CLERMONT, Fla. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota baseball team kicks off its 2016 season with 10 nonconference games as part of their seven-day spring trip.
 
The Matchups:
February 24, 2016 | Legends Way Field #2 * Clermont, Fla. | 9 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Lyndon State Hornets (2015: 10-20 Overall)
February 24, 2016 | Legends Way Field #2 * Clermont, Fla. | 11 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Johnson State Badgers (2015: 9-15 Overall)
February 25, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 9 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Houghton Highlanders (2015: 5-30 Overall)
February 25, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 11 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Johnson State Badgers (2015: 9-15 Overall)
February 27, 2016 | Legends Way Field #2 * Clermont, Fla. | 9 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Southwestern Pirates (2016: 2-4 Overall)
February 27, 2016 | Legends Way Field #2 * Clermont, Fla. | 11 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Otterbein Cardinals (2015: 14-20 Overall)
February 28, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 9 a.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Wartburg Knights (2015: 22-17 Overall)
February 28, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 1 p.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. John Carroll Blue Streaks (2015: 22-17 Overall)
February 29, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 3 p.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers (2015: 21-13 Overall)
February 29, 2016 | Legends Way Field #4 * Clermont, Fla. | 5 p.m. (EST)
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (2015: 18-20 Overall) vs. Neumann Knights (2015: 30-9 Overall)
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
• Video Preview
 
Last Action:
• This week's games in Clermont, Fla., are the 2016 season-openers for the Cardinals and eight of their nine opponents. Southwestern has already played six games this season, going 2-4.
 
Saint Mary's vs. Spring Trip Opponents—Their Last Meeting:
• vs. Wartburg * February 21, 2015 * Rochester, Minn.: The Cardinals erupted for 13 runs en route to a 13-1 victory over the Knights in the opener of their nonconference doubleheader at the Rochester Dome, before riding the two-hit pitching of Ashley Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) to a 2-0 sweep-clinching win in the nightcap | Recap
• vs. Rose-Hulman * March 6, 2015 * Clermont, Fla.: Saint Mary's kicked off its day in much the same way they ended the day on Thursday—embroiled in a one-run game. And, fortunately for the Cardinals, the end result was the same, as Saint Mary's—coming off a 2-1, eight-inning win over Lebanon Valley—scored the game's only run in the bottom of the first inning, beating Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 1-0 in the first-ever meeting between the two teams | Recap
• vs. John Carroll * March 6, 2015 * Clermont, Fla.: The Cardinals took part in their fourth straight one-run game in their second game of the day against John Carroll—but the results weren't as favorable, as the Blue Streaks dealt Saint Mary's a trip-ending 6-5 setback | Recap
• The Cardinals' games against Lyndon State, Johnson State, Houghton, Southwestern, Otterbein, and Neumann will be the first meetings in program history.
 
