Softball ranked fourth in NSIC preseason poll
1/29/2021 11:53:00 AM | Softball
BURNSVILLE, MINN. - There may be a foot of snow on the ground, but things are looking up for the St. Cloud State University softball team. Why you ask? Because the team is two weeks away from its first official game of the 2021 season, meaning it's time for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) preseason coaches poll. With exactly 14 days remaining before first pitch, the Huskies were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches poll released Friday morning.Â
St. Cloud State, which received votes in the preseason National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll, saw its 2020 season cut short just as the team was starting to find its groove. In 2021, the team looks to be just as strong, if not better, as the Huskies return their entire line up from the past season and six of nine starters from the 2019 team that appeared in the NCAA Regional. Super senior and captain Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville) is back for one last go around at St. Cloud State after earning All-Conference, All-Region and CoSDIA Academic All-District honors the past two seasons. Cassie Francesconi (Schomberg, Ontario), Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South) and Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) are back after award winning seasons in 2019, while Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bay Port), Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) and Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) are expected to anchor a strong pitching line up.Â
Meet the 2021 St. Cloud State softball team (in 280 characters or less):
5 - Emma Murphy (Sr.; Pitcher; Stillwater, Minn. / Stillwater)
Senior education major; appeared in one game in the shortened 2020 season; surrendered two hits and recorded a strikeout; appeared in six games in 2019, posting a .72 ERA with a 1-0 record; claims Megan Conrads is the GOAT.
6 - Haley McFarlane (R-Jr.; Infield; Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie)
Redshirt junior from Swisher, Iowa; appeared in 21 games with 20 starts in shortened 2020 season; hit .241 with 14 hits in 58 at bats; No. 2 on the team with five home runs; must have bow and eyeblack on game day.
7 - Holly Weinberger (R-Fy.; Utility; Waconia, Minn. / Waconia)
Nickname: Hallz Ballz; appeared in 21 games in 2020 with 13 starts in right field; batted .182 with eight hits in 44 at bats; did not commit a single error in 13 games in the outfield; pregame ritual is jamming to Nickelback.
8 - Lauren Kirchberg (R-So.; Pitcher; Columbus, Wis. / Columbus)
2021 Preseason Pitcher to Watch for SCSU; 2021 team captain; 2020 Academic All-Conference honoree; appeared in 12 games with four starts in 2020; posted 3-2 record with 3.22 ERA with 23 strikeouts; top relief pitcher in 2019.
9 - Cassie Francesconi (R-Sr.; Outfield; Schomberg, Ontario / Emily Carr Secondary)
Redshirt senior back for final year at St. Cloud State; started all 22 games in 2020 as a left or center fielder; hit .224 with 13 hits; put together a career year as a junior in 2019 with a .319 batting average; sister Sienna played softball for the Huskies from 2014-16.
10 - Maya Keating (R-Sr.; Infield; Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville)
2x NSIC Preseason Player to Watch; 2x Team Captain; 2020 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District; 3x Academic All-NSIC; 2019 Second Team All-NSIC, First Team All-Region; hit .370 in COVID shortened 2020; No. 2 on the team in batting average, OBP (.427), runs (16) and hits (27).Â
11- Raven Vanden Langenberg (Jr.; Infield; Seymour, Wis. / Seymour)
New number, same Raven; missed 2020 due to injury; SCSU's starting shortstop in 2019; NSIC Athlete of the Week; hit .360 as a freshman with 58 hits, nine doubles, three triples, five home runs and 43 RBI; claims the Green Bay Packers are her favorite team.Â
12 - Alexandra Pinkowski (Jr.; Outfield; Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake)
Missed majority of 2020 due to injury; started 10 games in the outfield and hit .269 with seven hits, three doubles, two home runs and six RBI; nickname AP; favorite book is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett; spirit animal is a bumblebee.
13 - Sydney Trees (R-So.; Infield/Catcher; Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake)
One of the top hitters for St. Cloud State in 2020; started all 22 games at shortstop; hit .328 with 22 hits in 67 at bats; No. 2 on the team in RBI (17) and led the team in home runs (6); lists Chad Welk as her favorite professor and Natalie DenHartog as her favorite athlete.Â
14 - Megan Conrads (Sr.; Utility; Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South)
Senior utility woman for the Huskies; 2019 Second Team All-NSIC honoree; started all 22 games for the team in 2020; hit .333 with 22 hits, four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 13 RBI; led the team with nine walks at the plate.
15 - Trinity Junker (Fy.; Pitcher; Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes)
First year pitcher for St. Cloud State; appeared in five games with one start in 2020; earned first collegiate win against Emporia State on February 29; mother Karissa (Hoehn) played softball for the Huskies.
16 - Sophie Culhane (So.; Catcher; Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove)
Sophomore catcher; appeared in five games as a first year in 2020; led Maple Grove to the AAAA State Championship Title as a high school senior in 2019; lists the Harry Potter series as her favorite book and movie.
17 - Madie Pich (Fy.; Infield; Blaine, Minn. / Spring Lake)
A true freshman from Blaine, Minnesota; earned All-Conference and All-Section honors during her high school career; off the field was a member of National Honors Society; exercise science major; lists Tangled as her favorite movie.
18 - Jasmin Estrada (So.; Infield; Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield)
2019 Second Team All-NSIC and Second Team All-Region; top offensive weapon for the Huskies in 2020; led the team in batting average (.411), hits (30), doubles (5), RBI (22) and total bases (50); slugged .685 and stole five bases; dream job is becoming a detective.
19 - Kylie Thomsen (Jr.; Pitcher; Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove)
Third-year pitcher for the Huskies; after injury riddled 2019, made 12 appearances on the mound with nine starts in 2020; accumulated .254 ERA and a 4-4 record with 29 strikeouts; also appeared as a hitter for the Huskies in 2020.
21 - Lydia Krueger (Fy.; Infield; Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North)
First year infielder from Appleton, Wis.; three-year varsity stater; earned All-Conference and All-District Honorable Mention accolades in high school; enjoys reading, watching movies and thrifting in her spare time; major in biomedical sciences.Â
22 - Tenley Quesnell (Fy.; Utility; Boise, Idaho / Timberline)
Travels to Minnesota from Idaho to play for the Huskies; earned All-Conference honors in high school and was a three-year Academic Excellence Award winner; parents both attended St. Cloud State; her father, Shane, played baseball for the Huskies.
23 - Brooke Bowlin (Jr.; Outfield; Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family)
2019 Second Team All-NSIC and Gold Glove honoree; started all 22 games for the Huskies in 2020; hit .333 with 21 hits, including one triple; led the team with 16 stolen bases in 20 attempts; favorite athlete is LeBron James.
24 - Sydney LaPoint (Jr.; Pitcher; Green Bay, Wis. / Bay Port)
Huskies ace in 2020; appeared in 11 games with eight starts on the mound and posted a 7-0 record; led the team in wins (7) ERA (2.20), strikeouts (40) and held opponents to a .218 batting average; named NSIC Pitcher of the Week after recording two shutout wins in Florida.
26 - Kaitlyn Istvanovich (So.; Catcher; Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes)
Sophomore catcher from Lindstrom, Minnesota; appeared in 21 games in 2020 with 19 starts as a catcher; tallied 97 putouts with four assists; caught four runners on 12 stolen base attempts; recorded her first collegiate hit against Central Missouri.
28 - Gabrielle Nelson (So.; Infield; Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo)
Appeared in six games for the Huskies in a COVID shortened 2020; earned multiple accolades during her prep career, including the North Dakota Senior Athlete of the Year honor; lists the Pittsburgh Penguins as her favorite sports team.
