DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – Coming off two straight NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, the St. Scholastica softball team is hoping to get back for a third time this season and it starts on Friday with a doubleheader against the University of Wisconsin-River Falls at the Vadnais Sports Center.

Game Schedule: (Game Day Media)
Friday vs. UW-River Falls – Noon (DH) (Live Stats)

About the Saints
2012 Record: 32-12, 20-1 UMAC

• The Saints are coming off their second straight NCAA regional tournament appearance and fourth consecutive UMAC regular season and tournament championship.
• CSS won 32 games a season ago, which were the fourth-most in program history.
• The Saints also had a program record 19-game winning streak at one point last season.
• CSS welcomes back first team NFCA All-Midwest Region senior catcher Bonnie Kowalczyk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls HS).
• Kowalczyk, who was also the UMAC Player of the Year her sophomore season, led the conference a season ago with a .873 slugging percentage, .545 on-base percentage, 56 RBIs, 19 doubles, nine home runs, 96 total bases and 28 walks. Her 56 RBIs and 19 doubles set single-season program records.
• The other part of the battery is back in senior pitcher Darcy Roach (East Grand Forks, Minn./Sacred Heart HS). Roach led the conference with 19 victories, 148.1 innings pitched, 157 strikeouts and two saves a season ago.
• The middle infield remains in tact with junior shortstop Jordan Spiering (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) and junior second baseman Ally Sweeney (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Central HS). Spiering was an honorable mention All-UMAC choice a season ago and Sweeney was named to the UMAC All-Defensive Team.
• The corner infield may see some changes as expect to see sophomore Emily Schiro (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Armstrong HS) moved to the outfield and junior Tiff Hudack (Ashland, Wis./Ashland HS) play some first base early on.
• Head coach Jen Walter will have someone new playing third to replace the graduated Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS).  Tauer was one of only three Saints to record 200 hits in a career and she also set program records in RBIs (154) and doubles (53) in a career.
• The outfield will also look different this season as Walter has to replace seniors Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) and Kali Carlson (Duluth, Minn/Duluth Central HS). Tiedeman was the 2010 UMAC Player of the Year and made the UMAC All-Defensive Team three straight seasons, patrolling center field.
• Junior Shauney Moen (Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) is the lone returner to the outfield as she started 30 games a season ago and had a perfect fielding percentage in 26 chances.
• As for the newcomers, Coach Walter is excited about the recruiting class that she brought in.
• St. Peter freshman Kasandra McCabe (St. Peter, Minn./St. Peter HS) will see action early at third base and the speedy Forest Lake freshman Andrea Mogren (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) will take over one of the spots in the outfield.
• The newcomers have also added depth for the Saints as International Falls sophomore Sydney Gordon (International Falls, Minn./Falls HS) can fill in the middle infield and Duluth Denfeld's Kara Warren (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) will back-up Kowalczyk at catcher and also be a threat at the plate as the designated player.
• Rendi Johnson (Bonney Lake, Wash./Bonney Lake HS) from Washington State adds another quality arm to the pitching staff.

About the Falcons
Record: 3-1, 0-0 WIAC

• UW-River Falls have four games under its belts already, playing in the Finlandia University (Mich.) Tournament last weekend.
• The Falcons had won over Hope College (Mich.), University of Dubuque (Iowa) and Marian University (Wis.). Their lone loss was a 5-4 defeat to Simpson College (Iowa).
• UWRF was 34-15 a season ago, winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament for the second straight year and advancing all the way to NCAA Regional Final, before falling to Luther College (Iowa).
• The 34 wins a season ago was a new program record.
• The Falcons, who had the best fielding percentage in the WIAC last season, returns their entire infield. All-American second baseman Hayley Buchanan made just one error last season.
• Also back is three-time All-WIAC performer Ashley Goettl at first base.
• Six of the top nine hitters are also back. Goettl batted .545 and Buchanan hit a pair of home runs last weekend.
• The biggest loss for the Falcons is standout pitcher Rose Tusa. UWRF will use a sophomore, a Division II transfer, a junior college transfer and a true freshman to try and fill the void.

Series History: (CSS is 10-11 vs. UW-River Falls)

• The Falcons have won the last four contests with the last meeting coming in 2008 in Rosemount with UWRF winning 7-1.