WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University softball team - currently ranked #20 in the country in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association poll - heads into the final weekend of regular season action in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with two important doubleheaders on tap.
Additionally, the NCAA recently released the NCAA Division II Region rankings, and the Warriors find themselves in the mix as the top eight teams from across the Central Region were named.
The #20 Warriors (31-8 / 20-6 NSIC) will welcome #1 Augustana University (36-4 / 24 - 2 NSIC) in a Saturday, May 8 twin bill featuring two of the top teams in the country, and two-thirds of the NSIC contingent named in the May 5 NCAA Division II Softball Regional Rankings.
The Vikings, the Minnesota State Mavericks and Winona State are ranked #1, #3 and #7, respectively, in the NCAA Central Region Rankings released Wednesday. Then, on Mother's Day, May 9, WSU will host Wayne State College in the final home stand for the Warriors, taking on the Wildcats in the last NSIC doubleheader of the year. Both doubleheaders are set for 1pm start times.
On Sunday in between game one and game two against Wayne State, the Warriors will honor four remarkable seniors,
Jordyn Kleman,
Alison Nowak,
Katie Kolb and
Carly Kordich.
Coach Jones spoke with HBC Sports director Justin Barrientos recently regarding all things Warrior softball; check out their chat
at this link.
Scouting Augustana University...
In the circle - Ashley Mickschl is 20-2 on the year for the Vikings, having tossed 18 complete games and nearly 135 innings on the season. She has struck out 98 batters so far, as has teammate and fellow hurler Makayla Williams. Williams has won 16 games, lost two and has surpassed the century mark in innings pitched at 104.1 this season. Combined, Mickschl and Williams account for all 36 Viking victories this year.
At the plate and on the run - Two Augustana standouts, Kendall Cornick and Abbie Lund, own batting averages above .400, with Cornick collecting a .496 mark, leading the NSIC in that category, as well as topping the league in slugging percentage (.783) and on-base percentage (.560). In terms of home runs, Mary Pardo has 16 round trippers in 2021, while Torri Chute leads her team in RBI at 46. On the base paths, Cornick leads the league in stolen bases, as a perfect 29-for-29 on the season.
Extra bases - At 29-for-29 in stolen base attempts, Kendall Cornick has swiped the most bases without getting thrown out in all of NCAA Division II softball. Only six other student-athletes in the NCAA Division II ranks have reached 29 or more stolen bases, and all have been caught stealing at least once.
Scouting Wayne State College...
In the circle - Ashley Bohannon has the best ERA among Wildcat pitchers, sitting at 3.38 for the year so far. Sloan Cooksey leads WSC in terms of wins with four, while Hadley Chvatal has three victories on the year. Cooksey is closing in on 100 innings pitched for the season, heading into this weekend with 92 innings thrown.
At the plate and on the run - Kim Vidlak is hitting an impressive .395 and is second on the team in at-bats with 114. Her 58 total bases are ten better than the next-best Wildcat, Kortney Buresh who has 48. Buresh has bashed 44 total hits, second on the team, while teammate Ashley Hernandez leads the squad in home runs with six.
Extra bases - Wayne State
and Winona State have not faced off since April 24, 2019 when WSU extended their winning streak over the Wildcats with a pair of shutout victories, 9-0 and 10-0 on the road in Wayne, Neb. Of the ten straight wins the Warriors have claimed since March 31, 2015, five have been shutouts.
About the #20 Warriors...
In the circle - Jordyn Kleman is currently second in the Northern Sun in terms of victories on the season at 19. Kleman has claimed 20 wins or more in a season twice already in her career, notching 20 in 2017 and 29 in 2019, the program record. Ashley Walker is the only WSU pitcher to have three 20-win seasons in a career, earning exactly 20 victories in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Liz Pautz has racked up 140 strikeouts this season, and has accumulated 422 in her Warrior career, the fifth-most punch outs in WSU history. With 34 wins for Winona State, Pautz is 13th all-time in victories for the Warriors.
At the plate and on the run - Libby Neveau continues to crush the softball, leading the NSIC in total bases with 97 on the season and is second in the Conference in home runs with 12. Warrior teammate
Katie Kolb sets the table well, leading the league in walks with 29 and is fourth in runs scored at 39.
Abbie Hlas is in the NSIC top five of both doubles (12) and triples (3).
Teaghen Amwoza has gone 9-for-18 in the last three NSIC doubleheaders, including two home runs.
Extra bases - Winona State is currently the top defensive team in the Northern Sun, registering an impressive overall fielding percentage of .984 and has committed just 15 errors this year, the only league team under 20 miscues. From the pitching perspective, WSU's 321 strikeouts of opposing batters are also first in the Conference so far in 2021.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
Media Contact: Pete Watkins, Director of Athletic Communications | Ph: 507.457.5577 | Email: pwatkins@winona.edu
