St. Scholastica is UMAC Softball favorite in 2013
2013 UMAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. 48 Points - College of St. Scholastica (6 First Place Votes)
2. 41 Points - University of Minnesota Morris (1)
3. 40 Points - Northwestern College (1)
4. 28 Points - Northland College
5. 26 Points - Bethany Lutheran College
6. 17 Points - North Central University
7. 16 Points - Martin Luther College
8. 8 Points - Crown College
ST. PAUL -- Winner of 15 of the last 16 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championships, the College of St. Scholastica was once again picked as the favorite to win the league in 2013. The Saints received 48 points and six first place votes in the UMAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
1. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2012 Overall Record: 32-12
2012 UMAC Record: 20-1
2012 UMAC Finish: 1
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 4
St. Scholastica made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012 after capturing its fourth straight UMAC regular season and tournament championship. Head coach Jen Walter is really excited about the recruiting class she brought in for this year and she better be. The Saints lost a lot of offense and solid defense in graduated seniors Merryssa Tiedeman, Theresa Tauer and Kali Carlson.
Some of the offense that returns is 2011 UMAC Player of the Year and 2012 First Team NFCA All-Midwest Region senior catcher Bonnie Kowalczyk. Kowalczyk led the conference with a .873 slugging percentage, .545 on-base percentage, 56 RBIs, 19 doubles, nine home runs, 96 total bases and 28 walks. Her 56 RBIs and 19 doubles set single-season program records. Another all-region performer that is back is sophomore Molly Jazdzewski. Jazdzewski was a second team all-region choice as a designated player in her freshman campaign. Jazdzewski batted .368 and recorded 15 extra base hits with 10 doubles and five home runs. She ranked third on the team in both of those categories.
Three of the four infielders are also back, including middle infielders Jordan Spiering at shortstop and Ally Sweeney at second base. Emily Schiro also returns for her sophomore season at first base. The outfield will have a relatively new look this season for the Saints. Junior Shauney Moen played in 33 games, but no one else is back who played in more than 10. Look for Forest Lake High School teammates Micah McGuiness and Andrea Mogren to see action out there.
Inside the pitchers circle, senior Darcy Roach will head the staff. Roach, a first team All-UMAC performer last season, led the conference with 19 victories, 148.1 innings pitched and 157 strikeouts. She will have some help this season as Coach Walter brought in Rendi Johnson from the state of Washington. Johnson was a first team all-conference selection this past season and was the starting pitcher on Bonney Lake's State Tournament team. Also look for McGuiness to see action as well. She was the starting pitcher for the Rangers' State Tournament team that has made five consecutive appearances.
2. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2012 Overall Record: 19-19
2012 UMAC Record: 14-7
2012 UMAC Finish: 2
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 4
The Cougars are coming off two straight runner-up finishes in the UMAC going into 2013. They will return a majority of their lineup, although they do lose some key starters off last year’s squad. They have three All-UMAC performers back from a 14-7 team that took second in the regular season and in the UMAC Tournament.
2012 UMAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year Molly Olson returns for her sophomore campaign after hitting .500 in her first season in a Cougars jersey. Also back is All-UMAC First Teamer Jordan Iverson and infielder Kristy Hoge.
Minnesota Morris adds a lot of arms for 2013 including Brook Decker who was an All-State Pitcher from Maple Lake. In addition, two transfers Sam Hanson and Mackenzie Weatherly will add some depth to the position.
3. Northwestern College Eagles
2012 Overall Record: 19-24
2012 UMAC Record: 13-8
2012 UMAC Finish: 3
Starters Returning: 9
Starters Lost: 2
The Northwestern College softball team presents a veteran lineup to the 2013 campaign, with five seniors headlining the familiar faces. The Eagles return nine starters from last year’s squad that went 19-24 overall, and posted a 13-8 record in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play.
