DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team will travel down to Iowa this weekend for a doubleheader against the University of Dubuque on Saturday and a split doubleheader with St. Norbert College and Central College (Iowa) on Sunday.
 
Where:
Saturday
Lacey Park – Oskaloosa, Iowa
Sunday
A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex Field – Pella, Iowa
 
When:
Saturday
vs. Dubuque (DH) – Noon
Sunday
vs. St. Norbert – Noon
at Central – 4 p.m.
 
 
Live Video/Stats for Sunday's Games: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/central/
 
 
Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSSsoftball  
Instagram: http://instagram.com/csssaints
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/css.saints
 
St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 5-7, 0-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
The Saints have not played since their Spring Break trip, which ended on March 11. CSS went 5-5 down in Florida, including a 3-3 record against teams that made the NCAA Division III Tournament a season ago.
 
Watch Out for Warren: Junior Kara Warren (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) has reached base in all 12 games this season and is currently at 18 straight games dating back to last seasons … She also leads the team with four multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games.
 
Trends: The Saints are 4-0 this season when leading after four innings and 0-6 when trailing at that point … CSS is 5-1 when it out-hits its opponents, but 0-6 when the opponent has the edge … CSS has yet to play an errorless game this season.
 
Swiping Bases: The Saints are a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts this season … Freshman Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) is 3-for-3 on the base paths.
 
Iowa Drought: CSS has lost its last six games played in Iowa with its last two coming in NCAA Cedar Rapids Regional last season … The Saints' last win came Gustavus Adolphus College in Oskaloosa in 2013.
 
Series Histories:
-Series with tied with Dubuque 2-2
-St. Norbert leads CSS 1-0
-Central leads CSS 7-0
 
Last Meetings: The Saints met Dubuque last season in Oskaloosa and the Spartans came away with a 4-3 victory … The only time the Saints faced St. Norbert in softball was in 2000 and the Green Knights came away with a 5-2 victory … Central won last year's meeting with the Saints in Iowa 9-3.
 
Looking Ahead: The Saints are scheduled to begin Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play on Tuesday at Northland College … If that takes place, the scheduled start time is 4 p.m.
 
 
University of Dubuque Spartans
Record: 7-9, 0-0 IIAC
 
The Spartans will enter the weekend having lost five of its last six games on their Spring Break trip to Arizona … Dubuque has been picked to finish fifth in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season … Dubuque returns nine letter winners, including six starting position players and all three pitchers, from last year's 22-15 squad … The Spartans are led by senior second baseman Meggie Schmidt who has a .395 batting average … Senior third baseman Kelli Gerace leads the team with five home runs and 14 RBIs … Amanda Williams and Hannah Koerperich have started 12 of the 16 games this season … Williams leads the team with 34 strikeouts.
 
St. Norbert College Green Knights
Record: 4-6, 0-0 MWC
 
The Green Knights just wrapped up its spring trip last week and will face the College of Saint Benedict and Central College on Saturday before playing the Saints … St. Norbert has been picked to finish first in the North Division, according to the preseason Midwest Conference coaches' poll … The Green Knights return five position starters and one starting pitcher … Leading the way is North Division Pitcher of the Year Morgan Rusch … Rusch is 3-3 thus far this season … Tayler Long leads the offense with a .452 batting average, while Codi Jenshak and Leigh Grall have a team-high six RBIs.
 
#19 Central College Dutch
Record: 12-5, 0-0 IIAC
 
Central is ranked No. 19 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III poll … The Dutch also had spring trip conclude last week … Central won its final three games of that trip and will have five home games starting on Friday before playing the Saints on Sunday … The Dutch has been picked to finish second in the IIAC this season, according to the preseason coaches' poll, despite receiving the most first-place votes … The Dutch return seven starting position players and two starting pitchers from last year's IIAC runner-up squad …  Seven of the nine returning starters are seniors and six of them have received an all-IIAC honor at some point in their career … Karlee Rock has led the team offensively thus far this season with .429 batting average, seven home runs and 24 RBIs … Trisha Smith is 6-1 when toeing the rubber this season and Mallory Schulenberg is 4-3.