For Immediate Release
Monday, April 21, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#9 Jenny Nelson
2B, Sr.  
Carol Stream, Ill.
Kirkwood CC
Winona State

Nelson was fantastic at the plate in six Winona State wins last week, batting .611 with three home runs and nine RBI in doubleheader sweeps over Minnesota State, Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Nelson was 11-of-18 on the week with four extra base hits, an on base percentage of .696 and slugging percentage of 1.222. Nelson had a pair of RBI in the Warriors’ sweep of Minnesota State. After going 1-for-2 in the first game of a doubleheader against USF, Nelson was perfect at the plate the rest of the week. She was 3-for-3 in game two against USF and had hits in all three of her at bats in both games against SMSU. She also scored two runs in each of the team’s last three games of the week, crossing the plate eight times total. She hit a pair of home runs and had four RBI in game two of the doubleheader at Sioux Falls and posted a triple with an RBI in game one at SMSU before smacking a homer to go with two RBI in the finale. The senior also walked four times on the week and stole a base against the Cougars.

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#3 Ashley Walker
RHP, Jr.
Shakopee, Minn.
Shakopee  HS
Winona State

Walker couldn’t have had a much better week in the circle, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA as the Warriors won all six of their games last week. Walker began the week by scattering four hits and allowing an unearned run – the only run she would allow in 22 innings of work on the week – in the team’s win over Minnesota State. She followed with back-to-back complete game shutouts against Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. The junior tossed a three-hitter against USF while striking out eight and finished her week with a six-hit blanking of SMSU. Walker walked just one batter in her 22 innings of work in the three games while striking out a total of 14. She also posted a pair of RBI at the plate in the team’s win over MSU. 
 
          
NSIC SOFTBALL TEAM NOTES
Augustana
#10 Jenelle Tratumann (P/U, 5-7, Jr., R/R , Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) etched her name into Augustana’s record books on Friday afternoon as she became the all-time leader in home runs in a win over Concordia-St. Paul. She made history in a big way as she blasted three home runs in game one against the Golden Bears for her 44th, 45th and 46th career home runs to pass her former teammate Theresa McMahon who hit 43 career home runs from 2010-13. Trautmann tied single game records at Augustana with the three home runs and six RBI and set another as the Golden Bears would not pitch to her in game two. She set a single game record by being intentionally walked four times in the nightcap. Tratumann blasted five home runs on the week while driving in nine runs and posting a 1.176 slugging percentage. Trautmann also had a strong showing in the circle for the Vikings posting a 0.97 ERA while going 2-2 in four appearances and three starts. She struck out 22 batters in 21.2 innings of work while allowing just three earned runs. She held opponents to a .198 batting average and struck out a season-high nine batters against Southwest Minnesota State on Tuesday. She struck out at least three batters in all four appearances while tossing a one-hitter against SMSU before allowing just three hits to Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State in back-to-back starts.      
 
Bemidji State
Cassie MacArthur (IF, Jr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) paced the Bemidji State University softball team last week as she went 3-for-9 (.300) with a double and a home run. MacArthur also led the Beavers with three runs batted in, in on base percentage (.500) and slugging percentage (.778).
Bemidji State will close out the 2014 regular season this week with four doubleheaders. The Beavers will host University of Minnesota Crookston Tuesday and University of Mary Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m. both days. BSU will then conclude the season on the road at Winona State University and Upper Iowa University Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Concordia-St. Paul
Concordia-St. Paul finished off the week with a 2-4 record in their six conference games. The Golden Bears opened up play with a sweep of Upper Iowa on Wednesday, taking game one 7-4 and game two 8-3. Against the Peacocks, freshman Liz Jarosz had a huge day at the plate as she went 5-7 with three home runs, a double and eight RBI. After the offensive outburst, CU was held to just five runs in four games as they were swept by Augustana and Wayne State. On Friday, Augie grabbed the sweep with a 10-3 first game win and an 8-1 game two win. On Saturday, Wayne State knocked off the Golden Bears 5-1 and 7-0.  Concordia is back at home this week with SMSU, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State coming to town to close out the regular season.

