DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team opens its 2016 season this weekend at the Rochester Dome Tournament, hosted by Luther College (Iowa).
 
Where:
Rochester Regional Stadium – Rochester, Minn.
 
When:
Saturday
vs. UW-Stevens Point – Noon
vs. Coe – 4:30 p.m.
Sunday
vs. UW-La Crosse – 10 a.m.
vs. Buena Vista – Noon
 
Social Media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/csssoftball  
Instagram: www.instagram.com/csssaints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/St-Scholastica-Softball-Fan-Page-257498654307193/
 
St. Scholastica Saints
Roster | 2015 Stats
2015 Record: 31-16, 21-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
Key Returners:
-Chrisi Mizera (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS) – Pitcher – Reigning UMAC Player of the Year … A NFCA Third Team All-Region choice … Named UMAC Rookie of the Year in 2014 … Led the UMAC in wins, innings pitched and shutouts last season …  Her six shutouts, tied for second-most in the region.
-Kara Warren (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS) - Catcher – Third Team NFCA All-Region selection last season … Named to the NCAA Decorah Regional All-Tournament team … Finished second in the conference in home runs, batting average and walks … Led the conference throwing out 15 base runners.
-Nikki Logergren (Duluth, Minn./Duluth Denfeld HS (Northern Stars)) – Outfielder – Will join the team once the hockey seasons concludes … Was a second team NCFA All-Region choice … Led the conference in home runs, RBIs, runs scored and total bases … Finished the season on an 11-game hitting streak.
-Micah McGuiness (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) – Pitcher/Outfielder – First Team Al-UMAC last season … Was also named to the UMAC All-Defensive Team … Finished third in the UMAC in strikeouts per game (6.32) … As a hitter, ranked third in league in doubles and on-base percentage in league games.
 
Key Losses:
-Emily Schiro (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Armstrong HS) – Outfielder – Led the conference with a .519 batting average and 26 runs scored … Was second in on-base percentage (.526) and third in slugging percentage (.722). 
 
New Era: Saturday begins the coaching tenure of former player and assistant coach Rilee Dawson … Dawson took over for long time head coach Jen Walter, who is now the head coach down the road at UMD … Dawson spent eight seasons as an assistant under Walter … As a player for the Saints from 2004-07, Dawson was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Second Team All-American in 2007.
 
UMAC Win Streak: The Saints enter the season on a 41-game UMAC regular season win streak.
 
The Long Ball: For the second straight season in 2015, the Saints set a single-season program record with 43 home runs … The Saints also set a program record last season with 12 different players with at least one home run.
 

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Top 5 Games to Watch
2/28 – vs. UW-La Crosse
The Eagles finished fourth in the WIAC last season and return a pair of all-region players
3/20 & 23 – vs. UW-Whitewater
The Saints play the Warhawks twice down in Florida over spring break … Whitewater won the WIAC regular season and tournament title last season.
4/13 – at UW-Superior
The first UMAC Bridge Battle doubleheader between the projected top two teams in the league.
4/15 – at Bethel
The Royals are ranked 23^rd in the preseason NFCA Division III poll … Bethel won the MIAC regular season championship last season
4/17 vs. UW-Eau Claire
The Blugolds shared the WIAC regular season title with Whitewater last season.

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UMAC Preseason Poll
1. 64 Points – College of St. Scholastica (8 First Place Votes)
2. 57 Points – University of Wisconsin-Superior (1)
3. 46 Points – University of Northwestern
4. 42 Points – University of Minnesota Morris
5. 35 Points – Bethany Lutheran College
6. 32 Points – Crown College
7. 22 Points – Martin Luther College
8. 18 Points – Northland College
9. 8 Points – North Central University

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Upcoming Opponents
UW-Stevens Point Pointers
2015 Record: 15-24, 5-11 WIAC
 
The Pointers lose only three seniors and return seven players from last year's squad that defeated a fifth-ranked Luther College (Iowa) squad and had a doubleheader sweep of UW-River Falls for the first time … Senior infielder Bailie Sheehan returns after leading the team in doubles … Sophomore Paige Allen was an honorable mention All-WIAC choice as a freshman finishing second on the team in home runs and RBIs … The Pointers will have to replace three pitchers from last season … Stevens Point finished seventh in the WIAC last season.
 
Coe Kohawks
2015 Record: 24-16, 7-7 IIAC
 
The Kohawks finished fourth in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) last season … Coe returns junior Maliah Fligg, who was a third team all-region choice last season … Fligg had the 20^th best earned run average in the region and led the team with 28 RBIs … Senior Gretchen Lilienthal and junior Haley Smith were both named All-IIAC in 2015 … Lilienthal was a first team choice and Smith a second team selection.
 
UW-La Crosse Eagles
2015 Record: 27-14, 11-5 WIAC
 
The Eagles recorded at least 20 wins for the eighth straight season in 2015 … The 27 victories was tied for the fourth-most in program history … La Crosse will return senior catcher Alecia Faber and senior first baseman Emilie Wiltzius, who were both all-region choices in 2015 … Faber was a First Team All-WIAC choice last season, while Wiltzius as an honorable mention selection … Wiltzius was a first team choice in 2014 … The Eagles also return senior pitcher Megan Nelson and senior Emily Holldorf, who were First Team All-WIAC choices last season … The Eagles finished fourth in the WIAC last season.
 
Buena Vista Beavers
2015 Record: 18-20-1, 6-8 IIAC
 
The Beavers finished fifth in the IIAC last season … Returning for Buena Vista will be third baseman Jeanne Bramhall, who as a freshman became only the eighth BVU player to named First Team All-IIAC … Bramhall ranked 10th in the league during IIAC play in batting (.425) … Junior Marissa Schmidt was a second team All-IIAC choice … The second baseman finished the conference season ranked third in doubles (6) and just ahead of Bramhall with 14 RBIs.
 
Series Histories:
-UW-Stevens Point leads CSS 4-2
-Coe leads CSS 3-2
-UW-La Crosse leads CSS 10-1
-Buena Vista leads CSS 1-0
 
Last Meetings: The Saints last played UW-Stevens Point at the Finlandia Tournament in Marquette, Michigan in 2012 and fell 7-3 ... The Saints defeated Coe in Winter Haven, Florida last season 5-3 … The Saints played UW-La Crosse in Rochester in 2011 and lost 2-1 … CSS' only meeting with Buena Vista was in 1993 and resulted in an 8-2 defeat.

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Looking Ahead: The Saints will be in Clermont, Florida over Spring Break beginning on March 18 … CSS will play 10 games down in Florida.