St. Cloud State
Concordia University, St. Paul
Softball heads outside to host Concordia-St. Paul, #18 Minnesota State
4/8/2022 2:03:00 PM | Softball
ST. CLOUD, MINN. - The St. Cloud State University softball team is headed outside (for now). After opening the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) season with four straight doubleheaders in the dome, the Huskies are scheduled to make their Minnesota outdoor debut Saturday and Sunday as they host Concordia-St. Paul and #18 Minnesota State.
St. Cloud State will travel a smidge of distance for Saturday's doubleheader against the Golden Bears. Due to field conditions at Selke, the Huskies will host Concordia-St. Paul at the College of Saint Benedict's Softball Complex in St. Joseph, Minnesota. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at the Saint Ben's Complex with game two to follow at roughly 3:00 p.m.
Sunday's location is a bit more up in the air. As of now, St. Cloud State is scheduled to host the nationally ranked Mavericks at Selke Field at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Sunday. If Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, the games will move to Husky Dome with first pitch scheduled for the same time.
Live stats and video will be available for both doubleheaders and score updates will be made on the team's social media account (@SCSUHUSKIES_SB).
Here are the five things to know before the weekend:
18 - The Huskies will experience one of their first real tests in NSIC play this weekend as they face #18 Minnesota State. The Mavericks have been a mainstay in the NFCA's top-25 since the season started, coming in at #18 this past week after a 6-2 start in NSIC play. So far this conference season, Minnesota State has split with (also nationally ranked) Augustana and Wayne State and swept Concordia-St. Paul and SMSU.
.98 - Why, you ask, have the Mavericks been so successful this season? Their roster boasts one of the top pitches in both the NSIC and nation: Mackenzie Ward. The senior is currently the lone pitcher in the conference with a sub-1.00 ERA with six shutouts in 18 appearances. Ward's .98 ERA ranks 12th in the nation, as she's surrendered just 16 earned runs in 114.1 innings pitched.
15 - Ward isn't the only NSIC pitcher ranked in the top-15 in ERA. St. Cloud State's own Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) clocks in at No. 15 in the nation and No. 2 in the NSIC thanks to her 1.07 ERA. So far this season, Junker has allowed just 15 earned runs in 98.1 innings pitched, ranking second and fourth in the NSIC in both categories respectively. Junker additionally ranks fourth in the conference with 106 strikeouts this season.
.295/.210 - Before the Huskies can focus on the Mavericks, they need to get past the Golden Bears. Concordia-St. Paul is currently hitting .295 as a team, but the Golden Bears have struggled since starting conference play in late March. Despite hitting nearly .300 overall, Concordia-St. Paul is putting together a .210 cip with just 41 hits in eight NSIC games.
6 - The Golden Bears, however, were dealt one of the toughest starts to the conference season. In its first eight games in NSIC play, Concordia-St. Paul played #7 Augustana, #15 Minnesota State, Wayne State and Sioux Falls, prompting the Golden Bears 4-4 start in NSIC play.