University of Mary
#22 Taylor Mendez (OF, 5-8, R-Fr. R/R, Los Banos, Calif. / Los Banos HS) led the Marauders offense this past week going .529 with six RBI. With nine hits and drawing a hit by pitch, Mendez posted a .556 on base percentage and a .706 slugging percentage. Mendez stole three bases on the week, made no errors in the field and added an outfield assist. The junior’s top performance came in game two against Minnesota Duluth on Saturday as she went 3-for-3, including a three-run home run that eventually proved to be the difference in a 9-7 win.
#6 Erin Keen (RHP, 5-3, Jr., R/R, Boise, Idaho / Timberline HS) forever immortalized herself in the history of U-Mary softball Friday afternoon as she needed just 72 pitches against St. Cloud State to complete the Marauders second no-hitter since transitioning to NCAA Division II in 2006. With a 2-0 record in three appearances, Keen pitched 16.1 innings, while posting a 1.29 ERA.  Striking out 14, Keen allowed opponents to hit just .154 on the week

Minnesota Crookston
The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team were competitive on the weekend but were unable to get opportune hits as they 6-0 and 2-1 to Minnesota State University Moorhead and 7-0 and 5-3 to Northern State University. All four of the games were played in Aberdeen, S.D. due to field conditions in Moorhead, Minn.
The Golden Eagles continue to get strong pitching from Paige Schaust. The UMC senior has a 2.58 ERA in the circle over her last three outings. Schaust pitched six innings on Friday against MSU Moorhead, allowing just one earned run on six hits. Against Northern State, Schaust pitched six innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits.

Minnesota Duluth
The University of Minnesota Duluth had a successful North Dakota road trip this weekend taking three our of four games. UMD (21-17 overall, 7-6 NSIC) came back on both occasions to swept Minot State Friday and settled for a split with Mary. Senior outfielder Megan Mullen had a productive week batting .462 with a double and two home runs. Along with Mullen, sophomore Sami Schnyder gathered six hits.The Bulldogs, who have won five of last six outings on the road, honor their seniors Wednesday against Minnesota State Moorhead in the final home meeting of the 2014 season then return on the road with a two-game set versus St. Cloud State Thursday.
Cayli Sadler (P, 5-6, So., Brooklyn Park, Minn./ Maple Grove HS) stood out in key situations the entire weekend to propel UMD to three victories. Sadler, who has collected a single in eight of the last nine games, finished 6-for-16 with five RBIs and three runs at the plate but three of those base hits turned out to be eventual winners. The sophomore has the cornerstone of their comeback rallies ripping the deciding runs over the Beavers. Sadler, who recorded RBIs each game during the four-game weekend, produced the game-winning hit, an 2-RBI single, in extra innings over Mary and scored three times in the 9-7 shootout loss in the rematch. The Brooklyn Park, Minn. native has provided the Bulldogs with a key bat this spring after not recording a hit in 12 attempts as a rookie.
In addition, Sadler controlled the game in the circle, collecting a pair of wins and her second save of the 2014 season. She pitched 16.1 innings giving up four runs on 13 hits while fanning 13. The ace of the staff (16-10) started in only one game but pitched a complete game 7-2 victory over Minot State.
 
Minnesota State
Minnesota State finished this past week with a 4-2 record including a pair of wins over Wayne State (3-2 and 8-0), and Augustana (3-2 and 5-4). The Mavericks improved to 36-8 on the season, including a conference leading 20-2 NSIC record.
The Mavericks have two players batting above the .400 plateau this season, including seniors Lindsay Erickson and Samantha Holien. Erickson leads the team with a .457 batting average, while Holien is batting .441.
Freshman Coley Ries improved to 18-3 this past week. Along with her 18 wins in the circle, Ries as leads the MSU pitching staff in ERA (1.67) and strikeouts (164).
MSU has three players with at least seven home runs on the season including senior Lindsay Erickson, who leads the team with 10. Seniors Samantha Holien and Kelly Wood each have seven home runs.
The Mavericks wrap up their regular season schedule this week as they host three NSIC doubleheaders beginning Tuesday as they take on the University of Sioux Falls. MSU’s doubleheader with USF is slated to begin at 3 p.m.