Cardinals' Up Next:
• The Cardinals return to action March 4-5, squaring off against the University of Dubuque, UW-River Falls, Martin Luther, and Millikin at the Rochester Dome in Rochester, Minn.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Cardinals closed out their 2015 season by knocking off fourth-ranked Luther in the second game of their regular-season ending nonconference doubleheader. It was the fourth time Saint Mary's squared off against a nationally ranked opponent last year. Saint Mary's also faced No. 6 Trine, No. 15 St. Thomas, and No. 18 Augustana. … The Cardinals' 18 wins a year ago mark the third time in the last four years that they have reached the 18-win mark. It's the most victories since Saint Mary's went 23-18 during the 2011 season. … Ashley Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) was the workhorse in the pitcher's circle for the Cardinals in 2015, logging 201.0 of the team's 258.2 innings, while also recording 20 complete games. Betzold's 201.0 IP and 20 complete games rank No. 2 in single-season program history. … Betzold finished the season 14-15 with a 2.96 ERA in 34 appearances, while striking out a career-high 113 batters—including a season-best nine against Augsburg in Game 1 on April 11. … Betzold pitched a pair of two-hitters and two three-hitters among her 20 complete games. … Stanzy Snyder (Johnston, Iowa) closed out her freshman season as the team's batting champion, hitting .356, one percentage point higher than Kathi Opsahl (Elk River, Minn. / .355). Alex Raske (Chicago, Ill.) also hit above .300, closing out her senior year at .339. … Opsahl also led the team in hits with 44—two more than both Snyder and Raske—and RBIs with 28. … Snyder also boasted team-highs in doubles (9), slugging percentage (.500), walks (17) and on-base percentage (.454). … Raske, who finished with a team-high 33 runs in 38 games, scored five times in the opener vs. Macalester on April 22—it was the most runs scored by a Cardinal player since Jaci Prondzinski scored five times vs. Mount Mary College on March 20, 2009. … Raske, one of two seniors on last year's team, started all 124 games the Cardinals played during her four-year collegiate career. … Mariah Harper (Schaumburg, Ill.) belted a team-best four triples, while Raske and Betzold shared the team's home run lead with three each. … Saint Mary's boasted four players who hit their first collegiate home runs a year ago—Betzold, Snyder, senior Sam Borawski (Stickney, Ill.), and freshman Brittney Birkhauser (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.). … Opsahl finished the year with a team-best 13 multiple-hit and seven multiple-RBI games. … Opsahl's five RBIs in Game 2 vs. Carleton on March 31 marked the second time in her collegiate career the sophomore has driven in five runs in a game. … Snyder put together season- and team-high nine-game hitting streak. … Freshman Kali Aldrich (Rochester, Minn.) recorded her first collegiate four-hit game vs. Macalester on April 22, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored in Game 1. … Abbey Killian (Fountain City, Wis.) collected her first collegiate win with 2/3 innings of hitless relief in Game 2 against Gustavus on April 6. …  Killian closed out her freshman year by throwing her first collegiate complete game—in her first collegiate start—beating fourth-ranked Luther 5-4. … The Cardinals held their opponents to two runs or less in 11 of their 18 wins in 2015. … The Cardinals' 18 runs in their 18-15 Game 1 win over Macalester on April 22 were the most since plating 27 in a 27-0 rout of Mount Mary College on March 20, 2009. … The Cardinals' 11-run fourth inning vs. Macalester was its highest single-inning output since plating 13 against Mount Mary College on March 20, 2009. … The Cardinals recorded a pair of walk-off wins this season—Betzold belted a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Saint Mary's 3-1 Game 1 win over St. Olaf on April 10, while Allie Borawski (Stickney, Ill.) delivered a game-ending RBI single, capping a two-run seventh inning in the Cardinals' 5-4 Game 2 win over Augsburg a day later. … With their 4-1, 5-4 sweep of Gustavus on April 6, the Cardinals snapped a pair of lengthy streaks against the Gusties. The Game 1 victory ended Saint Mary's 11-game losing streak vs. GAC—dating back to an identical 4-1 win on May 2, 2011. And the sweep-clinching 5-4 win in the nightcap completed the Cardinals' first sweep of the Gusties since winning 5-3 and 9-1 on April 12, 2005—a span of nine years and 18 regular-season games. 
 
Scouting The Lyndon State Hornets:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Hornets head into their 2016 season on the heels of a 10-20 performance a year ago, including a 3-9 mark in the North Atlantic Conference. … Dakota Crane, an All-NAC selection as a sophomore last year, hit a team-leading .485 a year ago—an average that climbed to .528 in 10 conference games. … Along with her team-leading .485 batting average, Crane also led the team in hits (32), doubles (9), on-base percentage (.528) and slugging percentage (.652). … Shelby Sheridan scored a team-high 24 runs, while sharing the team lead in hits with Crane and RBIs (16) with Mindy Carl. … Lyndon State boasted eight players with 10 or more RBIs, led by Sheridan and Carl. … Carl and Brooke Dolloff each hit two home runs to account for half of the Hornets' eight round-trippers. … As a team, Lyndon State went 29-for-37 in stolen base attempts. … The Hornets used five different pitchers in 2015, with Katie Davis logging most of the work, tossing 119.1 of the team's 183.0 innings. … Davis compiled a 9-13 record and a 4.81 ERA. She hurled 18 complete games among her 21 starts and struck out 81 batters. … Lyndon State closed out 2015 winning four of its last six games. … The Hornets scored 10 or more runs four times a year ago—including a season-high 16 in a 16-9 win over St. Joseph (Vt.) on April 28. … Lyndon State also surrendered 10 or more runs four times last season—including a 22-0, five-inning loss to Davenport in its season-opener on Feb. 22. … The Hornets were 4-6 in their 10 home games a year ago, while going 1-7 on the road and 5-7 in neutral-site contests.
 
