For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
NSIC Media Relations
PDF Release 

NSIC Player of the Year
#20 Kendall Cornick (OF, 5-8, Sr., L/R, Mason City, Iowa / Mason City HS)
Augustana University
- NSIC leader in batting average (.492) and on-base percentage (.554) throughout the 2021 NSIC season
- Also led NSIC in runs scored (53), hits (63) and stolen bases (32)
- Was fourth in the NSIC with a .758 slugging percentage
- Recorded 11 multi-hit NSIC games and tallied a hit in 23 games
- Scored two or more runs in 11 NSIC games 
- Was perfect on steal attempts at 21-for-21 in NSIC play
- Named NSIC Player of the Week twice this season

NSIC Pitcher of the Year
#17 Mackenzie Ward (RHP, Jr., R/R, Clive, Iowa / Valley HS) 
Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Put together a 56.1 scoreless innings streak in 2021
- Topped the NSIC in ERA (0.85) opponent batting average (.155), strikeouts (248) and batters struck out looking (60)
- Has struck out at least 10 batters in 15 games this season
- Recorded a career-high 19 strikeouts against Bemidji State in a seven-inning game
- Has thrown eight shutouts this season
- Won 11 of her final 12 starts of the regular season, including her final nine
- Has thrown three one-hit complete games during the season
- Her 248 strikeouts are the fifth-most in a season in team history
- Named NSIC Player of the Week five times this season

NSIC Freshman of the Year*
#10 Torri Chute (C/INF, 5-6, So., L/L, Woodbury, Minn. / Stillwater HS) 
Augustana University
- NSIC leader with 37 RBI during conference season and 52 throughout the entire regular season
- Ranked second in conference action with a .442 batting average
- Recorded 10 multi-hit games in NSIC play
- Marks third-straight year Augustana has had the NSIC Freshman of the Year
- Named NSIC Player of the Week twice this season

NSIC Newcomer of the Year*
#9 Abby Lien (UT, 5-8, Jr., R/R, Lakeville, Minn. / Eastview HS / University of Iowa)
Augustana University
- Ranked third in NSIC play with seven home runs
- Her on-base percentage is second-best in the NSIC at .535
- Was a steady presence at third base for AU, totaling 61 assists at the hot corner
- Carried a 20-game on-base streak throughout the NSIC season

NSIC COACH of the Year
Gretta Melsted
Augustana University
- Led Augustana to a No. 1 national ranking
- Augustana captured its fourth NSIC Regular Season Championship, all under Coach Melsted
- Coached an Augustana team that held a 227-38 run differential in NSIC action
- Coached a team that received seven NSIC Player of the Week honors
- Earns her fourth NSIC Coach of the Year award
 
 