MSU Moorhead
Mollie Annen (5-5, So., OF, Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee HS) had an outstanding week for the Dragons from her leadoff spot in helping the Dragons to a perfect 4-0 mark. Annen hit .583 (7-of-12) with a double and five runs scored. She also reached base three times via walk. She had a .667 on-base percentage for the week and also was 1-of-1 on steal attempts. Annen had a huge day during Saturdays sweep of Bemidji State, going 6-of-7 with a double and three runs scored. Annen was also errorless in center field. Annen leads MSUM with a .330 batting average and shares the team lead with a .390 on-base percentage.  Over the past 12 games, Annen’s batting average has improved by 62 points.
Morgan Nybo (5-6, Soph., P, Minnetonka, Minn. / Hopkins HS) fired back-to-back shutouts on the mound in helping the Dragons to a 4-0 mark in the NSIC last week. Nybo fired a six-hit shutout, striking out nine, in a 6-0 win over Minnesota Crookston on Friday in Aberdeen, S.D.  A day later, she fired a three-hit shutout, walking only one, in an 8-0, five-inning win over Bemidji State.  In her last three starts, Nybo is 3-0 with a 0.74 ERA in 19 innings. She has 14 strikeouts and opponents are hitting just .224 against her during that stretch.

Minot State
Minot State University split a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games at home this weekend, falling twice to Minnesota Duluth, but rebounding for two against St. Cloud State. The Beavers are in sixth place overall with just two weeks remaining in league play, holding a game lead over rival University of Mary. MISU got another great weekend from slugger #4 Jen Dixon (OF/P, 5-9, L/R, Sr., Brandon, Manitoba / Vincent Massey) who finished with seven hits, batting .500, with three doubles and a home run. She drove in five runners. #17 Katie Backes (UTL, 5-9, R/R, Sr., Minot, N.D. / Bishop Ryan) was a tough out on the week as she batted an even .500 (5 for 10) as well, smacking two home runs and driving in five. #21 Mindy Lorimor (P, 5-8, R/R, Sr. Thurman, Iowa / Fremont-Mills / South Dakota State) went 2-1 to earn her 19th win of the season in four appearances. The Beavers play at Minnesota Crookston midweek, before playing host to Augustana College and Wayne State College Saturday and Sunday.

Northern State
The Wolves are coming off a four win weekend against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. Offensively the Wolves excelled compiling 23 team runs and 37 hits. Lindsey Hubler connected for her sixth home run of the season against the Golden Eagles, a blast to left field. Eryn Yancy led the team in average with a .412 mark and connected for two doubles in seven hits. Courtney Moore and Ashley Clapp recorded the team’s first and second triples of the year, along with the first of their careers. Kami Smesmo recorded two wins on the year with 27 strikeouts. Smesmo also notched her third shutout of the season and first save. Missy Elkins threw potentially her strongest game of the season against the Beavers and nearly her first career shutout. Elkins struck out six in the two games and gave up two earned runs. The Wolves will travel this Tuesday to take on St. Cloud State before returning home for weekend double headers with the Cougars and Mustangs.
#28 Eryn Yancy (C, Jr., R/R/, Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS) and the Wolves softball team recorded a four game weekend sweep of Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston, after a two game series with University of Mary on Tuesday. The Wolves went 4-2 on the week and Yancy led the team offensively. Eryn hit .412 in the six games tallying seven hits, two of which being doubles. Yancy added three RBI and two runs scored in the wins over the weekend. She also tallied one of the teams few walks versus the visiting Marauders.
#7 Kami Smesmo (P, Jr., R/R, St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter HS) recorded two wins over the weekend for the Wolves. In her 15.1 innings Smesmo recorded 27 strikeouts and nearly broke her own single game strikeout record against the Beavers. Kami also threw 12 innings against the visiting Marauders striking out 11 in the process. In the four games, Smesmo dropped her season ERA by .41 giving up only three earned runs.

SMSU
The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team had a rough week as the Mustangs were swept in three straight doubleheaders and now have lost six straight. SMSU closed out its home schedule for the 2014 season with a pair of doubleheader losses to Upper Iowa and No. 25 Winona State. Kaley Scearcy (IF, 5-5, SR., L/R, Mankato, Minn., / Mankato West) played at Mustang Field for the final time in her career and she finished 5 for 18 with one RBI to lead the Mustangs offensively during the week. Scearcy and Jennifer Johnson -- SMSU’s senior members -- will look to right the ship as the Mustangs head down the home stretch on the outside looking in for the elusive 10th and final Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament berth. SMSU, with its NSIC record of 8-15-1, sit in 12th place with six games to go. SMSU will conclude the 2014 season with three road doubleheaders starting on Wednesday, April 23, versus Concordia. St. Paul. SMSU will then travel to MSU Moorhead and Northern State on April 26 and 27.