Scouting The Johnson State Badgers:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Badgers are coming off a 9-15 season a year ago, and return All-NAC performers Anna Bingham and Andrea Williams. … Johnson State did not play its first game a year ago until an April 2 split against New England College, having its first eight games cancelled. … Johnson State boasted three players who hit above .300 a year ago, led by Alex Bean (.400) and Casey Hogan (.311). … Bean also led the team in at-bats (75), runs (19), hits (30), and on-base percentage (.464). … Hogan belted a team-best nine doubles and delivered a team-leading 19 RBIs, while Bingham laced three of the team's seven home runs. … Andrea Williams was the workhorse in the pitcher's circle for the Badgers, tossing 117.1 of the team's 154.0 innings. … Williams started 16 games—and appeared in 20 of the team's 24 contests—recording a 7-10 record and a 3.10 ERA. … Williams, who threw 15 complete games, struck out 88 batters and walked just 18. … Johnson State's season-ending 6-5 win over Lyndon State in the second game of their doubleheader snapped the Badgers' season-high seven-game losing streak. … Twelve of the Badgers' 15 losses last season came during two extended losing streaks—a five-gamer and a seven-gamer. … Johnson State scored a season-high 15 runs in a 15-5 win over St. Joseph (Vt.) on April 19. … Johnson State was shut out in back-to-back games against Clarkson on April 14. It was two of the three times last season the Badgers failed to plate at least one run. … Four of the Badgers' nine wins were by eight runs or more. … Johnson State posted a 4-7 record on its home field—the Badgers were 5-8 on the road last season.
 
Scouting The Houghton Highlanders:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Highlanders heading into their spring trip on the heels of a 5-30 season a year ago. … Houghton closed out 2015 losing five straight and seven of its last eight. … 
The Highlanders snapped a season-opening 13-game losing streak with a 6-5, Game 1 win over Kenyon on March 21. … Georgianna Stoj closed out 2015 as the team's offensive leader, boasting team-highs in batting average (.287), hits (31), and RBIs (14). … Eleven of Adrienne Huston's 26 hits were for extra bases, as she led the team in both doubles (7) and triples (4). … Huston also led the team in total bases (41), slugging percentage (.432), and on-base percentage (.327). … Morgan York and Adrean Tiffany accounted for the Highlanders' two home runs in 2015. … Huston and Georgianna Stoj each collected a team-best seven multiple-hit games, and Stoj also recorded four multiple-RBI outings. … The Highlanders scored a team-high nine runs in a 9-8, 10-inning win over Nazareth on April 25. … Houghton had five different players put together a three-hit game last season. … The Highlanders boasted three pitchers who logged more than 55 innings a year ago. Morgan York (2-10, 6.77 ERA) led the team with 79.2 IP, followed by Jessica Hayner (2-11, 7.09 ERA) with 74.0 IP and Sarah Beirne (1-9, 8.18 ERA( with 57.1 … York started a team-leading 15 games, three more than York. … York finished with a team-high four complete games, with York and Hayner each pitching three. … York was the team's strikeout leader with 38.
 
