For Immediate Release
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#10 Avery Steffen (P/UT, So., 5-6, L/R, Zumbrota, Minn. / Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) – MSU Moorhead
- Batted . 583 after going 7-of-12 in four wins for the Dragons
- Held a 1.500 slugging percentage and a .615 on-base percentage
- Added three home runs, 11 RBIs, two doubles, scored five runs and added a walk
- Hit .714 with two home runs, a double and five RBIs against Doane and Jamestown

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#9 McKayla Armbruster (RHP, Jr., R/R, Faribault, Minn. / Faribault HS) - Minnesota State
- Went 2-0 with a save this past weekend and boasted a 0.00 ERA over 16.0 innings pitched
- Held opposing batters to a .175 batting average as she struck out 12 batters
- Threw a seven-inning shutout against Emporia State where she allowed just four hits, while striking out seven
- Earned a save vs. Newman as she set down all nine batters she faced in three innings
- Threw six innings in a combined shutout of Washburn

Other Top Performances - Players
#6 Mariah Stevenson  (BSU)  put on a power display at the Bubble Invite posting a pair of home runs and six RBI in the four games. She opened the tournament with two hits against Minot State, including at the time the go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning. In the second game of the series, it was another two-hit game, along with a home run and three RBI. Stevenson helped put the game out of reach early against Providence (Mont.) hitting a second inning three-run blast. For the week, Stevenson had four hits, six RBI, five runs scored and stole a pair of bases.
#35 Danni Sharum (CSP) hit for a .333 average over six games with an .800 slugging percentage and .444 on on-base percentage. She went 5-for-15 with two home runs and a double. She started four games behind the plate with a .923 fielding percentage.
#27 Alina Avalos (UMC) hit .522 in six games on the weekend wtih two home runs, which led the team. She drove in 10 runs over the weekend with an OPS of over 1.400.
#18 Kat Burkhardt (UMD) recorded a grand slam against NMSU and ended the contest 3-for-4 from the plate with four RBIs and two runs scored. She went 3-for-4 from the plate, including a double and a triple, and recorded another RBI in a win against UMSL. She worked at a batting average of 0.375 and an OB% of 0.418 for the week.
Sydney Nielsen (MSU) batted .467 this past weekend as she led the team in hits (7), runs scored (6) and RBI (4). - Put together a .867 slugging% and a .625 on-base%. - Record two hits and a home run against both Washburn and Newman. - Tallied three hits vs. Emporia State.
#22 Gabi Dawyduk (MINOT) led the offense hitting .545 (6-for-11) in four games, adding a double, 2 triples, 5 RBIs, and a stolen base for the Beavers. She also pitched two scoreless innings of relief in 2 games for Minot State.
#18 Marissa Mullen (WSU) batting .500, 6-for-12, across six games she has a home run and three runs scored on the year. She drove in five RBI and owns a .750% slugging mark and .667% on-base percentage. 

Other Top Performances - Pitcher
#10 Stella Dolan (BSU) pitched in three of the games at the Bubble Invite including a pair of starts. She tossed a complete game five-inning shutout victory against Carroll College, allowing just six hits and no walks in the 8-0 victory. Dolan opened the tournament pitching six innings against Minot State getting the no decision allowing four runs (two earned), along with a pair of strikeouts and allowed just six hits. She also threw 1.1 innings against Montana State-Billings allowing two unearned runs with a strikeout. For the week, Dolan threw 12.1 innings, allowing six runs (two earned), 14 hits, just two walks and three strikeouts going 1-0.
#9 Bryanna Olson (CSP) had a 2.45 ERA in 20 innings pitched giving up 13 hits while striking out 21 batters. She went 2-1 in the three starts as she held opposing batters to a .176 average. She threw a one hit complete game shutout vs. Missouri St. Louis with seven strikeouts. She also had 10 strikeouts in seven innings against Quincy.
#37 Mady Stariha (UMD) held an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of .700 in 10 innings across three appearances last week. She held opposing batters to a .194 hitting percentage. She went the full seven innings in UMD's win against Quincy, allowing just three hits and one run to end the game with a 1.29 ERA. She recorded five strikeouts in the Quincy contest. She leads UMD in ERA (2.19), WHIP (1.09) and wins (four) on the season. 
#8 Reece Dahl (MSUM) pitched one and two-third innings in MSUM's win over Valley City State on Friday evening, surrendering two hits and no runs. She would pitch four and one-third innings over MSUM's two games on Saturday. She gave up three hits, two runs and struck out four batters over the games. In her six innings pitched this weekend, she struck out four batters with a 3.00 ERA.
#15 Reegan Floyd (MINOT) dominated in the circle, striking out 17 opposing batters in 14 in-nings, allowing just four earned runs in a pair of wins for the Beavers. She improved to 4-2 on the season with a team-best 4.03 ERA and team-high 34 strikeouts in 33 innings.
#11 Abby Smith (WSU) went 3-0 to open the 2023 Winona State softball season.  In 16 innings pitched, she owns a 1.75 ERA as she recorded two complete game victories. Fielded her position, registering a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage on six chances.
NSIC Softball Players of the Week
2/7/23
Player: #3 Ellie Tallman – Minnesota State
Pitcher: #26 Allyssa Williams - Minnesota Duluth
2/14/23
Player: #5 Sidney Zavoral – Minnesota Duluth
Pitcher: #15 Trinity Junker – St. Cloud State
2/14/23
Player: #10 Avery Steffen – MSU Moorhead
Pitcher: #9 McKayla Armbruster - Minnesota 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 25 team national championships and crowned 96 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.