Wednesday, May 1
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Noon CT
St. Cloud State
vs
Sioux Falls
Photo by: Kaitlyn Zuehl
St. Cloud State Softball Looks Ahead to NSIC Tournament
4/30/2024 11:04:00 AM | Softball
Huskies play Sioux Falls in Opening Round game Wednesday
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Softball (29-25, 12-16 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) begins postseason competition on Wednesday in Sioux Falls, S.D. against Sioux Falls (20-27, 11-15 NSIC) in an Opening Round game in the NSIC Tournament. The eighth-seeded Huskies will take on the ninth-seeded Cougars at noon at Bowden Field on the campus of Augustana. The NSIC Tournament will be played in a single elimination format for the first time in 2024 and the winner of the game will play No. 1 seed Augustana on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. CT.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Opening Round NSIC Tournament game vs. Sioux Falls – Wednesday, May 1 / Noon CT / Livestream ($) / Live stats / Tickets
Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Softball schedule page.
NSIC TOURNAMENT INFO
Tournament Homepage
Tickets: Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance of the tournament. Ticket options include a mobile version or a print at home option: www.northernsun.org/Tickets
Entrance: Bowden Field will open for spectators one hour prior to the first game of each day. NO pets are allowed in Bowden Field, service animals are welcome.
Food/Drink: Spectators are NOT allowed to bring coolers into Bowden Field. Concessions will be available with cash & credit card options for payment.
NSIC Network Access: The NSIC tournament will be streamed on the NSIC Network for a charge of $10 per game or $25 for a tournament pass.
FAQ and troubleshooting information is available on the NSIC Network Help page.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the 28th and 29th meeting between the teams. The teams' first meeting took place in 2013 and St. Cloud State holds an 17-10 lead in the all-time series. SCSU has swept the teams three games this year, 3-1, 7-4 and 5-2. In the last 10 matchups between the teams, SCSU is 9-1.
SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
Sioux Falls finished the regular season 20-27 (11-15 NSIC), earning the ninth seed in the NSIC Tournament. The Cougars lost their last game but had won four in a row prior to that. USF is 4-6 over its last 10 games, including 0-2 against the Huskies on April 14.
USF's offense is led by freshman infielder Riley Schwisow and junior outfielder Alannah Naumann. Schwisow owns a slash line of .387/.439/.701 with 53 hits (10 doubles, three triples and nine home runs). She has driven in 42 runs, scored 40 runs and is a perfect 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts. Naumann owns a slash line of .342/.367/.508 with 41 hits (six doubles, four triples and two home runs). She has scored 30 runs, driven in 12 runs and is 8-for-10 on stolen base attempts.
Sophomore pitcher Maddi Duncan has made 25 appearances with 24 starts and owns an 13-9 record with two saves. She has tossed 19 complete games and four shutouts. She has a 3.34 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, and opponents are batting .241 against her over 145.1 innings. She was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete 7.0 inning no-hitter against Winona State over the weekend.
Erin Bly is in her first season at the helm of Sioux Falls softball.
LAST TIME OUT
The Huskies went 2-2 in their matchups against Minot State and UMary to close out regular season play last weekend.
Notes & Top Huskies from Game One – 14-13 win over Minot State (April 26)
Fifth year right fielder Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn.) broke the school record for doubles in a career (52), passing Kelly Olson (2010-13) and Abby Bourman (2000-03) who each had 51 in their career, after hitting a double in both games on Senior Day (April 27) against UMary.
Senior second baseman Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis.) tied the career record for HBP (41) after only tallying four in her first two seasons. Earlier this season, she set the new single season HBP record of 19 after being hit twice on March 30 in the first game against Augustana – the previous record of 18 was set in 2022 by her former teammate Raven Vanden Langenberg. Krueger also owns the No. 3 spot on that list after being hit 16 times last season.
In the Huskies first game of the season, a 19-3 win over Black Hills State a pair of Huskies produced school record performances. Junior corner infielder Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak, Lawn, Ill.) tied school records for home runs in a game (two) and RBI in a game (seven). She was the first player to have a two-home run game since Raven Vanden Langenberg in 2023 and a seven RBI game since Jasmin Estrada in 2021. Freshman shortstop Brooke Holmes (Savage, Minn.) tied the school record for singles in a game (four) in her first collegiate game. She became the first player to hit four singles in a game since Emily Edgerton in 2010.
NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
St. Cloud State sophomore right handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Softball Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 20. It was her first NSIC weekly honor this season and of her career. She was the second Husky to earn NSIC weekly award honors after junior outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) was named Player of the Week on Feb. 5.
Porter earned three straight saves to end the Huskies 3-1 stretch in Sioux Center, Iowa. She appeared in all four games and did not allow an earned run over her 9.0 innings. She struck out five batters and only allowed five hits (all singles) – opponents hit just .129 against her.
NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
St. Cloud State junior outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Softball Player of the Week on Feb. 5 for her efforts in the Huskies opening weekend sweep. It was her first NSIC weekly honor this season and of her career.