Behind the plate, UMAC All-Conference First Team selection Briana Rodgers will lead the charge for NWC, after leading last year’s team in both hitting and slugging percentages, while also racking up 52 hits and 14 doubles. Another all-conference first team player, Kristin Sigurdsen, also returns for her senior run after leading the 2012 Eagles in stolen bases and notching 43 hits en route to a hitting percentage of .323. Other key contributors to the Northwestern offensive output look to include Lauren Walker and Kelsey Stoltman, as Walker tallied an RBI total of 38 after appearing in 43 contests, while Stoltman posted a second-best team mark of 45 hits upon the conclusion of the year.
The Eagles’ fielding lineup will return much of its depth from previous campaigns, with Rodgers, Sigurdsen, Walker, and honorable mention all-conference recipient Ali Witthus all bringing back experience to the infield. Rodgers led last year’s group with 285 put-outs from the first base spot, while Sigurdsen tallied 77 of her own in the short stop position. Captaining the outfield veterans are Stoltman, a UMAC All-Defensive Team selection, Erin Kleinjan, and Anna Schurch who all combined for a 2012 fielding percentage of .971.
Another asset to the 2013 Northwestern squad is the pitching duo of Kelsey Timm and Molly Johnsen, who will enter the circle with heavy game experience, as the pair split time throughout last spring. Timm picked up all-conference honorable mention honors upon conclusion of the season after posting a league record of 6-4 while finishing the year with a 3.36 ERA. Johnsen capped off her successful freshman campaign with an ERA of 2.36 after racking up 118 innings of play.
4. Northland College LumberJills
2012 Overall Record: 18-23
2012 UMAC Record: 11-10
2012 UMAC Finish: 4
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 4
The Northland College LumberJills look to the 2013 season with a mix of returners and newcomers. Figuring how to put the pieces of the puzzle together will be an early season task. Although Jayna Loy who pitched 40% of the innings last season returns in the circle, both Kylie Garing and Kristin Zimmer who handled the other 60% were lost to graduation. Garing’s bat will be missed as well, she ended her career as Northland’s all-time hits leader. The Jills return three of their top six hitters from the 2012 team. In addition to Loy who hit .383, Angelena Koosmann, Sam Bona and Erin Roembke who hit .373, .367, and .304 respectively will be counted on to lead Northland offensively.
At this point the defensive lineup has many question marks which will hopefully be answered on their spring trip in Ft. Myers, Fla. Although Roembke and Steph Wilkinson (are expected to hold down two of the three outfield spots and Bona is expected to start at second base/wildcat for the fourth consecutive year, the other five non- pitching positions are up in the air. Koosmann is expected to either play the outfield or catch, while returning players Brigid Reina and Becca Fredlund will battle with Faye Koosmann Katie Groeschel, Sierra Earley, Cassie Baumgarten, Kaitlyn Witthun, and Kelsey Bodart for the remaining spots in the line-up. Carolyn Malecha will likely see time as a DP and pinch hitter. Brittany Berres and Sarah Hudson will primarily be used as runners this season.
5. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2012 Overall Record: 14-25
2012 UMAC Record: 10-11
2012 UMAC Finish: 5
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 5
Bethany Lutheran College returns two First Team All-Conference performers in senior shortstop Ashley Jensen and junior outfielder Gena Chester. Jensen was also on the UMAC All-Defensive Team who led the Vikings in batting at .375 which ranked fifth in the conference. Chester led the team in runs scored (24) and co-led the team in both doubles (12) and hits (40).
Other top returners include catcher Kelsey Pekarna who was third on the team in RBIs with 16 and outfielder Rebecca Ludewig who had a perfect fielding percentage in 70 attempts.
The Vikings lose both pitchers from 2012 but feel they have replaced those with a pair of newcomers. Nicole Starkson was a two-time All Big Nine Conference performer at Mankato West High School where the Scarlets reached the state tournament twice including a state runner-up berth her sophomore year. Shannon Heitz, a transfer from Ridgewater College, was a two-time all-conference performer at Glencoe-Silver Lake High School where she owns the school's single season strikeout record.
Head coach Renee Tatge feels the added pitching experience is something the Vikings needed. They bring back experienced batters with hopes of qualifying for the UMAC Postseason Tournament.