2021 All-Conference First Team
#	Name	Pos.	Yr.	School	Hometown
10	Torri Chute	Utility	So.	Augustana	Woodbury, Minn.
20	Kendall Cornick	RF	Sr.	Augustana	Mason City, Iowa
50	Amber Elliott	RHP	Sr.	Augustana	Ramsey, Minn.
9	Abby Lien	3B	Jr.	Augustana	Lakeville, Minn.
26	Ashley Mickschl	RHP	Sr.	Augustana	Woodbury, Minn.
30	Mary Pardo	CF	Jr.	Augustana	Andover, Minn.
20	Grace Beseman	3B	So.	Concordia-St. Paul	Woodbury, Minn.
21	Jessica Bren	C	Sr.	Minnesota Duluth	Chanhassen, Minn.
12	Jordyn Thomas	1B	Sr.	Minnesota Duluth	Hermantown, Minn.
17	Mackenzie Ward	RHP	Jr	Minnesota State	Clive, Iowa
44	Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag	P/U	So.	Sioux Falls	Hull, Iowa
23	Brooke Bowlin	CF	Jr.	St. Cloud State	Chaska, Minn.
18	Jasmin Estrada	DP	So.	St. Cloud State	Litchfield, Minn.
11	Raven Vanden Langenberg	SS	Jr.	St. Cloud State	Seymour, Wis.
5	Abbie Hlas	2B	Fr.	Winona State	Adel, Iowa
3	Jordyn Kleman	RHP	Sr.	Winona State	La Crosse, Wis.
2021 All-Conference Second Team
#	Name	Pos.	Yr.	School	Hometown
18	Abbie Lund	LF	Jr.	Augustana	Waterloo, Iowa
36	Amanda Dickmeyer	SS	Jr.	Augustana	Woodbury, Minn.
23	Kali Kaestner	RHP	Sr.	Concordia-St. Paul	Mukwonago, Wis.
8	Amanda Parsons	C	Sr.	Concordia-St. Paul	Grafton, Wis.
22	Lauren Oberle	SS	Sr.	Minnesota Duluth	Eden Prairie, Minn.
18	Torey Richards	SS	Jr.	Minnesota State	Mankato, Minn.
13	Hannah McCarville	3B	Sr.	Minnesota State	La Vista, Neb.
22	Sydney Nielsen	DP	Fr.	Minnesota State	Marion, Iowa
2	Carly Esselman	CF	Sr.	Minnesota State	Farmington, Minn.
13	Jazmin Karunungan	OF	So.	Minot State	Simi, Calif.
10	Jamie Odlum	1B	Jr.	Minot State	Morden, Manitoba
12	Kali Tomlinson	3B	Sr.	SMSU	Las Vegas, Nev.
24	Bailey Johnson	DP	Jr.	SMSU	Mount Pleasant, Iowa
4	Katie Crogan	1B	Jr.	Upper Iowa	Watertown, Wis.
23	Damaris Cuevas	C	Fr.	Sioux Falls	Omaha, Neb.
13	Kim Vidlak	SS	Jr.	Wayne State	Bennington, Neb.
7	Libby Neveau	3B	So.	Winona State	Oshkosh, Wis.
11	Ali Nowak	DP	Sr.	Winona State	New Berlin, Wis.
10	Katie Kolb	OF	Sr.	Winona State	St. Charles, Ill.
22	Teaghen Amwoza	SS	Fr.	Winona State	Yorkville, Ill.
2021 NSIC Gold Glove Team
#	Name	Pos.	Yr.	School	Hometown
17	Mackenzie Ward	P	Jr.	Minnesota State	Clive, Iowa
19	Hannah Hastings	C	Sr.	Minnesota State	Mankato, Minn.
12	Delaney Young	1B	Jr.	Augustana	Cottage Grove, Minn.
18	Taylor Koehnen	2B	Sr.	Minnesota Duluth	New Prague, Minn.
7	Libby Neveau	3B	So.	Winona State	Oshkosh, Wis.
36	Amanda Dickmeyer	SS	Jr.	Augustana	Woodbury, Minn.
18	Abbie Lund	LF	Jr.	Augustana	Waterloo, Iowa
5	Frankie Mickelson	CF	Sr.	Sioux Falls	Rochester, Minn.
7	Holly Weinberger	RF	Fr.	St. Cloud State	Waconia, Minn.

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The NSIC is a model Division II conference that uses high-level athletics competition to develop champions in the classroom and community while empowering student-athletes to be impactful and positive leaders. Formed in 1992 by the merger of the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (men’s league) and the Northern Sun Conference (women’s league), the NSIC has flourished over the past quarter century, maturing into a 16-team union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 23 team national championships and crowned 77 individual national champions. For additional information, visit NorthernSun.org.

About NCAA Division II
The NCAA, the national governing body for college athletics, is a volunteer association of more than 1,000 colleges and universities that classify their athletics programs in one of three membership divisions. The 300+ institutions in NCAA Division II support a balanced approach in which student-athletes have the opportunity to earn scholarships based on their athletic ability, pursue their desired academic degree, and participate in all the campus and surrounding community have to offer. Division II student-athletes annually graduate at rates higher than their student body peers, and they have access to the best championships-participant ratio among the NCAA’s three divisions. Division II gives student-athletes the unique opportunity to compete in the classroom, on the field, in their career, for their causes, and on their terms. For additional information, visit NCAA.org.