St. Cloud State Softball Set for Six Game Trip to Illinois

Thursday, February 20

Parkway Dome • Rosemont, Ill.

1:30 p.m.

St. Cloud State

UW-Parkside (Wis.)

Photo by: Nathaly Delgado

2/19/2025 3:43:00 PM | Softball

Huskies play six games against GLIAC, GLVC teams over three days in Rosemont

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Softball (7-3, 0-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) continues its 22-game out-of-state road trip with three days of doubleheaders against Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLAIC) and Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) at the Parkway Dome in Rosemont, Illinois. The Huskies play UW-Parkside (Wis.) (2-0, 0-0 GLAIC) at 1:30 p.m. and Upper Iowa (3-7, 0-0 GLVC) at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Wayne State (Mich.) (2-1, 0-0 GLIAC) at 11 a.m. and Grand Valley State (Mich.) (0-2, 0-0 GLIAC) at 6 p.m. on Friday and William Jewell (Mo.) (1-7, 0-0 GLVC) at 6 p.m. and Truman State (Mo.) (7-6, 0-0 GLVC) at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

FOLLOW THE HUSKIES
Links to each coverage option will be available on the SCSU Softball schedule page.

Game 11 vs. UW-Parkside (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Thursday, Feb. 20 / 1:30 p.m. / Live Stats / Livestream
Game 12 vs. Upper Iowa (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Thursday, Feb. 20 / 8 p.m. / Live Stats
Game 13 vs. Wayne State (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Friday, Feb. 21 / 11 a.m. / Live Stats
Game 14 vs. Grand Valley State (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Friday, Feb. 21 / 6 p.m.
Game 15 vs. William Jewell (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Saturday, Feb. 22 / 6 p.m. / Live Stats
Game 16 vs. Truman State (Parkway Dome – Rosemont, Ill.) – Saturday, Feb. 22 / 8 p.m.
*All times Central

For in-game updates make sure to follow the Huskies on Twitter.

SERIES HISTORY
UW-Parkside
SCSU holds a 12-3 advantage in the all-time series and have won the last four games, outscoring the Rangers, 31-4 in those games.

Upper Iowa
The Huskies hold a slight 17-15 lead in the all-time series. The team's split a neutral site series in 2023 with SCSU winning the first game 4-3 and the Peacocks taking the second game, 2-1. Prior to that series, the Huskies had won five in a row against UIU.

Wayne State (Mich.)
SCSU leads Wayne State 5-2 in the all-time series, but the teams haven't met since March 13, 2013, when the Huskies won, 5-4 in a neutral site game in Florida.

Grand Valley State
The Huskies are 2-1 in the team's three all-time meetings. SCSU beat the Lakers, 1-0 in the most recent matchup, last March in Florida.

William Jewell
SCSU leads the all-time series 5-1 over WJC. The teams split a neutral site doubleheader last weekend in Iowa, with the Huskies dropping the first game 5-4, before winning the series finale, 6-1.

Truman State
The Huskies are 7-8 all-time against Truman State. The teams split a neutral site doubleheader last weekend in Iowa. SCSU won the first game, 8-3, before falling 11-4 in the second.

LAST TIME OUT
St. Cloud State Softball (7-3, 0-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) split both of its series last weekend at the American State Bank Dome in Sioux Center, Iowa. The Huskies beat William Jewell (Mo.) (1-5, 0-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference) 6-1 in the first game, before falling 5-4 in the second game on Saturday night/Sunday morning. On Sunday, the Huskies fell to Truman State (7-6, 0-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference), 11-4 in the first game, before winning the second game, 8-3.

GAME ONE (2/15): ST. CLOUD STATE 6, WILLIAM JEWELL 1
Sophomore catcher/infielder Bethany Weiss (Forest Lake, Minn.) put the Huskies on the board in the bottom of the first inning after driving senior catcher/outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.) home with an RBI-double. She added a sacrifice fly in the third inning to push the Huskies lead to two.

WJC scored its first run of the game in the top of the fifth inning, but Holzhueter sent a solo shot over the left field wall to extend the Huskies lead back to two in the bottom half of the inning.

The Huskies added three runs in the sixth inning – graduate infielder Evy Polsfuss (Apple Valley, Minn.) hit a 2-RBI double and redshirt freshman utility Kaylee Collins (Lakeville, Minn.) hit an RBI-single to bring the game to its final score, 6-1.

