2012 UMAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. 48 Points - College of St. Scholastica (6 First Place Votes)
2. 42 Points - Northwestern College (2)
3. 36 Points - University of Minnesota Morris
4. 32 Points - Bethany Lutheran College
5. 24 Points - Northland College
6. 18 Points - Presentation College
7. 17 Points - Martin Luther College
8. 7 Points - Crown College
ST. PAUL -- After sweeping the 2011 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season and tournament championships, the College of St. Scholastica was the overwhelming favorite to win the league again in 2012, according to a preseason poll of the conference coaches.
1. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2011 Overall Record: 29-15
2011 UMAC Record: 19-2
2011 UMAC Finish: 1st
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 5
St. Scholastica is expected to return to the top of the UMAC standings following the Saints’ second-ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in 2011 following their UMAC Tournament championship. After falling in their NCAA Tournament opener to eventual regional champion Luther, the Saints fended off North Central College (Ill.) before losing to Ripon College to end the season. Coming into 2012, the biggest question mark for the Saints will be inside the pitching circle. The Saints return only one starting pitcher in Darcy Roach. Roach started 14 games in 2011 with an 8-7 record and a 3.04 earned run average. She was second on the team in strikeouts with 82. CSS will have to replace graduated senior Jen Falk, who was clutch not only pitching, but also at the plate in postseason play. Familiar faces are back offensively, led by 2011 UMAC Player of the Year catcher Bonnie Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk led the team is just about every offensive category last season on her way to being named a NFCA Third Team All-Midwest Selection.
2. Northwestern College Eagles
2011 Overall Record: 20-22
2011 UMAC Record: 13-8
2011 UMAC Finish: 3rd
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 6
Northwestern hopes to return to contention after finishing third in the UMAC standings with a 13-8 conference record in 2011. The Eagles lost six key starters from that team, including all-conference players Jenna Ruby and Alyssa Borgstrom. Head coach Alicia du’Monceaux does welcome back All-UMAC standout Briana Rodgers, who boasted a .636 slugging percentage and five home runs while batting .481 in conference games last season. Shortstop Kristin Sigurdsen also returns after recording 30 RBI and a pair of home runs a year ago, while Erin Wankerl broke out for a .400 batting average and a .640 slugging percentage in her sophomore season. Anna Schurch and Kelsey Timm will be back in the pitcher’s circle this season. Schurch started her college career with a 2.33 ERA and a 5-1 record in league games last year, while Timm went 3-5 with a 2.92 ERA with 34 strikeouts.
3. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2011 Overall Record: 18-18
2011 UMAC Record: 15-6
2011 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 6
After setting school records for wins in each of the last three seasons, the Minnesota Morris softball team has some holes to fill as they look to maintain the trend in 2012. The Cougars won 18 games for the first time last season, also setting a school record with 15 UMAC wins, but now must replace each of their top-four hitters, including UMAC leader and all-region performer Diane Blommel. Blommel and Heather Briese each graduated after batting over .400 in their senior seasons. Leading the way this season will be Kelli Hamilton in the circle and Kristi Hoge at the plate. Hamilton pitched 63.1 innings last season, going 5-8, while earning Pitcher of the Week honors on Apr. 19. After getting hot at the start of UMAC play she won five of six decisions, while cutting her ERA in half. Hoge, meanwhile, is the Cougars leading returning hitter after batting .322 last season with 18 RBI and 15 runs scored. She is one of two returning players who batted over .300 last season.
4. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2011 Overall Record: 18-20
2011 UMAC Record: 12-9
2011 UMAC Finish: 4th
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 3
Bethany Lutheran had a record breaking year in 2011 finishing 18-20 overall and 12-9 in conference play. Last year was the first time that the Vikings qualified for the UMAC postseason tournament after finishing fourth in the UMAC regular season. All four of Bethany’s UMAC award winners are back on the roster to lead the team. First team all-conference recipients Emily Rauchman and Ashley Jensen are returning. Rauchman had a .394 batting average last season while leading the conference with 18 doubles. She also had a team high 33 RBI. Not only was Rauchman solid at the plate but also on the mound, holding opponents to a .270 batting average in 15 appearances. Shortstop Ashley Jensen recorded a .367 batting average with 40 hits and 28 RBI. Joining Rauchman and Jensen are UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mentions Gena Chester and Amanda Edmison. Chester had a .356 batting average recording a team high 33 runs and 48 hits and Edmison had a .320 batting average with 39 hits and 22 RBI.
