Trinity Junker

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

Photo by: Kelsey Whaley

Position:
Pitcher
Height:
5-8
Class:
Junior
Shoots/Catches:
R/R
Hometown:
Lindstrom, Minn.

2023: Junker was nothing short of impressive in her fourth season as she took home All-Conference Second Team honors, made the NSIC All-Tournament team, and earned NSIC Pitcher of the Week honors twice (Feb. 14 & Mar. 6). As St. Cloud State’s ace, Junker compiled a 17-9 record with six shutouts and one save with an ERA of 2.24. In 159.2 innings pitched, she struck out 176 batters. She ended the season ranked second in the conference for opposing batting average (.210), third in strikeouts (176), fifth in ERA (2.12), sixth in strikeouts looking (33), and seventh in wins (17). Additionally, Junker sealed herself in Huskies history as she threw a perfect game on Feb. 11 in SCSU’s 12-0 five inning shutout of U-Mary. Her perfect game is the fifth perfect game in program history and the first since 2017. Junker was named an NSIC All-Academic team member.

2022: Junker had a breakout season in 2022, earning First Team All-Conference honors for her performance in the circle. As St. Cloud State's ace, Junker compiled a record of 18-6 during the regular season, becoming the first pitcher to win 18+ games in the regular season since Kelly Franks did so in 2014. Additionally, the junior tallied an earned run average (ERA) of 1.58 entering the NSIC tournament, which ranked in the top-30 in all of Division II, with 160 strikeouts in 155.0 innings pitched. Junker concluded the season with a record of 19-6 and a 1.63 ERA and lead the Huskies pitching staff in all categories except saves.

2021: As a redshirt freshman, Junker established herself as St. Cloud State's ace, leading the team in ERA and ranking second in wins at the end of the season. Junker went 7-4 in the circle and posted a 2.26 ERA, nabbing wins over nationally ranked Winona State and Sioux Falls during the regular season. The crafty first year held opponents to a .219 batting average during the season and tallied a team-leading 88 strikeouts in 17 appearances. Junker recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts against Winona State on May 13 to help St. Cloud State advance to the winner's bracket of the NSIC Tournament.

2020: In her first season, Junker made five appearances in the circle with one start for the Huskies. She posted a 3.23 ERA and 1-1 record with six strikeouts and one save. Junker earned the first win of her collegiate career over Emporia State on February 29, pitching four scoreless innings in the 8-0 win. She additionally earned the save in a two-inning performance in the team's 11-9 victory over Fort Hays State.

High School: Junker will join the Huskies pitching staff after an impressive career at Chisago Lakes. In her five years, Junker has tallied an ERA of 3.10 with 126 strikeouts. She was named the team's Best Defensive Player after the 2018 season and was the Team MVP in 2016. Additionally, Junker has earned Academic Honors multiple times throughout her career at Chisago Lakes, including Academic All-Conference honors in 2018. She played in the Minnesota All-Star series after her senior season in 2019.

Personal: Junker chose St. Cloud State because of the opportunity to play softball while in college. Her mom, Karissa (Hoehn) Junker, was recently inducted into the St. Cloud State Athletics Hall of Fame and holds 15 program records, including season-game strikeouts (20), single-season strikeouts (442) and career strikeouts (1381).