DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica softball team opens its 2012 season on Saturday in Marquette, Mich. as it participates in the ninth annual Dome Tournament, hosted by Finlandia University (Mich.).
Game Times: (All Games at the Superior Dome)
Saturday
vs. Simpson (Iowa) – 2 p.m. (ET)
vs. UW-Stevens Point – 4 p.m. (ET)
Sunday
vs. UW-Oshkosh – 10 a.m. (ET)
vs. Finlandia – 2 p.m. (ET)
GameDay Media:
Live Video (Finlandia Game Only)
St. Scholastica Saints (2011 Record: 29-15, 19-2 UMAC)
The Saints made their second-ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance in 2011 after earning the conference's first automatic qualifier … The Saints performed well at the regional in Eau Claire, falling in the opener to eventual regional champion Luther College (Iowa), but responding to knock off North Central College (Ill.) in an elimination game … The Saints then fell to Ripon College (Wis.) 3-2 to end its season … Coming into 2012, the biggest question mark for head coach
Jen Walter and the Saints will be inside the pitching circle … The Saints return only one pitcher that started a game last season in
Darcy Roach (East Grand Forks, Minn./Sacred Heart HS) … Roach started 14 games in 2011 with an 8-7 record and a 3.04 earned run average … She was second on the team in strikeouts with 82 … CSS will have to replace graduated senior
Jen Falk (Altona, Manitoba/W.C. Miller Collegiate (Rainy River CC)), who was clutch not only pitching, but also at the plate in postseason play … Familiar faces are back offensively, led by 2011 UMAC Player of the Year catcher
Bonnie Kowalczyk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls HS) … Kowalczyk led the team is just about every offensive category last season on her way to being named a NFCA Third Team All-Midwest Selection … Also back is 2010 UMAC Player of the Year outfielder
Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) … Tiedeman's numbers were down slightly last season after a torrid sophomore campaign, but she still was named an honorable mention All-UMAC choice and tied for a team-high five home runs and led the team with 38 runs scored … Tiedeman and Kowalczyk were also named the UMAC All-Defensive team last year … Tiedeman did make a single error in 54 chances from centerfield in 2011 …
Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) returns at the hot corner where she was a first team All-UMAC selection last season … Tauer really came on late for the Saints last season, hitting all five of her home runs after April 21st … CSS was sixth in the NCAA Division III last season in doubles per game (2.09) and triples per game (0.5) … Other Saints back include senior outfielder
Kali Carlson (Duluth, Minn/Duluth Central HS), who was an honorable mention All-UMAC choice a season ago … Sophomore shortstop
Jordan Spiering (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) returns after a solid freshman campaign … Expect to see Spiering also in the pitcher circle this season … Sophomore
Tiff Hudack (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) started 35 games and was third on the team with four home runs and led the team with five triples … Freshmen looking to make an impact this year include
Emily Schiro (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Armstrong HS), who Coach Walter expects to see a lot of time at first base and
Barb Malyuk (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) who will see time in the outfield and on the pitching rubber … On Tuesday, the Saints were once again picked to win the UMAC for the fourth straight year, according to the preseason UMAC coaches' poll … The Saints last played at the Finlandia Dome Tournament in 2009 where they fell to Simpson College, but defeated Finlandia.
Simpson Storm (2011 Record: 24-18, 8-8 IIAC)
The Storm went 24-18 in 2011 and finished fourth in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) with an 8-8 mark after making the NCAA Tournament in 2010 … The Storm will be led by senior outfielder Veronica Roshek, who is a two-time second All-IIAC selection … Roshek led the team with a .421 batting average and a .480 on-base percentage … Junior Tieryn Potratz put up some nice run producing numbers in 2011 with a team-high 16 home runs and 45 RBIs … Her 16 home runs were the seven-most in the country … Roshek and Potratz were both third team NFCA All-Midwest Region selections … Sophomore Hillary Harmon was an honorable mention selection at third base as a freshman … Harmon had six home runs and 22 RBIs in 2011 … Junior pitcher Kacee Arey returns after starting more than half of the games last season and finishing with a 12-7 record … Arey had a team-high 87 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA … This will be the fourth straight year the Storm will be playing in the Finlandia Tournament.
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Simpson: 1-7)
The Saints last played the Storm at the Finlandia Dome Tournament in 2009 and fell by a score of 7-0. All seven runs were scored after the third inning.
UW-Stevens Point Pointers (2011 Record: 23-15, 6-10 WIAC)
The Pointers will be making their third straight trip to the Finlandia Dome Tournament to open the season, but this year they will be led by new head coach Jill Millis … Millis is familiar with Stevens Point and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) as she won a National Championship with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2008, winning the title for the Blugolds on a walk-off home run … The Pointers are coming off a season where they finished sixth in the WIAC, but ended the season on a high-note, winning their final four games … UWSP returns 11 players from last year's squad, including juniors Katie Krueger and Katie Shulfer, who were honorable mention all-conference choices … Shulfer was second on the team in 2011 with a .385 batting average and four home runs … Krueger also had four home runs and was second on the team with 60 total bases … Pitcher Sara Babbitts and Michelle Jones return after going a combined 18-14 last year … Jones led the team with 50 strikeouts, while Babbitts had a team-best 3.56 ERA.
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-Stevens Point: 2-3)
The Saints last played the Pointers in 2004 in Eau Claire, Wis. with CSS coming out on top 2-1.
UW-Oshkosh Titans (2011 Record: 21-17, 6-10 WIAC)
The Titans also placed sixth in the WIAC last season, but earned the tiebreaker over UWSP to get into the WIAC Tournament … Oshkosh would lose both game to open the tourney and were eliminated … The Titans will have to replace two first team all-region players in catcher Jamie Braden and shortstop Sydnee Wyss … Oshkosh does return honorable mention All-WIAC pitcher Courtney Wautier, who recorded 101 strikeouts, nine wins and a 2.61 ERA as a sophomore … Sophomore Tess Fadness is the top returning offensive player for the Titans as she had a .333 batting average, three home runs and 19 RBIs in 2011 … Oshkosh is making its sixth straight trip to the Finlandia Dome Tournament.
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-Oshkosh: 0-0)
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Finlandia Lions (2011 Record: 25-11)
The Lions went 25-11 last season and are an independent program, so they are not affiliated with a conference … Finlandia was strong against UMAC opponents last season, going 4-0 winning by a combined scored of 54-4 … The Lions won seven games last year in less than seven innings, by way of the eight-run mercy rule and finished third in NCAA Division III in scoring with 8.89 runs per game … Finlandia returns 2011 Player of the Year Brittany Garland, Rookie of the Year India Slayback, and first team All-Independent selection Kayla Sax … Garland had 14 home runs and 75 RBIs last season … She led the nation in RBIs per game (2.08) and sacrifice flies (10) and was second in runs per game (1.42) … Sax had 11 home runs and 47 RBIs and Slayback had a .413 average and 21 RBIs … Garland also pitches as she went 22-11 last season and had 150 strikeouts and four shutouts.
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Finlandia: 1-0)
The only time the Saints and Lions have met was at the 2009 Dome Tournament with CSS coming out on top 12-2 in five innings. The Saints scored 10 runs in the first inning of that contest and
Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) had two RBIs in the contest.