Scouting The Southwestern Pirates:
2016 Roster | 2016 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Pirates entered 2016 on the heels of an 18-21 season a year ago. … After opening the 2016 season with back-to-back 10-1, five-inning wins over Southwester Assemblies of God, Southwestern has dropped four straight—three of them by two runs or less. … Amanda Fuchs owns a team-leading .538 batting average and is one of seven Pirate players to open the season hitting .300 or better through the first six contests. … Fuchs also leads the team in RBIs (4), on-base percentage (.563), and slugging percentage (.769). … Paige McShan (.444) is the team-leader in at-bats (18), runs (6), and doubles (2). … McShan's eight hits are one more than Fuchs, Katie Bricarell (.389), and Celeste Silvas (.368). … Fuchs and Taylor Curtis have hit Southwestern's two home runs this season. … The Pirates have used three pitchers this season, led by Chandler Smith (17.1 IP, 2-1, 2.83 ERA). Isabella Robb (9 IP, 0-1 3.11 ERA) and Alyssa Novander (7.1 IP, 0-2, 6.68 ERA) have also seen action in the pitcher's circle this season. … Smith has fanned a team-high 11 batters (4.4 kpg). … Southwestern has scored 20 runs in its two wins, while being outscored 24-12 in its four losses.
 
Scouting The Otterbein Cardinals:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Cardinals return their entire lineup from last year's 14-20 squad. … Otterbein returns four players who all hit above .340 a year ago—Bailey McElwain (.425), Molly Rigs (.418), Megan Garner (.386) and Rachael Owens (.340). … McElwain also led the team in runs (31), hits (51), and doubles (17), while sharing the team lead in home runs (4). … Riggs owned a team-high 122 at-bats, two more than McElwain, and hit four of the team's five triples. … Garner collected a team-best 31 RBIs and induced a team-leading 11 walks. … Riggs was a near-perfect 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts. … Rachael Owens was a workhorse in the pitcher's circle for the Cardinals, throwing 125.0 of the team's 221.0 innings. … Owens went 11-11 with a 3.36 ERA, throwing nine complete games and striking out 58 batters. … Otterbein opened the 2015 with five straight losses, and ended the year on a four-game losing streak. … The Cardinals scored 10 or more runs four times in 2015—including a season-high 12 runs three times. … Otterbein failed to score at least one run just three times in 34 games.
 
Scouting The Wartburg Knights:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Knights head into their spring trip games looking to build on last season's 22-17 overall record. … Wartburg returns a pair of All-Midwest Region selections—Second-Teamer Katie Sommer and Third-Teamer Taylor Smola. … Sommer closed out her freshman season a year ago as the team-leader in batting average (.451), runs (39), hits (51), triples (2), walks (17), and on-base percentage. … Smola (.404) was second on the team in hits (40), while leading the squad in home runs (4), RBIs (30), and slugging percentage (.616). … Mara Forsythe banged out 14 extra-base hits—including a team-high 13 doubles—among her 33 hits. … As a team, Wartburg hammered 15 home runs—with six different players hitting at least one. … The Knights stole 36 bases last season, led by Sommer with 10. … Paige Blom and Kimberly Wedeking each hurled more than 100 innings last season—Blom went 13-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 122.1 IP, while Wedeking was close behind, owning a 9-8 record and 4.86 ERA in 103.2 IP. … Blom made a team-high 21 appearances—all starts—and tossed a team-leading 17 complete games. … Blom finished the year with a team-high 70 strikeouts, 10 more than Wedeking. … Wartburg put together a season-high 14-game winning streak a year ago—outscoring its opponents 124-21 in that span. … The Knights scored 10 or more runs six times last season—including a season-high 16 in a 16-0 win over Blackburn on March 22. … Wartburg owned seven shutouts in 2015, while scoring at least one run in 37 of the team's 39 games—the lone exceptions, a 2-0 loss to Saint Mary's on Feb. 21 and a 4-0 setback to York on March 2. 
 