Holzhueter went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a home run, scoring three runs and driving in three runs made her in her debut for the Huskies. She hit .600 (6-for-10) in SCSU's 3-0 opening weekend. Five of her six hits were extra base hits – three doubles, one triple and one home run. She drove in four runs, walked once and was successful on her lone stolen base attempt. Holzhueter led the NSIC with a 1.400 slugging percentage and a 2.036 OPS.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Softball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Opening Round NSIC Tournament game vs. Sioux Falls – Wednesday, May 1 / Noon CT / Livestream ($) / Live stats / Tickets
Links to each coverage option can also be found on the St. Cloud State Softball schedule page.
NSIC TOURNAMENT INFO
Tournament Homepage
Tickets: Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance of the tournament. Ticket options include a mobile version or a print at home option: www.northernsun.org/Tickets
Entrance: Bowden Field will open for spectators one hour prior to the first game of each day. NO pets are allowed in Bowden Field, service animals are welcome.
Food/Drink: Spectators are NOT allowed to bring coolers into Bowden Field. Concessions will be available with cash & credit card options for payment.
NSIC Network Access: The NSIC tournament will be streamed on the NSIC Network for a charge of $10 per game or $25 for a tournament pass.
FAQ and troubleshooting information is available on the NSIC Network Help page.
SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday will be the 28th and 29th meeting between the teams. The teams' first meeting took place in 2013 and St. Cloud State holds an 17-10 lead in the all-time series. SCSU has swept the teams three games this year, 3-1, 7-4 and 5-2. In the last 10 matchups between the teams, SCSU is 9-1.
SCOUTING SIOUX FALLS
Sioux Falls finished the regular season 20-27 (11-15 NSIC), earning the ninth seed in the NSIC Tournament. The Cougars lost their last game but had won four in a row prior to that. USF is 4-6 over its last 10 games, including 0-2 against the Huskies on April 14.
USF's offense is led by freshman infielder Riley Schwisow and junior outfielder Alannah Naumann. Schwisow owns a slash line of .387/.439/.701 with 53 hits (10 doubles, three triples and nine home runs). She has driven in 42 runs, scored 40 runs and is a perfect 17-for-17 on stolen base attempts. Naumann owns a slash line of .342/.367/.508 with 41 hits (six doubles, four triples and two home runs). She has scored 30 runs, driven in 12 runs and is 8-for-10 on stolen base attempts.
Sophomore pitcher Maddi Duncan has made 25 appearances with 24 starts and owns an 13-9 record with two saves. She has tossed 19 complete games and four shutouts. She has a 3.34 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP, and opponents are batting .241 against her over 145.1 innings. She was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete 7.0 inning no-hitter against Winona State over the weekend.
Erin Bly is in her first season at the helm of Sioux Falls softball.
LAST TIME OUT
The Huskies went 2-2 in their matchups against Minot State and UMary to close out regular season play last weekend.
Notes & Top Huskies from Game One – 14-13 win over Minot State (April 26)
- St. Cloud State improved to 36-11 in the teams' all-time series after the win.
- 14 runs are the second most in a game this season.
- Senior second baseman Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis.) - Grand Slam, 5 RBI
- Krueger hit her fifth career home run and first career grand slam. It was her first home run since May 2, 2022. She surpassed 15 RBI for the season and 50 for her career. Her five RBI set a new single game best, surpassing the four she recorded against Minot State on April 2, 2023.
- Freshman designated player/catcher Bethany Weiss (Forest Lake, Minn.) - 3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
- Weiss recorded her 45th hit and 10th double of the season. She recorded her 13th multi-hit game and third with 3+ hits. She tallied 3+ RBI for the third time this season. She extended her hitting streak to six games.
- Junior catcher/left fielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) - 3-5, 2B, 2 R
- Holzhueter surpassed 145 career hits, hit her 35th career double and scored her 90th career run. She tallied her 18th multi-hit game of the season and fifth 3+ hit game. She extended her hitting streak to six games.
- Junior first baseman Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill.) - 2-4, 2 RBI
- Fitzgerald surpassed 45 RBI on the season and 90 for her career while posting her 12th multi-hit game of the season. She extended her hitting streak to six games.
- Redshirt freshman third baseman Grace Frechette (Forest Lake, Minn.) - 2-4
- Frechette posted her sixth multi-hit game of the season.
- Fifth year right fielder Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn.) - 2B, RBI
- Weinberger recorded her 55th hit of the season and 50th double of her career.
- Freshman left fielder Hannah Harms (Bartlett, Ill.) - 3 BB
- The Huskies moved to 36-12 all-time against Minot State after the loss.
- Weiss - 3-4
- Weiss recorded her 14th multi-hit game and fourth with 3+ hits. She extended her hitting streak to seven games.
- Holzhueter - 2 RBI
- Holzhueter tallied her 70th career RBI and recorded her sixth multi-RBI game of the season. She extended her hitting streak to seven games.
