ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Winona State University softball team opens the 2023 Warrior season with a doubleheader against Grand View University on Feb. 15, playing in the Rochester Community & Technical College (RCTC) dome. First pitch of the opener will be at 11 a.m. with the second game to follow approximately 30 minutes afterwards.
The Warriors begin their 2023 season led by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Player of the Year
Abbie Hlas.
Hlas is a versatile veteran for head coach
Greg Jones who enters his 23rd season with a 891-300-4 career record, complied completely at Winona State. Last year, WSU earned their 15th trip to the NCAA Division II postseason last year, racking up a 41-17 overall record and 23-5 NSIC mark.
Read the complete NSIC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll release
at this link.
The Grand View Vikings are a members of the NAIA and enter Wednesday's matchup with Winona State sporting a 3-1 record. GVU opened their season on Friday, Feb. 10, beating Dakota Wesleyan 9-1 and Buena Vista University 4-1. On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Vikings lost 11-2 to Northwestern College before defeating Dordt University 5-1. Grand View was ranked No. 11 in the NAIA Softball Preseason poll,
available here.
The Winona State - Grand View season-opening series dates back to 2015; WSU owns an 11-3 mark over that time period. Last spring, Winona State downed Grand View by 8-4 and 2-1 scorelines.
In addition to Hlas' honor in the NSIC poll, WSU returns
Abby Smith, a sophomore from Hartland, Wis. who went 7-4 and threw five complete games. Smith was named the WSU Pitcher to Watch by the NSIC this spring and will factor into the Warrior rotation, joining Hlas and two newcomers in
Skyler Calmes and
Morgan Smetana, a pair of freshman pitchers.
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
