For Immediate Release
Monday, March 2, 2026
NSIC Media Relations

NSIC Player of the Week
#2 Bryn Elsenpeter (IF, Sr., L/R, Maple Lake, Minn. / Maple Lake HS) – Winona State
- Hit .615 (8-for-13) to lead the Warriors to a 4-0 weekend
- Launched three home runs and drove in six RBIs while recording four multi-hit games
- Added a 1.385 slugging percentage and a 0.625 on-base percentage
- Went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs against No. 23 Pittsburgh State
- Added five putouts and two assists defensively

NSIC Pitcher of the Week
#26 Izzy Howe (RHP, R-Jr., R/R, St. Charles, Ill. / St. Charles East HS) – Winona State
- Went 2-0 with 22 strikeouts in 13.1 innings
- Pitched two shutouts against Missouri Western State (6-0) and Fort Hays State (11-0)
- Allowed just four hits and no earned runs
- Struck out 14 batters with one walk against Missouri Western State
- Improved to 6-0 on the season

Others Top Performers  - Players
Alayna DeGraef (Bemidji State)
- Hit .667 at the Top Gun Midwest College Classic with 10 hits in 15 at-bats and six RBIs
- Went 5-for-5 with three runs and a two-run home run in a win over Newman
- Added a double and a home run on the weekend while posting a .933 slugging percentage and .667 on-base percentage with 14 total bases
- Recorded three putouts in left field
- Set program single-game records for hits (5) and total bases (8) against Newman
Maddie Spaeth – Jamestown
- Batted .455 (5-for-11) with a triple, home run, six RBIs and four runs scored in four games
- Went 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Minot State
- Added a home run in a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored and two RBIs in a win over Michigan-Dearborn
Evans Daphne – Minnesota Duluth
- Hit .529 (9-for-17) during a 3-1 week with a .556 on-base percentage and .824 slugging percentage
- Recorded at least one hit in all four games with nine total hits
- Tallied six RBIs, two doubles and one home run
- Added two stolen bases
Izzy Hycnar – Minnesota State
- Hit .393 with seven hits in 14 at-bats across four games
- Went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, one RBI and a stolen base in a win over Nebraska-Kearney
- Posted multi-hit games against Nebraska-Kearney and Washburn
- Scored in three of four contests
Maizy Whitlow – Minot State
- Went 4-for-7 (.571) in three games with a double, a home run, five RBIs and two walks
- Added 18 putouts at first base without committing an error
Sydney Roe – St. Cloud State
- Hit .385 (5-for-13) in a 2-2 week at the Space Coast Spring Games
- Recorded a hit in all four games while posting a .467 on-base percentage and .769 slugging percentage
- Tallied two doubles, a grand slam, five RBIs, two runs and two walks
- Has reached base safely in all 14 games this season
- Is on a five-game hitting streak
Emilee Marth – Wayne State 
- Hit .600 (9-for-15) at the Midwest Classic with two home runs, three doubles and 11 RBIs
- Went 3-for-4 with six RBIs and a three-run walk-off home run in a win over Southwest Baptist
- Added a 2-for-3 effort with a home run, double and three runs scored in a win over Quincy
- Finished the tournament with a .684 on-base percentage and 1.200 slugging percentage

Others Top Performers  - Pitcher
Emmie Sylvia-Cochran – Minnesota Duluth
- Went 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in 12.0 innings
- Allowed 13 hits and four earned runs
- Struck out 11 batters
- Held opponents to a .265 batting average
Maddie Oetzmann – Minnesota State
- Tossed 12.2 innings on the weekend with 12 strikeouts
- Threw 4.2 shutout innings in a 6-5 win over Nebraska-Kearney, allowing no hits and striking out five
- Pitched 6.1 innings against Washburn, allowing two earned runs with six strikeouts
- Limited opponents to minimal run production in key matchups
Katie Newberry – Minot State
- Threw 5.0 shutout innings with nine strikeouts in a 9-0 win at Jamestown
- Allowed just two hits and one walk
- Has thrown 13 consecutive scoreless innings
Justyce Porter – St. Cloud State
- Posted a 1-1 record with a 0.68 ERA and 0.58 WHIP in three appearances (one start)
- Allowed three hits and one earned run over 10.1 innings
- Struck out seven batters while holding opponents to a .088 batting average
- Threw a 7.0-inning perfect game against Bridgeport with seven strikeouts
- Recorded the fifth perfect game in program history and the first since 2023
Kennadi Borngrebe – Wayne State
- Went 1-1 with two complete games and a 2.15 ERA at the Midwest College Classic
- Fired a complete-game shutout with a career-high 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 win over Maryville (Mo.)
- Tossed another complete game in a 4-2 setback against No. 9 Missouri Southern
- Recorded 15 strikeouts in 13.0 innings while allowing four runs
NSIC Softball Players of the Week
2/3/26
Player: #15 Daphne Evans - Minnesota Duluth
Pitcher: #24 Sarah Misner - Minot State
2/10/26
Player: #22 Tevan Bryant - Northern State
Pitcher: #23 Kennadi Borngrebe - Wayne State
2/17/26
Player: #5 Emma Humpal - SMSU
Pitcher: #15 Jayda Berg - Winona State
2/24/26
Player: #15 Daphne Evans - Minnesota Duluth (2)
Pitcher: #22 Emmie Sylvia-Cochran - Minnesota Duluth
3/2/26
Player: #2 Bryn Elsenpeter – Winona State
Piutcher: #26 Izzy Howe – Winona State

About the NSIC
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with institutions located in 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 three decades, maturing into a union of Upper Midwest colleges and universities. The NSIC has won 27 team national championships and crowned 122 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.