WINONA, Minn. – The scorching-hot Warriors streak into the weekend winners of 20 straight games. WSU continues its six-game homestand with a Friday doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth and wraps things up with a pair of Saturday ballgames with St. Cloud State. First pitch on both days is set for 1 p.m. at Maynard R. Johnson Field.
The Warriors enter the weekend atop the NSIC standings with a perfect 20-0 record and have just six more games remaining heading into next week. WSU will be on the road Wednesday before returning to Winona next weekend in hopes of capturing its second straight conference championship on its home field.
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REGIONAL ROUND-UP: The first of three NCAA Division II Softball Regional Rankings was released on Wednesday and features four NSIC teams, including three that will take to Maynard R. Johnson Field this weekend. Winona State checks in at No. 3 in the initial ranking along with No. 7 UMD and No. 8 St. Cloud State to further emphasize the importance of the upcoming games. Augustana currently owns the No. 2-spot in the rankings despite having been swept in a head-to-head doubleheader on its home field to WSU.
SCOUTING UMD: The Bulldogs (24-15, 15-5 NSIC) are currently tied with St. Cloud for third in the conference standings. WSU has won three straight against UMD, including last year's lone matchup in the NSIC Semifinals where the Warriors prevailed, 5-1. Despite its recent success, the Warriors might have a bitter taste in their mouths when seeing the Bulldogs step onto Maynard R. Johnson Field after UMD celebrated the sub-regional championship in Winona last May. UMD is surprisingly last in the NSIC in team batting average (.259), but ranks fourth in home runs (37) and sixth in slugging (.437). The Bulldogs rank fifth in the league with a 2.93 ERA. Jordyn Thomas is the only player batting over .300 and leads the team in extra-base hits (19) while Lauren Oberle leads the way in homers (8) and RBI (26).
SCOUTING ST. CLOUD: The Huskies (33-11, 15-5 NSIC) are riding an 11-game winning streak and travel to UIU prior to Saturday's visit to Winona. WSU has won 15 of the last 17 meetings, but the teams split last season's doubleheader in St. Cloud. The Huskies rank second in the NSIC in average (.345) and slugging (.523), and are third in home runs (42). SCSU is third in the league with a 2.35 ERA. Jasmin Estrada ranks second in the NSIC in slugging (.768) and homers (9), and is fourth in average (.435). Brooke Bowlin is batting .409 and ranks second in the league with 21 stolen bases. In the circle, Kate Kopeck ranks third in the conference in wins (14), fifth in strikeouts (113), and seventh in ERA (2.08) and opponent batting average (.231).
STREAK STATS: The Warriors' 20-game winning streak is not only tied for the longest in program history but is currently tied for the longest in all of Division II (Colorado Mesa). During the streak, WSU has outscored its opponents, 137-33, while batting .367 and slugging .548 to go along with a 1.59 ERA. Four victories have been in come-from-behind fashion, including twice when trailing after six innings, and two extra-inning affairs. The streak has also included nine shutouts and seven run-ruled triumphs.
ACES WILD: Behind Jordyn Kleman and Liz Pautz the Warriors rank sixth in the country with a collective 1.48 ERA and are ninth with 14 total shutouts. Kleman (18-1) leads the league and ranks 12th in the nation in wins. The reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Week (4x this year), after tossing her program-record sixth no-hitter Sunday, also ranks ninth in the country in hits allowed/7-inn. (3.86). Kleman has allowed just five hits over 18.0 IP while striking out 25 batters in her last four appearances. The junior, who ranks second in the NSIC in strikeouts (157), become just the third Warrior in program history to total 500-career strikeouts on Tuesday. Pautz (13-2) ranks second in the nation with a 0.83 ERA and is fifth in the country in K/7-inn. (10.3).
HEARTBEAT: Winona State has gotten production up and down the lineup all season, but the 3-4-5 hitters in Lani Van Zyl, Alison Nowak and Alexis Kelsey make up one of the best middle-of-the-order trio's in the country. The heart of the lineup has collectively hit .429 with 26 doubles, 21 homers and recorded 109 RBI. Van Zyl ranks second in the NSIC in batting average (.464) just ahead of Nowak (.445). Van Zyl leads the conference in OBP (.518) while Nowak ranks first in slugging (.773) and homers (10).
SLUGFEST: The Warriors have played in 16 games decided by two runs or less this year and have showcased the ability to play small ball successfully, but it's been Winona State's recent power surge that has made the headlines. Over their 20-game winning streak since NSIC play began, the Warriors have launched 22 of their cumulative 30 homers. Nowak (9) leads the way and has been joined in the long ball barrage by Kelsey (6), Van Zyl (3), Ann Smolenski (2), Jen Giesey (1) and Rylee Stout (1). Stout's round-tripper was a grand slam on Monday to spark a 10-run fourth inning as WSU trailed at the time to CSP, 3-1.
NO PRESSURE: In Game 1 against CSP on Tuesday, Carly Kordich delivered a two-out walkoff single in the bottom of the seventh for a 1-0 WSU win. Nowak leads the team with 22 two-out RBI this season. Van Zyl is batting .512 (22-for-43) with two outs and has 14 two-out RBI. Smolenski is hitting .410 (16-for-39) with two outs, and Katie Kolb is batting .692 (9-for-13) with a runner on third and less than two outs. Kolb is also hitting .433 when leading off an inning this season as she continues to get on base and score runs.
