Four Huskies earn NSIC honors
5/12/2021 1:00:00 PM | Softball
BURNSVILLE, MINN. - The months of March, April and May are always a rollercoaster for spring sport athletes and coaches, but even more so in the year 2021. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the St. Cloud State University softball team was grateful just to play a full season in 2021. On Wednesday, a handful of Huskies were rewarded for their outstanding play, as Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family), Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) and Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) earned NSIC honors.Â
Bowlin, Estrada and Vanden Langenberg were named to the 2021 All-Conference First Team at their respective positions after putting up impressive numbers, while Weinberger earned NSIC Gold Glove honors for her play in right field. It marks the fifth consecutive year at least one St. Cloud State student-athlete earned All-Conference honors and the second straight year at least one player has landed on the Gold Glove team.Â
This awards season is particularly historic for the Huskies, as no student-athlete has received First Team All-NSIC honors since St. Cloud State rejoined the NSIC in 2008. Vanden Langenberg, Estrada and Bowlin were certainly deserving of the honor, as all three ranked toward the top of the conference in multiple offensive categories. All three were especially impressive in NSIC play, as they all hit well over .400 in games against conference opponents, led by Vanden Langenberg, who was the top offensive shortstop in the conference throughout the 2021 regular season. In 26 NSIC games, the sophomore racked up a team-leading 35 hits in 82 at bats against NSIC opponents, leading the way with a .427 batting average. Of those 35 hits, nine were for extra bases, allowing Vanden Langenberg to close the season with a .634 slugging percentage against conference opponents with 28 RBI and 52 total bases.
Vanden Langenberg's overall numbers were equally as impressive as her stats in conference play. At the end of the regular season, she ranked third in the NSIC with a .441 batting average and fourth in total hits (56). Additionally, Vanden Langenberg concluded the season ranked fourth in on-base percentage, as she reached base 49.3% of the time during the 2021 regular season.Â
After earning Second Team All-Conference honors her first season at St. Cloud State, Estrada did not miss a beat in year two, as she blasted her way to a .417 batting average in 26 NSIC games. The sophomore owned the top batting average amongst her fellow DPs in the conference, as she tallied 35 hits in 84 at bats with four doubles and seven home runs. Estrada also led all designated players in the conference in slugging (.714), home runs (7) and RBI (31), and ranked second overall in the category versus conference opponents.
Estrada impressed from the start of the season, as she ended the regular season with a .431 batting average and ranked top-10 in the NSIC in batting average, slugging, total hits, RBI, home runs and walks. Of the Huskies 40 games, Estrada recorded 16 multi-hit games and broke the school record in single-game RBI, tallying seven in a 13-6 win over Wayne State on April 3.Â
Bowlin was not only one of the best outfielders in the NSIC throughout 2021 but was also one of the fastest, helping her earn the third NSIC honor of her career at St. Cloud State. After earning Second Team and Gold Glove honors in 2019, Bowlin took home First Team Accolades in 2021 after leading the conference in stolen bases for the second consecutive season. Bowlin swiped a team and NSIC-leading 31 bases during the season, including 24 in conference play. Additionally, the speedster broke the program record for career stolen bases in just her third full season as a Husky, stealing her 103rd career stolen base against MSU-Moorhead in the final weekend of the regular season.Â
In addition to her speed, Bowlin put up impressive numbers at the plate, slashing .407 in conference play with 33 hits in 81 at bats. She additionally tallied a .506 slugging percentage as a slap hitter with two doubles and a league leading three triples in 2021. Overall, Bowlin ranked third on the team with a .430 batting average and led the way with an impressive 49 runs scored throughout the year.Â
Weinberger is the first freshman to receive NSIC Gold Glove honors in program history, and she did so by not committing a single error in the field against conference opponents. As St. Cloud State's starting right fielder for the entire season, Weinberger tallied 44 putouts and one assist in NSIC play with zero errors. She additionally was a force to be reckoned with at the plate, posting a .397 batting average in conference play with 31 hits, eight of which were doubles, in 78 at bats. Amongst her teammates, Weinberger ranked fourth on the team in RBI (15) and third in slugging (.577) against conference opponents and was the team leader in doubles (8). Overall, she hit an impressive .420 during her freshman campaign, with 50 hits, 11 doubles, 1 triple, three home runs, 28 RBI and 72 total bases.Â
The Huskies will return to action on Thursday, May 13 when they take on Winona State in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. at the RYFSA Complex in Rochester, Minnesota.