6. North Central University Rams
2012 Overall Record: 13-15
2012 UMAC Record: 0-0
2012 UMAC Finish: NA
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 5
North Central Softball lost several important starters to graduation, but looks to continue its momentum from an 13-15 season last year with the addition of some key freshman and transfers. The leadership and consistency of its trio of seniors, Elisabeth Trickey, Hannah Gordon and Bethany Bostron look to lead a largely underclassman squad this spring. The team will miss its four year starting pitcher Danielle Anderson who graduated last spring but NCU looks to continue her legacy with Bostron and several freshman in the circle.
Defensively the infield will see a few shifts however, the incoming freshman look to add some consistency to the infield for the future.Offensively the trio of seniors will lead the team as they have in past years. Elisabeth Trickey lead all Division III hitters last spring with a batting average of .573. She and her fellow seniors look to continue their explosive offense in their senior campaign.
Offensively, NCU will be more flexible at the plate with the addition of some valuable bats from new comers. They will still feature some speed and a bunting game that has led to some of the highest on base percentages in Division III but the line-up should feature more pop with the bats of freshman like Megan Meyers who was the Athena Award winner at Randolph (Minn.) High School last year.
7. Martin Luther College Knights
2012 Overall Record: 9-23
2012 UMAC Record: 8-13
2012 UMAC Finish: 7
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 5
The MLC softball team looks to improve upon last season’s 8-13 record in the UMAC last season in the hopes of finishing in the top half of the conference standings this season.
The Knights return five players in the line-up, led by 2011 Honorable Mention All-UMAC performer Madeline Scott in center field. Scott is the team’s returning leader in batting average (.373), on-base percentage (.393), runs (23), hits (38) and stolen bases (15 in 16 attempts). Scott will be joined in the outfield by sophomore Emily Waldek, who hit .333 with ten extra base hits and a .486 slugging percentage as a freshman. The infield returns starters Amanda Fogle and Amber Krause on the left side, while experienced utility players MacCartney Mendolla and Andrea Biedenbender could play anywhere on the field for Coach Barb Leopold. First-year utility player Maggie Schultz could see time in the infield or outfield for the Knights and leads a group of newcomers who could see action this season.
On the mound, the Knights will be led by senior Laura Miller, who is the school’s career record holder for innings pitched (299.1). She also ranks second in strikeouts (117) and fifth in wins (15), and is coming off a 2012 season where she finished 6-13 overall in a school-record 129.2 innings. Miller will be joined on the pitching staff by Waldek, who pitched a five-inning shutout in her only start a season ago, and newcomer Kathryn Marquardt, who also figures to see time on the mound this season.
8. Crown College Storm
2012 Overall Record: 0-25
2012 UMAC Record: 0-21
2012 UMAC Finish: 8
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 1
The Crown College softball team enters the 2013 season with hopes of breaking into the win column for the first time since 2009. Crown returns eight players who started at least one game last year and Coach Jamie Ross is excited about the addition of nine newcomers to the roster. The loss of freshman standout Akina Zucarro will be a blow to the team, but a few key additions, including some quality arms, should help the Storm continue to raise their level of play this season.
The Storm will be led by quality returners Kendra Magaard and Emily Dallman. Magaard played a solid shortstop and led the team with seven extra-base hits, while Dallman led the team with seven RBI. New pitchers Sarah Petkau and Erin Ebbers should be an upgrade and will likely eat up most of Crown’s innings in 2013. Emilee Lerol will bring another solid glove to the middle infield and Tessa Ardolf has the ability to play anywhere in the field.
The influx of quality young players to a roster that has gained valuable experience over the past two years should equal a competitive squad in 2013.
Following a full slate of nonconference games to start the season, all eight UMAC teams will begin their league schedules Monday, April 1. After conference play, the top four teams will gather at Kenwood Field in Duluth, Minn. on May 3-4 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 Friday, March 29 to talk about their team and individual performances to date. More details about the chat session will be available in March.