5. Northland College LumberJills
2011 Overall Record: 11-27
2011 UMAC Record: 8-13
2011 UMAC Finish: T-6th
Starters Returning: 9
Starters Lost: 1
Northland will be very similar in personnel to the 2011 squad that finished sixth in the UMAC. The LumberJills lone first team all-conference player, Jeannette Wendler, will not return due to injury. However, Northand returns seniors Kylie Garing and Ashleigh Miller, who earned all-conference honorable mention last season. Returners who contributed offensively last year include Garing (.376 batting average), Miller (.367) junior Sam Bona (.348), junior Rebecca Ristau (.344) and sophomore Katherine Andreiko (.342). Senior Kristin Zimmer (6.10 ERA), who pitched over half of the innings for the LumberJills last year, will return in the circle. She will be joined by Garing who threw most of the rest of the innings in 2011. Freshmen Faye Koosmann and Jayna Loy are expected to make their collegiate pitching debuts. In addition to these eight, juniors Erin Roembke, and Steph Wilkinson figure to be contributors.
6. Presentation College Saints
2011 Overall Record: 13-21
2011 UMAC Record: 9-12
2011 UMAC Finish: 5th
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 2
The Presentation softball team is looking to continue to build on its success from last year during the 2012 season. Coming off the program’s best season in school history that included 13 wins, first-year head coach Erin Dickhausen is anticipating continued excellence this year. PC returns two key players in Michelle Stratton and Danielle Naumann. Stratton was named to the UMAC All-Conference First Team last season as well as earning UMAC Player of the Week accolades. She sat near the top of the statistical leader board in nearly all categories, including RBIs with 44. Naumann led Presentation from the mound with a 5.94 ERA.
7. Martin Luther College Knights
2011 Overall Record: 11-23
2011 UMAC Record: 8-13
2011 UMAC Finish: T-6th
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 2
Martin Luther returns seven starters from last year’s team that finished 11-23 overall, and finished in a tie for sixth in the UMAC with a record of 8-13 in conference. At the plate, Sarah Free leads the returners after hitting .389 with 16 doubles (helping her rank seventh in the nation in doubles per game), three home runs and 28 runs batted in. She will be joined by Karla Opperman, the school’s all-time leader in home runs, as well as Katie Scherer, Amanda Fogle and Amber Krause, giving the Knights a very experienced infield. Madeline Scott returns for her second season in center field to lead the outfielders. On the mound, Laura Miller and Free both return with experience. Miller started 24 games for the Knights a season ago, finishing with a record of 8-12 and setting school-records with 127.2 innings and 58 strikeouts. Free threw 70.1 innings in 2011, and has 14 wins for her career.
8. Crown College Storm
2011 Overall Record: 0-31
2011 UMAC Record: 0-21
2011 UMAC Finish: 8th
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 3
Crown College enters the 2012 season with nine new players on a roster that hopes to be competitive this year. Combining with those nine newcomers will be six returners, all of whom saw significant time last season. Leading that group will be seniors Nicole Cretinon, Kendra Jenkins, and Caitlyn Nett. Head coach Jamie Ross is excited to add a good crop of experienced softball players to the mix and hopes that the injection of youth and enthusiasm will help turn around a program that has struggled mightily in recent years.
Following a full slate of nonconference games to start the season, UMAC teams will begin their league schedules starting on April 1. After conference play, the top four teams will gather at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. on May 4-5 for the UMAC Tournament, with the winner earning an automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament. Prior to each team’s conference-opening weekend, all eight coaches will participate in an online chat on Wednesday, March 28 at 1 p.m. to talk about their team and individual performances to date.