- Freshman shortstop Brooke Holmes (Savage, Minn.) - 1-3, 2B, R
- Holmes posted her 35th hit of the season.
- Fitzgerald - 1-2, 2 BB
- Fitzgerald extended her hitting streak to seven games.
- Junior right handed pitcher Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn.) - 6.0 IP, 7 K
- Eickhoff's seven strikeouts matched her season high. She now has 100 strikeouts on the season and surpassed 230 for her career. It was her sixth game of the season pitching at least 6.0 innings.
- Krueger - 1-2
- Krueger tallied her 25th hit of the season and 75th of her career.
- Senior center fielder Tenley Quesnell (Boise, Idaho) - 1-3
- St. Cloud State improved to 28-15 in the teams' all-time series after the win.
- Holzhueter - 2-3, 2 RBI, 2 SB
- Holzhueter surpassed 70 hits on the season and reached 150 for her career. She also surpassed 30 RBI for the season. She extended her hitting streak to eight games and recorded her 19th multi-hit game of the season.
- Weinberger - 2-4, 2B
- Weinberger surpassed 230 career hits and posted her 16th multi-hit game of the season. Her double was the 51st of her career, tying the school record.
- Eickhoff - (W, 12-14) - 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 K
- Eickhoff has pitched 155.0 innings this season and 315 in her career. She now has 30 career wins.
- Junior designated player Rainna Stangle (Sartell, Minn.) - 1-3, 2 RBI, SB
- Stangle stole her first base of the season.
- Krueger - 1-3, RBI, SB
- Krueger stole her 10th base of the season.
- Frechette - 1-3
- Frechette tallied her 30th hit of the season.
- Holmes - RBI
- Holmes recorded her 20th RBI of the season.
- Fitzgerald and Weiss each had their seven-game hit streak ended.
- The Huskies moved to 28-16 all-time against UMary after the loss.
- Weinberger - 2-4, 2B, 2 R
- Weinberger broke the school record for doubles in a career with 52, passing Kelly Olson (2010-13) and Abby Bourman (2000-03) who each had 51 in their career. She posted her 17th multi-hit game of the season and surpassed 100 career runs scored.
- Fitzgerald - RBI
- Krueger - RBI
- Krueger tied her single season best for RBI with 18.
- Holmes - 1-2
- Frechette - 1-2
- Sophomore right handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.) - 3.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 K
- Porter surpassed 205.0 career innings pitched.
- Holzhueter extended her hitting streak to nine games.
Fifth year right fielder Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn.) broke the school record for doubles in a career (52), passing Kelly Olson (2010-13) and Abby Bourman (2000-03) who each had 51 in their career, after hitting a double in both games on Senior Day (April 27) against UMary.
Senior second baseman Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis.) tied the career record for HBP (41) after only tallying four in her first two seasons. Earlier this season, she set the new single season HBP record of 19 after being hit twice on March 30 in the first game against Augustana – the previous record of 18 was set in 2022 by her former teammate Raven Vanden Langenberg. Krueger also owns the No. 3 spot on that list after being hit 16 times last season.
In the Huskies first game of the season, a 19-3 win over Black Hills State a pair of Huskies produced school record performances. Junior corner infielder Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak, Lawn, Ill.) tied school records for home runs in a game (two) and RBI in a game (seven). She was the first player to have a two-home run game since Raven Vanden Langenberg in 2023 and a seven RBI game since Jasmin Estrada in 2021. Freshman shortstop Brooke Holmes (Savage, Minn.) tied the school record for singles in a game (four) in her first collegiate game. She became the first player to hit four singles in a game since Emily Edgerton in 2010.
NSIC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
St. Cloud State sophomore right handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Softball Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 20. It was her first NSIC weekly honor this season and of her career. She was the second Husky to earn NSIC weekly award honors after junior outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) was named Player of the Week on Feb. 5.
Porter earned three straight saves to end the Huskies 3-1 stretch in Sioux Center, Iowa. She appeared in all four games and did not allow an earned run over her 9.0 innings. She struck out five batters and only allowed five hits (all singles) – opponents hit just .129 against her.
NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
St. Cloud State junior outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Softball Player of the Week on Feb. 5 for her efforts in the Huskies opening weekend sweep. It was her first NSIC weekly honor this season and of her career.
Holzhueter went 3-for-3 with two doubles and a home run, scoring three runs and driving in three runs made her in her debut for the Huskies. She hit .600 (6-for-10) in SCSU's 3-0 opening weekend. Five of her six hits were extra base hits – three doubles, one triple and one home run. She drove in four runs, walked once and was successful on her lone stolen base attempt. Holzhueter led the NSIC with a 1.400 slugging percentage and a 2.036 OPS.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Softball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
RHP/UTL
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IF
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1B/3B
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INF
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OF
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INF
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C/OF
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INF
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RHP
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OF
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UTL
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IF
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OF/1B
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C/1B
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