DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica softball team starts off its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) season as it hosts the Northland College LumberJills at Kenwood Field on Sunday.

Game Time:
Sunday – 2 p.m.

Game Coverage:
Live Stats

Last Action:
The Saints are coming off a successful spring break trip where they went 7-3, including a five-game winning streak to start play in Florida.  It was the best spring trip record for the team since the 2005 season (8-2 in California).

St. Scholastica Saints (8-6)
The Saints begin conference play above .500 for the first time since the 2006 season and that year the Saints made their first NCAA Tournament appearance … After a strong spring break trip, the Saints look to continue their momentum into UMAC play … The Saints look to capture their fourth consecutive UMAC regular season title and another trip to the NCAA tournament after qualifying for only the second time in program history last season … Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) has been lights out from the plate, leading the team with a .391 batting average … Tiff Hudack (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) has been a factor for the Saints as well with a .388 batting average and team highs with 19 hits and two home runs … Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) leads the team with 10 RBIs … Jordan Spiering (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) has been a force on the mound for CSS this season with a 2.39 earned run average in 44 innings pitched and also holds the best opposing batting average at .254 to go along with a 4-2 record … Darcy Roach (East Grand Forks, Minn./Sacred Heart HS) has the most strikeouts of all CSS pitchers with 33 total and follows Spiering with a .278 opposing batting average.

Northland LumberJills (7-7)
The LumberJills started their 2012 campaign with a 1-6 record, but have rebounded to win five straight contests … The LumberJills were picked to finish fifth in the UMAC, but enter conference play with the second best overall record behind the Saints … Katherine Andreiko paces the LumberJills with a .425 batting average, 17 total hits, and four doubles on the year …  Erin Roembke has been a factor at the plate as well with a .621 slugging percentage … Angela Koosmann leads the team with 11 RBIs, while Jayna Loy has a team high two home runs …  Loy also leads the bullpen with a 2.80 earned run average to go along with 29 strikeouts and a 4-2 overall record … Koosmann and Loy were named UMAC Pitcher and Player of the Week on Tuesday.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Northland College: 35-8)
The Saints and LumberJills last met in UMAC regular season play where the teams split with Northland winning the first game 11-5 and the Saints rebounded to win the second game 6-3.