For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#8 Kiana Bender (IF, 5-7, So., L/R, Cloquet, Minn. / Cloquet-Esko-Carlton HS) - Minnesota Duluth 
- Hit .333 (4-of-12) with a .500 on-base percentage and a .917 slugging percentage
- Tallied two home runs, a double, and six RBI during UMD’s 3-1 weekend in Missouri
- One home run was a three-run shot during UMD’s seventh inning comeback win against Central Missouri
- Added three walks, a HBP, a stolen base, two put outs and 14 assists

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#24 Liz Pautz (RHP, Sr., R/R, Pulaski, Wis. / Pulaski HS) - Winona State
- Went 3-0 in three complete games for Winona State in the opening week of the season
- Racked up double-digit strikeouts in all three outings
- Had 16 strikeouts, allowing just two hits in a 9-0 win vs. Pittsburg State
- Added 13 strikeouts in each win over Grand View and Drury
- Held opponents to a .163 batting average over 21.0 innings of work

Other Top Performances - Players
Elaina Christiansen (BSU) totaled four hits, four runs and two RBI while going 2-2 at the Minot State Bubble Invite. She finished with a home run, two RBI and two runs in win over UMC. She recorded two runs scored and one hit in 4-3 win over MSU-Billings.
#20 Grace Beseman (CSP) went 4-for-10 with a homer, two RBI and three stolen bases as CSP went 3-0 on the weekend. She had a .400/.455/.700 slash line with a 1.155 OPS. She went 3-4 in stolen bases in a 4-3 extra inning win over Truman State. She was 1-for-3 with a solo homer in a 5-4 win over Newman. She is hitting .440/.500/.680 (11-25) with 2 HR & 5 SB as CSP is off to a 7-1 start. 
#30 Whitnee Curry (UMC) went 5-for-9 in three games in Minot this past weekend. She went 4-for-4 in the win over UMary and collected two RBI. She is hitting .400 in 10 starts this season.
Madi Newman (MSU) batted .400 with six hits in 15 at bats. She notched two doubles and two home runs for a .933 slugging percentage. She led the team with 6 RBI. She had three hits, including two home runs, and 5 RBI against NMSU in Minnesota State’s 11-3 win.
Jordey Smith (MSUM) hit a team-best .385 at the Presentation Dome Tournament as she had five hits in 13 at-bats with a .625 on-base percentage. She hit safely in 3 of 4 games. 
Gabi Dawyduk (MINOT) led the way at the plate for the Beavers as the designated player, hitting .417 (5-of-12) in four games at Minot State’s Bubble Invite II. She drove in 2 runs and also stole 4 bases for the Beavers, and pitched in three games, striking out 3 opposing batters in 5 1/3 innings work in the circle.
Rylee Stout (WSU) was a force at the plate in a 3-3 start for Winona State. She was 7-of-18 at the plate over six games with a double, a triple and a home run for a .722 slugging percentage.  She drew a walk and scored five runs to go with thre RBI. 
 
Other Top Performances - Pitcher
#9 Bryanna Olson (CSP) had a pair of complete game wins, striking out 14 in 16 innings. She registered a 1.31 ERA and held opponents to a .228 average with only 1 extra base hit. She  went the distance in a 9-inning win over Truman State, striking out 11 in a 4-3 win. She added a complete game shutout in a 3-0 win over Truman State. Off to a 5-1 start with a save and 0.92 ERA in 7 appearances to lead CSP to a 7-1 record. She leads the league in innings (38.0), wins (5) and is second in ERA (0.92).
#8 Evie Stuck (UMC) pitched her second career shutout in a 5-0 win over UMary. She gave up just three runs in 14 innings pitched this weekend. She had two complete games and two wins against UMary and Montana State University Billings. She is 4-1 with a 1.77 ERA on the season and now has four career complete games in five starts.
Lauren Dixon (UMD) pitched 13.1 innings on the weekend, giving up just two hits and one earned run. She struckout a total of 17 batters. She posted a 2-0 record on the weekend, while also being credited with one save.
#17 Mackenzie Ward (MSU) went 1-1 this past weekend with a 1.87 ERA and 15 strikeouts. She threw two complete games and one shutout. She threw a two-hit shutout against Central Missouri as she struck out 10 batters. She held opposing batters to a .218 batting average.
Anna Lang (MSUM) went 1-1 with 2.62 ERA in 8 IP at Presentation. She allowed just five hits in eight innings as opponents hit .179 against her. She picked up the win, allowing just one earned run in 4.1 innings, against Mayville walked only two and struck out five. 
Reegan Floyd (MINOT) pitched a gem for her third collegiate win, giving up just 1 run and scattering 3 hits while striking out a career-best 12 batters in a 4-1 victory over Bemidji State on Saturday night.

NSIC Softball Players of the Week
2/8/22
Player: #12 Jordyn Thomas - Minnesota Duluth
Pitcher: #20 Sam Pederson - Minnesota Duluth
2/15/22
Player: #10 Jamie Odlum - Minot State
Pitcher: #9 Meghan Anderson - Northern State
2/22/22
Player: #8 Kiana Bender - Minnesota Duluth 
Pitcher: #24 Liz Pautz - Winona State

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 24 team national championships and crowned 81 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 can 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.