TOP HUSKIES

Holzhueter – 3-4, HR, 2 2B, 3 R
Senior right handed pitcher Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn.) – CG, W (3-0), 4.0 IP, 5 K
Junior right-handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.) – S (4), 3.0 IP, 4 K
Weiss – 2B, 2 RBI
Polsfuss – 2B, 2 RBI

NOTABLES

The Huskies improved to 5-0 all-time against William Jewell.
SCSU hit four doubles for the first time this season and recorded 9+ hits for the fourth game.
The Huskies have hit a home run in three consecutive games.
The nine SCSU strikeouts are a new season best mark.
Holzhueter became the first Husky to record a 3+ hit game and a 2+ double game and the second Husky to score three runs in a game this season. She leads the team in doubles, with four.
Eickhoff became the second pitcher to record 5+ strikeouts in a game this season. She surpassed 250 strikeouts for her career. She lowered her season ERA to 1.68.
Porter surpassed 125 career strikeouts.
Weiss is tied for second on the team in doubles with three.
Polsfuss hit her first double of the season.
Sophomore infielder Brooke Holmes (Savage, Minn.) has a hit in all seven SCSU games this season.
Collins has reached based in five straight games.
Junior infielder/catcher Sydney Roe (Davenport, Iowa) is on a three-game hitting streak.

GAME TWO (2/15): WILLIAM JEWELL 5, ST. CLOUD STATE 4
William Jewell jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a 2-RBI double. SCSU drew back even after Holmes and Collins hit RBI-singles in the fourth inning, before taking its first lead of the game in the top of the seventh inning after Holmes hit a 2-RBI single. The Huskies were unable to hold onto their lead and gave up a walk-off 3-RBI double, falling 5-4.

TOP HUSKIES

Holmes – 3-4, 3 RBI
Senior infielder Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill.) – 3-4, 2 2B
Junior right handed pitcher Macey Clark (Winneconne, Wis.) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 11k

NOTABLES

The Huskies dropped their first game to William Jewell, moving to 5-1 all-time against the Cardinals.
SCSU set a new season-best mark for hits in a game, with 12.
The Huskies struck out 12 batters which is a new season high.
Holmes has a hit in all eight SCSU games and posted a 3+ RBI game for the second time. She is also one of three Huskies to have a 3+ hit game this season and a 3+ RBI game.
Fitzgerald is the second Husky to hit 2+ doubles in a game and one of three SCSU players with a 3+ hit game this season.
Clark threw a season-high 6.1 innings and recorded an SCSU-best 11 strikeouts.
Roe is on a four-game hit streak.
Weiss is on a three-game hit streak.
Collins is on a six-game on-base streak.

GAME ONE (2/16): TRUMAN STATE 11, ST. CLOUD STATE 4
In the second inning, senior utility Rainna Stangle (Sartell, Minn.) sent a two-run shot over the center field wall and Weiss hit an RBI-single to give the Huskies an early 3-0 lead.

Truman State got on the board with their first run in the home half of the third, cutting the SCSU lead to two. Roe responded in the next half inning, hitting a leadoff solo home run to extend the Huskies lead back to three.

The Bulldogs dominated the rest of the game adding two runs in the third, two in the fourth, four in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make the game, 11-4.

TOP HUSKIES

Sophomore outfielder Bree Beck (Lakeville, Minn.) – 2-2
Holzhueter – 2-3, BB
Roe – HR
Stangle – HR, 2 RBI

NOTABLES

The Huskies moves to 6-8 all-time against Truman State.
SCSU recorded 9+ hits for the sixth time this season and 2+ home runs for the second time.
The Huskies have scored 4+ runs in all but one game this season.
Beck posted her first multi-hit game of the season.
Holzhueter recorded her third multi-hit game of the season. She has a hit in the three last games.
Roe hit the first home run of her SCSU career. She is on a five-game hitting streak.
Stangle hit her second home run of the season, tying Holmes for the team lead. She already matched her season high for home runs (two) in just nine games. She posted her third multi-RBI game.
Weiss is on a four-game hitting streak.
Collins is on a seven-game on-base streak and a three-game hitting streak.
Redshirt sophomore Grace Frechette (Forest Lake, Minn.) walked twice becoming the third Husky to do so in a game this year. She stole her second base of the season, taking the team lead for this season.
Holmes had her eight-game hit streak to start the season snapped.
Freshman right handed pitcher Madison Soule (Shakopee, Minn.) made her SCSU debut, pitching 1.0 inning.