Scouting The John Carroll Blue Streaks:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Blue Streaks are coming off a 22-17 showing in 2015—which included their school-record eighth straight appearance in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. … John Carroll returns a pair of All-Central Region selections in First-Teamer Carly Simocek and Second-Teamer Alyssa Coleman. … Simecek batted a team-high .453 in 37 games, collecting 23 runs, 48 hits, 12 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 42 RBI. … Simecek amassed an .830 slugging percentage, a .524 on-base percentage, and had a stretch where she reached base safely in 25 consecutive games. … Simecek recorded a team-high 14 multiple-hit  and nine multiple-RBI games last season. … Coleman—the only Blue Streak to start all 39 games a year ago—batted .331 with 28 runs, 39 hits, 11 doubles, and seven home runs. She also had 25 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .602—and finished the season by reaching base safely in each of the Blue Streaks' final 14 games. … John Carroll had five players—Simecek (8), Coleman (7), Hannah Mizener (5), and Ashlee Unrue (5) account for 25 of its 26 home runs. … AnnMarie Kirchner and Rachel Byrnes each threw more than 100 innings for the Blue Streaks a year ago. … Kirchner went 10-8 with a 2.09 ERA in 100.2 IP, while Byrnes was 12-8 with a 3.75 ERA in a team-high 132.2 IP. … Byrnes made a team-high 20 starts and tossed a team-leading 13 complete games, while striking out a team-best 107 batters. … John Carroll scored six or more runs in 12 of its 22 wins a year ago. On the flip side, the Blue Streaks were held to two runs or less eight times. … John Carroll held its opponents to five runs or less in 20 of its 22 wins. … The Blue Streaks were 18-1 when leading after the fourth inning.
 
Scouting The Rose Hulman Fightin' Engineers:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Fightin' Engineers enter 2016 returning nine of their top 11 hitters from a year ago, when Rose-Hulman compiled a 21-13 overall record. … Rose-Hulman boasted nine players who hit .300 or better a year ago, led by Jenny Miller (.370) and Carly Heibel (.360). … Miller also led or shared the team lead in at-bats (100), runs (32), hits (37), home runs (7), RBIs (28), walks (21), on-base percentage (.479), and slugging percentage (.690). … The Fightin' Engineers were a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts. … Rose Hulman belted 21 home runs a year ago. … Rose-Hulman boasted four pitchers who threw 40 or more innings a year ago. … Taylor Lockhart (7-6, 3.23 ERA) closed out the year with a team-high 82.1 IP, followed by Miller (2-4, 2.43 ERA, 49.0 IP), Marissa Stout (6-2, 4.14 ERA, 44.0 IP), and Carly Heibel (6-1, 1.88 ERA, 41.0 IP). … Lockhart recorded a team-best 10 complete games in 11 starts, while also leading the team with 38 strikeouts. … Rose-Hulman scored 10 or more runs seven times last season—including a season-high 14 twice.
 
Scouting The Neumann Knights:
2016 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2016 Schedule
• The Knights, coming off a 30-9 season in 2015, were picked No. 1 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. … Neumann won the CSAC regular-season and tournament titles, earning a berth in the NCAA national tournament, where the Knights dropped back-to-back games to Heidelberg University (6-4) and DeSales University (6-1). … The Knights boasted five regulars who hit .400 or better a year ago—Allie White (.444), Marisa Giordano (.438), Megan Williams (.412), Becky Guinto (.40-5), and Danielle Grayson (.402.). … White also led the team in at-bats (133), runs (53), hits (59), triples (4), total bases (92), and slugging percentage (.692). … Guinto banged out a team-best 15 doubles, while White and Grayson each belted four home runs to account for eight of the team's 12 round-trippers. … The Knights stolen 45 bases last season—and were thrown out just five times. Giordano (16-for-18) and White (10-for-10) led Neumann in stolen bases. … Neumann used six different pitchers last season, but Haley Broomell and Lauren Wilkie were the workhorses, logging 94.1 and 88.1 innings, respectively. … Broomell, the CSAC Pitcher of the Year, compiled a 13-4 record and a 1.56 ERA in 19 appearances, while Wilkie finished 10-3 with a 1.66 ERA in 16 games. … Broomell and Wilkie posted 11 and nine complete games, respectively, and Broomell owned a team-leading 98 strikeouts. … Neumann outscored its opponents in every inning but the sixth—including 55-13 in the first and 36-8 in the second. … Neumann scored 10 runs or more 10 times in 2015—winning all 10. … The Knights were 22-1 when scoring in the first inning and 28-1 when scoring the game's first run. … Neumann was perfect 18-0 when leading after the fifth inning. … Neumann plated a season-high 20 runs in a 20-1 win over Baptist Bible on April 15.