For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
NSIC Media Relations
Full PDF Release

NSIC Player of the Week
#16  Lindsay Spanton
IF, 5-7, Sr., R/R
Apple Valley, Minn.
Eastview HS
Augustana


NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#10  Jenelle Trautmann  
RHP, 5-7, Jr.,  R/R,
Hastings, Minn.
Hastings HS
Augustana


NSIC SOFTBALL TEAM NOTES
 Augustana
#16 Lindsay Spanton (IF, 5-7, Sr., Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview HS) went on a power surge in Augustana’s opening weekend batting .500 on the weekend with five hits, including three doubles, a triple and a home run. Spanton drove in four runs and compiled a 1.300 slugging percentage. She also accounted for 13 total bases, reaching base safely 11 times earning seven walks on the weekend. Spanton had a double in three of the five games over the weekend after opening the season by going 1 for 3 with a two-run home run in Augustana’s win over No. 1-ranked and defending national champion Central Oklahoma on Friday. She wrapped up the weekend going 2 for 3 with a double and a triple and two RBI against Colorado Springs on Saturday.
#10 Jenelle Trautmann (P/U, 5-7, Jr., Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) pitched in four of five games in Augustana’s opening weekend tossing 16.2 innings and posting a 3-1 record. Trautmann struck out 18 batters while posting a 3.36 ERA in four appearances. She opened the weekend with a win over the No. 1 team in the country tossing six innings and striking out eight batters. In her second start of the season, Trautmann pitched all seven innings, striking out eight batters while walking just one against Colorado Springs.  

Bemidji State
The Beavers will open their season in West St. Paul on Feb. 25-26 as they will play six games with teams from around the region.

Concordia-St. Paul
Concordia-St. Paul will open their season in St. Cloud on Feb. 21-22 against four MIAA schools. .

University of Mary
The University of Mary softball opened their season by participating in the MSUB Desert Stinger in Las Vegas, Nev. U-Mary split on the first day of competition, but dropped its next three games to close out the weekend. The Marauders lone win of the weekend came in 9-7 decision over Simon Fraser University. The competition was stiff for U-Mary all weekend and culminated on Saturday as it took on No. 1 University of Central Oklahoma. Overall, the Marauders hit the ball well to open the season maintaining a .297 batting average. Defensively, however, U-Mary struggled committing 15 errors over five gamed. The Marauders will be back in action Feb. 23-24 as they participate in the Duluth Invitational in West St. Paul, Minn. U-Mary will play five games in two days, including a non-conference meeting with NSIC foe Minot State University.
#9 Allison Brown (OF, R/R, 5-10, Sr., Escondido, Calif./Fallbrook HS) led the offensive attack for the Marauders in their opening weekend of competition. Brown recorded seven hits in five games good for a .412 batting average. The senior from Escondido, Calif. knocked in five runs and scored four. Brown walked three teams and stole five bases.

Minnesota, Crookston
UMC will oen their season with 14 games in Clermont, Fla. on March 14-21.
 
Minnesota Duluth
The Bulldogs will kick off the 2014 season on Feb. 14 when they travel to Bentonville, Ark. for the University of Arkansas-Monticello 8-State Classic.

Minnesota State
The Minnesota State softball team opens its 2014 slate at the UAM 8-State Tournament this weekend. The Mavericks are scheduled to take on six opponents over the weekend, beginning Friday as they take on Emporia State at 11:30 a.m.

MSU Moorhead
The Dragons open their season in a non-conference doubleheader against  Minnesota Duluth on March 11 in West St. Paul, Minn.

Minot State
Minot State University began the season on the right foot, winning its first two games at the Montana State-Billings Desert Stinger. But, the Beavers lost their final three games, including an 8-2 final with the University of Hawaii at Hilo, a team receiving votes in the national poll and a 3-2 loss to No. 1 ranked Central Oklahoma. The Beavers defeated Azusa Pacific 4-3 and Western Oregon 5-4 in eight innings for their wins. #5 Ali Cygan (SS, 5-6, Jr., Bozeman, Mont. / Belgrade / South Dakota State) started quickly with seven hits and a .438 average in five games. She also finished with two runs batted in and just one error and a .952 fielding percentage at shortstop. #4 Jen Dixon (OF/P, 5-9, Sr., Brandon, Manitoba / Vincent Massey) knocked in four runs and hit her first homerun while batting .294. In the circle, transfer #21 Mindy Lorimor (P, 5-9, Jr., Thurman, Iowa / Fremont-Mills / South Dakota State) finished with a 2-2 record and a 2.21 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched. The Beavers will be off until the Duluth Invite Feb. 23-24.

Northern State
The Wolves open up their season in Joplin, Mo. on Feb. 29-March 2 with games against MIAA opponents.

Southwest Minnesota State
The Mustangs open their season with a pair of doubleheaders at Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 15-16.

Sioux Falls
The Cougars softball team will open its 2014 season with a trip to St. Paul, Minn. on Feb. 25 with games against Valley City State and Jamestown College.   

St. Cloud State
St. Cloud State softball will compete in their first games of the 2014 season as they host the MIAA/NSIC Crossover Tournament in the Husky Stadium Dome on Feb. 21, 22 and 23. The Huskies will take on Emporia State at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 to kick off their tournament play.

Upper Iowa
Riley Kruel (5-5, Fr., Horicon, WI./Horicon HS) earned four hits, two RBIs and scored three runs in her first collegiate day of her career. Kruel stepped to the plate seven times in a double-dip with Grand View collecting a .571 batting average, a .667 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. Her strong play in game two led UIU to a split as the Peacocks earned an 11-4 victory over the Vikings after falling 6-3 in game one. Kruel added a perfect fielding percentage from her centerfield spot adding three putouts to her stat line.
In their season debut, the 2014 Peacock softball team looked sharp through six innings in game one and for the majority of the second of two matchups with Grand View College this past Saturday night. Upper Iowa scored twice in the first inning of game one and added another run in the fourth, but despite the Peacocks’ 3-1 lead, GVC mounted a comeback in the seventh inning to swipe victory from the Peacocks’ grasp. The Vikings scored five runs in the top of the seventh and escaped with a 6-3 victory inside the RCTC Dome in Rochester, Minnesota. In game two, it looked as if Grand View would continue its strong play thanks to their early momentum, but UIU responded quickly and forcefully. After falling behind by three runs in the first, the Peacocks quickly took the lead in the fourth and never looked back. UIU earned RBI rips from Riley Kruel, Cheyenne Burnett, Adrienna Olson, Shelby Crist and Erica Kirgan as the Peacocks blew past the Vikings in game two, 11-4. The Peacocks will continue their non-conference schedule this weekend as the team heads south to Bentonville, Arkansas to take part in the Arkansas-Bentonville Division-II Softball Classic. UIU will face Pittsburgh State and Missouri Western State on Friday before facing Quincy University and the University of Arkansas at Bentonville on Saturday. The Peacocks will wrap up the weekend against Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene on Sunday.

Wayne State
Wayne State will open their season in St. Cloud, Minn. on Feb. 21-22

Winona State
The Winona State softball team will begin its 2014 season on Feb. 18 with a doubleheader against Grand View in Rochester. The doubleheader will be a tune-up for a pair of tournaments the next two weekends where WSU will play eight games against Division II competition. The Warriors were selected as joint preseason favorites by the coaches of the NSIC and are led by 2013 all-region selection Ashley Walker.

Past Players/ Pitchers of the Week
2/11/14  
Player: Lindsay Spanton, Augustana
Pitcher: Janelle Trautmann, Augustana