GAME TWO (2/16): ST. CLOUD STATE 8, TRUMAN STATE 3
TSU got on the board first, scoring one run in the first inning. Frechette brought the Huskies even in the bottom of the second inning before the Bulldogs retook the lead in the fourth inning with a 2-RBI double. SCSU responded with two runs in the next half inning to tie the game again. Freshman infielder Grace Dahmen (Jordan, Minn.) put down an RBI bunt single and Holzhueter hit an RBI-double.

The Huskies took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on five hits. Collins and Dahmen each hit RBI-sacrifice flies and Beck, Frechette and Holzhueter each hit an RBI-single.

Clark went the distance, earning the complete game win after allowing just two earned runs.

TOP HUSKIES

Clark – CG W (3-1), 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 K, 0 BB
Holzhueter – 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
Holmes – 2-3, 2B, 2 R
Weiss – 2-4
Frechette – 2 RBI
Dahmen – 1-1, 2 RBI

NOTABLES

The Huskies moved to 7-8 all-time against TSU.
SCSU scored 8+ runs for the third time this season and recorded 9+ hits for the seventh time this season (fourth game in a row).
The Huskies hit multiple doubles for the sixth time this season.
SCSU drew a single-game season high eight walks and stole a season-best five bases.
The Huskies struck out at least five batters for the fourth time this season and third time in the last four games.
Clark is the second SCSU pitcher to pitch a complete game this season, but the first one to pitch a full, 7.0 inning complete game. She is now tied with Eickhoff for the team lead in pitching wins (three).
Holzhueter recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season and second in a row. She has a hit in the last four games. She drove in 2+ runs for the second time this season.
Holmes posted her team leading sixth multi-hit game of the season.
Weiss tallied her fifth multi-hit game of the season, which ranks second on the team. She extended her hitting streak to five games.
Frechette posted her second multi-RBI game of the season and extended her on-base streak to four.
Dahmen recorded her first collegiate hit, her first RBI and the first multi-RBI game of her career.
Collins walked twice, extending her on-base game streak to eight.
Roe drew two walks, extending her on-base game streak to six.

PRESEASON POLLING
St. Cloud State has been selected to finish seventh in the 2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office on Thursday. Additionally, senior infielder Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill.) was named the Player to Watch, and junior right-handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.) was named the Pitcher to Watch.

Head Coach Mitch Roberts enters his fourth season at the helm of the Huskies Softball in 2025. He has record of 100-64 (.610) and led last year's team to a 30-26 overall record, including 12-16 record in NSIC play, to finish eighth in the standings. The Huskies took down ninth-seeded Sioux Falls in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament, 6-2, before falling to the hosts and eventual champions, Augustana, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

Fitzgerald enters her senior season with the Huskies with lots of momentum, coming off a career year in 2024. Last season, she set new single-season best marks in games played (55), games started (55), batting average (.316), on-base percentage (.422), slugging percentage (.652), at-bats (155), runs (29), hits (49), doubles (10), home runs (14), walks (29), RBIs (53) and fielding percentage (.993). Fitzgerald ranked tied for third in home runs, fourth in RBIs, seventh in slugging percentage, tied for eighth in OPS (1.077) and tied for 10^th in fielding percentage among NSIC players last season.

Porter looks to build off her strong sophomore season where she appeared in 43 games, making six starts. She owned a 11-5 record with seven saves and one shutout while posting a 2.27 ERA in 138.2 innings pitched. She set new single season bests in appearances, starts, innings pitched, strikeouts (69), shutouts, wins and saves. Porter ranked first in saves, eighth in ERA, 10^th in innings pitched, 10^th in opponents' batting average (.248) and tied for 10^th in wins among NSIC pitchers last season. She was named NSIC Pitcher of the Week once last season.

SCSU returns 14 players from last season's roster – including one graduate student, five seniors, one junior, six sophomores and one redshirt freshman. The Huskies brought in seven newcomers including two junior transfers and five freshmen.