Sioux Falls
After dropping their first three games of the week to Wayne State and Winona State, the Cougars rebounded on their final home game of the season when they took down Upper Iowa in a doubleheader, winning the games 7-1 and 5-2. USF will now take to the road in their final six games of the regular season as they face Minnesota State, Northern State and MSU Moorhead.
Bailey Bouman (P, 5-8, Sr., Pipestone, Minn./Pipestone Area HS) picked up the victory in her final home start of her career on Saturday when she gave up only one earned run and eight hits in six innings pitched. This outing brought Bouman’s era down to 3.00 and notches her first ten win season in her career with the Cougars.  
Erin Scott (LF,  5-4, Jr., Aurora, Colo. / Rangeview HS) hit 0.375 at the plate over the past week, recording one double and driving in one run. Scott’s best performance came in the first win over Upper Iowa on Saturday when she went 3-of-4 at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Scott currently is eighth in the conference in hits per game with 1.26.

St. Cloud State
The St. Cloud State University softball team competed in six NSIC games this past week. The Huskies started off the week hosting Bemidji State University in a Tuesday afternoon match-up in St. Cloud. SCSU swept the Beavers winning game one 6-5 and defeating BSU 8-2 in game two. The Huskies continued action on Friday and Saturday as they traveled to the University of Mary and Minot State. St. Cloud State came away with a split against U-Mary and fell in both games to Minot State on Saturday. The Huskies went 3-3 on the week, moving their overall record to 11-25-1 on the season and 5-14-1 in conference action. Freshman first baseman/designated players Jessica Goerger (Mankato) was a bright spot for the Huskies over the weekend, collecting the Huskies only two hits against Minot State in game one and the only RBI off of a homerun over the centerfield fence. Breana Canova (Riverside) and Tricia DeBoer (Blooming Prairie) each had two hits in the Huskies’ second game against Minot State on Saturday. Canova continues to lead the Huskies offensively this season, holding a team-high .352 batting average with nine doubles and 20 RBI’s. DeBoer is close behind, batting .315 with a team-high 41 hits. The Huskies will return to action on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22 and 23 as they host Minnesota Duluth and Northern State University at home at Selke Field. Wednesday will serve as Senior Day where St. Cloud State seniors Breana Canova and Stephanie Roan will be honored for their careers at St. Cloud State.

Upper Iowa
Erica Kirgan (IF, 5-9, So., Ankeny, Iowa/Ankeny HS) earned an even .300 batting average this past week, while adding five RBIs and her tenth home run of the season as UIU went 2-4 in NSIC play. The Peacock infielder also posted a .500 slugging percentage and a .300 on-base percentage to go on top of her fifth double of the year. Kirgan’s five runs batted in added to her team-high numbers as she is now just one RBI away from the 30-RBI plateau this season. Kirgan’s home run – which was a solo shot in the fourth inning of game one against USF on Saturday – pulls her within one of tying Erin Bennek’s record for most home runs in a career at Upper Iowa in Division II history.
The Upper Iowa softball team went 2-4 this past week as they dropped their only two home games to Concordia- St. Paul, before bouncing back with a sweep on the road over Southwest Minnesota Sate. Those two wins pulled UIU to 8-10 in the NSIC this season, but the momentum died there. Despite earning a lead in game one and game two against Sioux Falls on Saturday, Upper Iowa dropped both decisions, falling to 15-25 overall this year and 8-12 in conference play. For the second straight week, Adrienna Olson led the Peacocks in hitting as she earned seven hits in 18 at-bats for a .389 batting average. She also posted a team-high .556 slugging percentage. From the rubber, sophomores Jacqueline Flood and Brooke Redmond both posted 1-2 records, but neither gave up less than ten earned runs for the week. The Peacocks will look to bounce back this week as they host four teams in just six days. On Tuesday, the Peacocks square-off with No. 17 Augustana before taking on Winona State on Thursday. Both of those doubleheaders will begin at 2 p.m. On Saturday, UIU will honor its seniors during intermission of the Minnesota Crookston doubleheader, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. UIU will finish the week with a matchup against Bemidji State on Sunday at noon.

