WINONA, Minn. – Due to unplayable field conditions at Upper Iowa University, the Peacocks will travel to Winona State for the first games played at Maynard R. Johnson Field in 2018. Despite the site change, Upper Iowa (13-7) will play as the home team in Winona against the Warriors (21-3).
Stay tuned to WinonaStateWarriors.com for potential changes to this weekend's schedule.
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PAIR OF ACES: Senior McKenna Larsen (7-2) and Sophomore Jordyn Kleman (7-1) are back to headline the Warriors' starting rotation this season and have been the catalyst being Winona State's strong start this season. Each pitcher has recorded six complete games and has added a save to their respective stat lines. Larsen sports a 1.90 ERA and leads the team, while ranking seventh in the NSIC, with a .217 opponents' batting average against. Kleman owns a 2.40 ERA and leads WSU, while ranking eighth in the NSIC, in strikeouts (42). Larsen was the 2015 NSIC Freshman of the Year and Kleman earned the same honor in 2017.
ARMS APLENTY: As a staff, Winona State leads the conference with a collective 1.95 team ERA. Sophomore Jaida Reynen (4-0) has compiled a 0.40 ERA over 17.1 IP (five appearances/two starts). Junior Katie Schlegel (2-0) has also been a strong contributor in the circle this season. Schlegel owns a 2.14 ERA over 19.2 IP (seven appearances/three starts).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: One of the keys to the Warriors' offensive success early this season has been their ability to produce clutch hits with two outs. Winona State is collectively batting .341 (78-for-229) with two outs and has driven in 59 two-out RBI. Alison Nowak is hitting at team-best .526 (10-for-19) with two outs and Rylee Stout leads the team with 13 two-out RBI.
DEEP DISH: Freshman Rylee Stout is off to a great start in her collegiate career at the dish and from her defensive position behind the plate. The West Chicago, Illinois native is batting .339 and ranks second on the team in home runs (6), RBI (23), total bases (40) and slugging (.714). Stout has six multi-RBI games this year and recorded a career-best five RBI against Pittsburg State. The rookie catcher has thrown out two or four attempted base stealers defensively.
OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT: Shortstop Lani Van Zyl is among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category this season. The junior ranks third in the NSIC in homers (7) and RBI (31), fourth in slugging (.769) and fifth in runs scored (25). Van Zyl leads Winona State with a .397 batting average and was named the NSIC Player of the Week already once this season. Her home run total is already a new career high and she is just 12 RBI away from matching her season-best of 43 set last year. Van Zyl leads the team with nine multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games. She has compiled a 12-game hitting streak this season and enters Tuesday riding a six-game streak.
SET THE TABLE: Winona State's leadoff hitter and centerfielder, Katelyn Kolb, is batting .526 (20-for-38) when leading off an inning for the Warriors this season. She has recorded seven multi-hit games, including a 4-for-6 effort against Emporia State in which she recorded the game-winning knock. Kolb enters Tuesday batting .333 with a .427 OBP.
THE STREAK: The Warriors rattled off a 17-game winning streak from February 23-March 17. During that span Winona State knocked off four teams ranked or receiving votes in the NFCA Coaches Poll at the time of the contest, including then-No. 1 Minnesota State Mankato. It was the first time in head coach Greg Jones' illustrious Warrior career that WSU defeated the No. 1-ranked team in the country. The Warriors' longest winning streak during their record-setting 52-win season last year was 14 straight.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: If there's one area in which the Warriors haven't played their best softball yet this season it would be on the defensive side of the diamond. Winona State has already committed 27 errors through 24 games, in comparison to just 30 total errors during the 65-game 2017 campaign. Second baseman Samantha McLean has shined defensively however, compiling a perfect fielding percentage with a team-high 46 assists.
PREASEAON PICK: Winona State was tabbed as the NSIC preseason favorite in the conference poll released before the beginning of the year. It marked the third time in the past four seasons the Warriors have been selected as the preseason favorite to win the league.