Key returners include senior catcher/outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.), who was named All-NSIC First Team honors and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Central Region Second team honors as a utility player. In her first season with the Huskies, Holzhueter made an immediate impact while splitting time behind the plate and in the outfield. Other returning starters inlcude sophomores Brooke Holmes (infielder, Savage, Minn.) Bethany Weiss (catcher/infielder, Forest Lake, Minn.) and redshirt sophomore infielder Grace Frechette (Forest Lake, Minn.). In the circle, SCSU also returns senior right handed pitcher Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn.).

For the sixth consecutive season, Augustana was chosen as the favorite in the NSIC Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll. The Vikings, the four-time defending regular season champions, amassed 196 points and all 14 first place votes (coaches cannot rank their own team). Concordia-St. Paul was second with 174 points while Minnesota State was third with 163 points and the other first place vote.

The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team with the top team receiving 14 points, second 13, third 12, etc.

The 2025 NSIC Softball season gets underway with non-conference play on January 31, while the 28-game NSIC schedule is set to begin on Saturday, March 22.

The 2025 NSIC Softball Tournament will have a 10-team single elimination format over four days played at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 30 - May 3, 2025; hosted by Augustana University. The tournament will be streamed on the NSIC Network, with tournament passes or single game access available for purchase.

2025 NSIC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
Team (first place votes) Points

Augustana (14) 196
Concordia-St. Paul 174
Minnesota State (1) 163
Minnesota Duluth 157
Winona State 155
Minot State 125
St. Cloud State 116
MSU Moorhead 100
Sioux Falls 86
Southwest Minnesota State 81
Northern State 70
Bemidji State 54
Wayne State 43
Minnesota Crookston 38
UMary 17

NSIC RELEASE

ROBERTS' REMARKS
On his 2025 team outlook...
"We are returning five starters and feel confident about the players stepping into the roles we've lost," said Roberts, "In addition, we've added depth in the circle, which strengthens our overall pitching staff. With solid improvements in all areas, we believe we have the right pieces in place to make a strong push and improve our standing in conference play."

On NSIC Player to Watch Maggie Fitzgerald...
"Maggie brings a presence to the plate and will be a cornerstone of our offensive production this year," said Roberts, "Her experience, professionalism, and strong work ethic have set her up for success this spring. We're excited to see what her senior year has in store and the impact she'll make on the field."

On NSIC Pitcher to Watch Justyce Porter...
"Justyce brings an invaluable quality to our team," said Roberts, "Her uniqueness is key to her consistent success. With her competitiveness and mindset, she excels in high-pressure situations, making her a perfect fit to come in late and close out games. We are excited to see the things she will achieve this year."

WELCOME TO THE PACK
SCSU welcomed seven newcomers over the offseason, including two junior college transfers – right handed pitcher Macey Clark (Winneconne, Wis. / Winneconne HS / Bryant & Stratton – Wisconsin) and infielder/catcher Sydney Roe (Davenport, Iowa / Assumption HS / Kirkwood CC) and five freshman – infielder Grace Dahmen (Jordan, Minn. / Jordan HS), catcher Morgan Honeycutt (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount HS), right handed pitcher Madeline Nutter (Elko New Market, Minn. / Lakeville South HS), right handed pitcher Madison Soule (Shakopee, Minn. / Shakopee HS) and infielder Hannah Weckman (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North HS).

THE SENIORS
Six athletes will compete in their senior campaign in 2025 as fifth year infielder Evy Polsfuss (Apple Valley, Minn.) is joined by true seniors right handed pitcher Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn.), infielder Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill.), catcher/outfielder Reese Holzhueter (Shakopee, Minn.), right handed pitcher Molly Gross (Columbia Heights, Minn.), and utility Rainna Stangle (Sartell, Minn.).

THE JUNIORS
The lone returning junior on the roster is right-handed pitcher Justyce Porter (Kent, Wash.).

THE SOPHOMORES
Five true sophomores – outfielder Bree Beck (Lakeville, Minn.), outfielder Hannah Harms (Bartlett, Ill.), infielder Brooke Holmes (Savage, Minn.), outfielder Kori Needham (Milan, Ill.) and catcher/infielder Bethany Weiss (Forest Lake, Minn.) are joined by redshirt sophomore infielder Grace Frechette (Forest Lake, Minn.) and redshirt freshman utility Kaylee Collins (Lakeville, Minn.).

SCHEDULE LINKS
SCHEDULE RELEASE | 2025 SCHEDULE (WEB) | 2025 SCHEDULE (PDF)

For all the latest on St. Cloud State Softball, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.