WINONA, Minn. – The 2018 NSIC regular season champion Winona State Warriors open play in the postseason tournament as the top seed in the conference. Riding an 11-game winning streak, Winona State takes the diamond at 2 p.m. on Thursday in Sioux Falls, S.D. against an opponent yet to be determined in the first round of the conference tournament.
The Warriors' regular season crown was their fourth overall and first since 2007. WSU has won six postseason titles with the most recent coming in 2015.
Winona State has been ranked in the NFCA Coaches' Poll Top 25 all season and held a Top-10 ranking for nine straight releases of the poll dating back to early March. The Warriors reached their highest ranking in the poll this season Wednesday at No. 5.
Live stats and video will be provided for Thursday's opening round game. Complete game notes will be posted on Thursday morning.
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REGIONAL ROUNDUP: For the third straight week Winona State is the No. 1-ranked team in the NCAA Division II Central Region Softball Rankings. Six of the 10 teams currently ranked in the Central Region are from the NSIC. The MIAA and GAC are the other two conferences that represent the 42-team Central Region. The NCAA Selection Show is set for Monday, May 7 at 9 a.m. and the top two teams in each region will serve as hosts. More info here.
SCOUTING REPORT: The Warriors' opening round opening on Thursday will be determined by the results of the first two games of the tournament between (8) Concordia-St. Paul vs. (9) Minot State and (7) Mankato vs. (10) SMSU. Winona State will play the lowest remaining seed that advances in either of those contests. Given the tournament format, the only team WSU cannot face in the first round is Mankato. Against their three potential first-round opponents, the Warriors posted a 6-0 record during the regular season. WSU outscored CSP, SMSU and Minot 64-15 this year and recorded at least one run-rule victory over each. The Warriors owned a 12-2 record against the overall tournament field, having suffered one loss apiece to St. Cloud and Sioux Falls. WSU did not face Augustana or Duluth during the regular season due to inclement weather.
AWARD SZN: After claiming the regular season conference crown on Sunday, award season continued for the Warriors on Wednesday with the release of the 2018 NSIC All-Conference Team. Jordyn Kleman was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Year, Lani Van Zyl was dubbed NSIC Player of the Year and Greg Jones took home NSIC Coach of the Year honors. Additionally, McKenna Larsen and Alison Nowak were named to the All-NSIC First Team while Mariah Schultz garnered Second Team honors. More info here.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Right-handed pitcher Jordyn Kleman showed no signs of a sophomore slump as she followed up her 2017 Freshman of the Year campaign with 2018 Pitcher of the Year honors. Along with the conference award on Wednesday, she was also named the NFCA/Louisville Slugger Division II National Pitcher of the Week. Kleman (18-1) posted a trio of complete game wins last week, including a pair against regionally-ranked opponents. She struck out 11 of 15 batters in a five-inning perfect game on April 28th for the second perfecto in program history. Kleman then struck out 14 in the conference-clinching victory over Northern State on Sunday. She struck out 31 batters while walking just over 19.0 IP last week. Kleman's 142 punchouts lead the NSIC and her 6.76 strikeout-to-walk ratio ranks ninth in the country.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: Few players, if any, have assaulted the Winona State record books like McKenna Larsen. The senior, two-sport All-American is having a career year at the plate while continuing her dominance in the circle. The southpaw ranks second on the team in nearly every offensive and pitching statistic. After leaving her mark on the volleyball record book, Larsen's name is littered all over the Top 15 of the Warrior softball records as well. Offensively, she ranks seventh in RBI (142), 13th in hits (218) and 14th in runs (131) in program history. Larsen's 53 wins in the circle rank seventh, her 18 shutouts rank third and her 1.52 ERA is seventh all-time.
YOU GO, WE GO: Winona State's 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup with Katelyn Kolb and Mariah Schultz has been the catalyst to the Warriors' offensive success. Kolb is batting .513 (39-for-76) when leading off an inning this season and enters the tournament having reached base safely in 19 straight games. Schultz ranks second on the team in OBP (.493) and is riding an 20-game streak of successfully reaching base. The duo has combined to score 89 runs this season.
OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT: The NSIC Player of the Year, Lani Van Zyl, leads the league in batting average (.470) and slugging (.808). The junior shortstop ranks 12th in the country in batting average and 18th in total bases (122). Van Zyl's .470 average is on pace to set a new WSU single-season record. She has tallied 23 multi-hit games this season and only been held hitless in five ballgames. Van Zyl has recorded a career-best 71 hits and leads the team in doubles (16), homers (11), RBI (55), runs (50) and OBP (.526).
DEEP DISH: Freshman Rylee Stout's first collegiate hit was a grand slam in her third ballgame and the West Chicago, Illinois native has not slowed down ever since. Stout is tied for the team lead with 11 long balls and is second in RBI (44) and slugging (.656). Her 11 homers as a freshman are second-most in program history to Sarah Carlson's 14 in 2003. Stout has also found success behind the dish, throwing out four of 10 potential base stealers this year.
TAKE A NUMBER: Winona State's league-leading 1.74 team ERA ranks ninth among all Division II programs this season. The Warrior offense ranks 14th in the country with a .346 batting average. WSU is thriving at the plate with two outs this season, hitting .346 (152-for-439) with 122 two-out RBI. The Warriors are undefeated (27-0) when leading after five innings this year and are 35-0 when scoring at least four runs in a ballgame.
