For Immediate Release
Monday, February 27, 2023
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#14 Maggie Fitzgerald (IF, 5-7, So., R/R, Oak Lawn, Ill. / Richards HS) – St. Cloud State
- Went 6-of-9 in three games averaging a .667 batting average
- Owned a on base percentage of .727 while slugging .889
- On six hits, drove in five runs with a pair of doubles

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#26 Allyssa Williams (RHP, 5-9, Fr., R/R, Yuba City, Calif. / Yuba City HS) – Minnesota Duluth
- Threw 9.0 scoreless innings across three appearances last week
- Struck out nine and allow only six hits 
- Gave up just one hit in three innings in a save against Lewis
- Recorded five strikeouts against No. 12 Grand Valley State

Other Top Performances - Players
#27 Alina Avalos (UMC) hit .357 in five games in Topeka, Kansas. She scored seven runs, hit two home runs, had five RBIs and three walks. She helped the Golden Eagles to wins over Nebraska Kearney and Newman.
#21 Mack Gallagher (MSUM) had 19 at-bats with eight hits (.421 average) and seven runs bat-ted in over five game. She owned a .579 slugging percentage and a 0.455 on-base percentage for the weekend. She had a total of five hits and four RBIs in MSUM's wins over Ursuline and Ferris State.  She was as 3-for-4 against Ferris State that included two RBI doubles. She added two hits and two RBIs in a split with Truman State and Purdue Northwest.
#3 Leo Watson (MINOT) led the way for the Beavers at the Drury Branson Bash, going 4-for-11 at the plate with a team-best 5 RBIs and 3 doubles. She also drew two walks, and defensively was perfect on 6 chances.
#14 Laila Pelds (UIU) led the UIU offense in their first four games with a .500 average behind 7 hits including a double while driving in 3 runs.
#23 Paiton Tornberg (WSC) hit .500 going 8 for 16 with six RBI at Washburn Tournament. She had three-multi hit games as she was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI in 8-2 win over NW Missouri State Saturday. She went 3 for 4 with a double and RBI vs. Emporia State Sunday and was 2 for 2 in 3-0 loss to #20 Washburn Sunday.
#23 Abbie Hlas (WSU) had an impressive outing at the 2023 Lewis University Dome Invitational. She hit 7-for-20 (.350) at the plate and collected 3 doubles in one game vs. Ferris State. She had four RBI and five runs scored on the weekend. 

Other Top Performances - Pitcher
#9 Evie Stuck (UMC) pitched 14 innings over four games in Topeka as she went 1-1. She posted a 2.00 ERA as she allowed just four earned runs, on nine hits over four appearances.
#19 Calley Olson (MINOT) picked the Beavers pitching win in relief against Lincoln University, pitching 4 innings and striking out 3 while allowing 3 earned runs.
#23 Evey Evans (MSUM) picked up a win in both of MSUM’s games on Thursday against Ursuline and Ferris State. She pitched five innings across those two games, surrendering six hits, one walk and two strikeouts. She completed 11.1 innings of work over the weekend with three strikeouts and a 5.67 ERA.
Trinity Junker (SCSU) went 2-0 over the weekend for the Huskies. She struck out 12 batters in 13 innings pitched. 
#21 Rylee McGonigle (UIU) picked up a win for UIU with a complete game shutout against Ursuline. She threw 7 scoreless innings allowing 7 hits while striking out 8 batters.
Abby Smith (WSU) was solid in the circle for Winona State at the 2023 Lewis University Dome Invitational. She threw a one hitter versus Ferris State, a 7-0 Warrior win. She conceded just two earned runs in an extra-innings loss to William Jewel. The one hitter vs. the Bulldogs was the best pitching performance for WSU this year. 
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
2/21/23
Player: #10 Avery Steffen – MSU Moorhead
Pitcher: #9 McKayla Armbruster - Minnesota State
2/27/23
Player: #14 Maggie Fitzgerald – St. Cloud State
Pitcher: #26 Allyssa Williams – Minnesota Duluth

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.