Wayne State
Kelcie Bormann, a 5-6 junior designated player/pitcher from Preston, Iowa (Preston HS), hit a team-best .462 during the week going 6 for 13 at the plate in five games with two doubles, one homer and seven RBI’s.  Bormann hit safely in all five games during the week, going 1 for 2 with a double and two RBI’s in Wednesday’s 7-2 win over Sioux Falls.  Bormann was 2 for 4 with a double in a 5-1 win over Concordia-St. Paul Saturday and closed the weekend with a grand slam homer to highlight a 7-0 win over the Golden Bears in the second game Saturday.  
Sara Scheffert, a 5-8 junior from Lincoln, Neb. (Southeast HS), posted a 3-1 record during the week in five appearances with a 0.91 ERA.  In 23 innings pitched, she had 21 strikeouts and 10 walks while allowing just five runs (three earned).  She started the week throwing a complete game with the final three innings in a driving rain/snow storm to beat Sioux Falls 7-2, allowing just three hits and two runs.  She earned two more wins on Saturday, working five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 win over Concordia-St. Paul and pitched four more scoreless innings allowing just three hits with three strikeouts in a 7-0 win over the Golden Bears.

Winona State
Jenny Nelson (Sr., 2B, Carol Stream, Ill. / Kirkwood CC) was fantastic at the plate in six Winona State wins last week, batting .611 with three home runs and nine RBI in doubleheader sweeps over Minnesota State, Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. Nelson was 11-of-18 on the week with four extra base hits, an on base percentage of .696 and slugging percentage of 1.222. Nelson had a pair of RBI in the Warriors’ sweep of Minnesota State. After going 1-for-2 in the first game of a doubleheader against USF, Nelson was perfect at the plate the rest of the week. She was 3-for-3 in game two against USF and had hits in all three of her at bats in both games against SMSU. She also scored two runs in each of the team’s last three games of the week, crossing the plate eight times total. She hit a pair of home runs and had four RBI in game two of the doubleheader at Sioux Falls and posted a triple with an RBI in game one at SMSU before smacking a homer to go with two RBI in the finale. The senior also walked four times on the week and stole a base against the Cougars.
Ashley Walker (Jr., P, Shakopee, Minn. (Skakopee) couldn’t have had a much better week in the circle, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA as the Warriors won all six of their games last week. Walker began the week by scattering four hits and allowing an unearned run – the only run she would allow in 22 innings of work on the week – in the team’s win over Minnesota State. She followed with back-to-back complete game shutouts against Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State. The junior tossed a three-hitter against USF while striking out eight and finished her week with a six-hit blanking of SMSU. Walker walked just one batter in her 22 innings of work in the three games while striking out a total of 14. She also posted a pair of RBI at the plate in the team’s win over MSU.
 
Past Players/ Pitchers of the Week
2/11/14 Player: Lindsay Spanton, Augustana
 Pitcher: Janelle Trautmann, Augustana
2/18/14 Player: Samantha Holien, Minnesota State
 Pitcher: Not Awarded
2/25/14 Player: Morgan Lintz, Winona State
 Pitcher: Brooke Redmond, Upper Iowa
3/3/14 Player: Allison Brown, U-Mary
 Pitcher: Amanda Walters, Sioux Falls
3/10/14 Player: Allison Brown, U-Mary (2)
 Pitcher: Coley Ries, Minnesota State
3/17/14 Player: Jenny Nelson, WSU
 Pitcher: Cayli Sadler, Minnesota Duluth
3/24/14: Player: Samantha Holien, Minnesota State (2)
Pitcher: Coley Ries, Minnesota State (2)
4/1/14 Player: Lindsay Erickson, Minnesota State
Pitcher: Coley Ries, Minnesota State (3)
4/8/14 Player: Melissa Bell, Minot State
Pitcher: Jenelle Trautmann, Augustana
4/15/14: Player: Jen Dixon, Minot State
Pitcher: Sara Scheffert, Wayne State
4/21/14: Player:  Jenny Nelson, Winona State (2)
Pitcher: Ashley Walker, Winona State