holding opponents batting average to .204. She threw a four-hitter in a 2-1 win over Grand Valley State and scattered six hits in 7-3 win over Holy Family University, PA.

NSIC Softball Release No. 3

March 6, 2007 | Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#19 Maegan Lunn
SS, So.
Murrieta, Calif.
Murrieta Valley HS
Mt. SAC CC
University of Mary

Lunn paced the Marauders to a 7-4 record on their spring trip to Tucson, Ariz. last week. Lunn hit .424 (14-of-33) with a .486 on-base percentage and a .636 slugging percentage. She drove in 12 runs while hitting two doubles, a triple and a home run. Lunn also garnered four walks and didn’t strike out all week.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#21 Amanda Johnson
P, So., R/R
Fremont, Neb.
Papillion-LaVista HS
SW Minnesota State

Johnson went 2-0 at the St. Cloud State Dome Tournament as she pitched 12 innings and had 15 strike-outs. She has a 0.00 ERA and helped the Mustangs to two shut-outs as they defeated St. Cloud 4-0 and MSU Moorhead 9-0 as they went 3-1 overall that the St. Cloud Dome Tournament.

NSIC Softball Release No. 2

February 27, 2007 | Full PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - Week two of the NSIC Softball Release includes last week's game results, next week's game schedule and current NSIC Standings. Players of the Week were not selected this week due to lack of NSIC teams competing.

NSIC Softball Release No. 1

February 21, 2007 | Full PDF Release

St. Paul, Minn. - Week one of the NSIC Softball Release includes last week's game results, next week's game schedule and current NSIC Standings. Players of the Week were not selected this week due to lack of NSIC teams competing.

NSIC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll

February 14, 2007 | Full PDF Release

SW Minnesota State Picked in Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
St. Paul, Minn. - SW Minnesota State was picked to win the NSIC by the league coaches in their preseason poll. The Mustangs are defending NSIC regular season champions as they posted a perfect 14-0 mark last year in league play. They received seven first place votes for a total of 88 points. Winona State tallied three first place votes and a total of 84 points. Three-time defending NSIC Tournament Champions of Concordia-St. Paul were picked third in the league with 69 points.

NSIC Preseason Players of the Year
#9 Amanda Yurek
3B, Sr., R/R, St. Paul, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall HS
Concordia Univeristy-St. Paul

Yurek was named the 2006 NSIC Player of the Year and was on the NCAA North Central Region All-Tournament Team. She hit .412 (77-187) on the season. Her 77 hits were a league-high as were her 20 doubles. She ended the season with .674 slugging %. In NSIC-only contests, Yurek led the league with five home runs. She led her position in nine offensive categories in overall statistics as she scored 38 runs and drilled nine home runs and 38 RBI while posting an impressive .456 on base percentage. Yurek also swiped five stolen bases and is one of the better defensive players in the league, regardless of position, as she posted a .957 fielding %.

NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year
#21 Amanda Johnson
P, So., R/R
Fremont, Neb.
Papillion-LaVista HS
SW Minnesota State

Johnson put together perhaps the most dominant season on the mound in SMSU history as a true freshman last season. She was named Second Team All-North Central Region by NFCA, the highest Division II honor for any SMSU pitcher in school history. She was also named NSIC Pitcher of the Year, NSIC Newcomer of the Year, and First Team All-NSIC. Johnson was also named to the NSIC All-Tournament team after pitching 29.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs with 40 strikeouts. She shattered the single-season SMSU strikeout record by mid-season, racking up 298 strikeouts for the season, with the old record being 140. She also broke single-season records for wins (23), innings pitched (218.2), appearances (42), strikeouts per seven innings (9.5), and saves (5) while posting a 1.50 ERA with 21 complete games.