The Saint Mary’s fastpitch softball team kicks off post-season play on Thursday, as the Cardinals travel to St. Olaf’s Mabel Shirley Field in Northfield, Minn., for a 4:30 p.m. MIAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup against the Oles..
SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS
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2023: 13-9 MIAC, 21-17 Overall
ST. OLAF OLES
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2023: 14-7 MIAC, 20-19 Overall
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MIAC SCHEDULE:
Thursday, May 11, 2023
G1: #5 St. Kate’s at #4 Gustavus | 4:30 PM
G2: #6 Saint Mary’s at #3 St. Olaf | 4:30 PM
Saturday, May 13, 2023
At Bethel * Arden Hills, MN
G3: #5/#4 at No. 1 Bethel, 11:00 a.m.
G4: #3/#6 vs. No. 2, 1:30 p.m.
G5: Winner G3 vs. Winner G4, 4 p.m.
ADMISSION:
$10 for adult
$2 for any student
5 years and younger are free).
*No senior discount
**Only MIAC Passes will be honored
SMU-STO * THIS SEASON:
April 11, 2023 * Winona, MN
L, 5-3; L, 9-3 * Series History
SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:
May 6, 2023 * Winona, MN
Saint Benedict * L, 10-0 (6); W, 5-2
ST. OLAF * LAST ACTION:
May 8, 2023 * Northfield, MN
St. Scholastica * W, 2-0
SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:
• FOR THE RECORD: Saint Mary’s heads into post-season play having posted a 21-17 overall record, including a 13-9 showing in conference play that earned the Cardinals the No. X seed in the six-team tournament.
• POST-SEASON HISTORY: The Cardinals are making their sixth MIAC Tournament appearance, and their first since 2013. SMU, which has previously appeared in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, has gone 5-12 in its 17 conference tournament contests.
• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s closed out its regular-season schedule earning a split of its conference doubleheader against 19th-ranked Saint Benedict last Sunday at the SMU Field. The Bennies had the upper hand in the opener, posting a pair of five-run innings en route to a 10-0, six-inning victory, while the Cardinals bounced back, getting a two-run single off the bat of Abbie Stigler (Menomonie, Wis.) and a three-run double from Ali French (Winona, Minn.) to beat CSB 5-2 and earn the split.
• COLLECTING NO. 20: Saint Mary’s 12-11, Game 2 win over Augsburg last Thursday was its 20th win of the season, giving the Cardinals their first 20-win season since going 22-16 during the 2016 campaign.
• HOW SWEEP IT IS: Saint Mary’s has picked up sweeps in five of its final eight doubleheaders. SMU swept past UW-River Falls (5-4, 5-3), St. Scholastica (8-0, 8-0), Macalester (9-6, 5-2), Concordia (7-4, 6-2), and Augsburg (11-3, 12-11).
• AT THE PLATE: As a team, Saint Mary’s post-season play hitting .313 through 38 games, and boasts four regulars who are hitting above .300. … Ali French (Winona, Minn.) leads the way with a .427 batting average, followed by Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn. / .383), Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn. / .366), and Riley Hall (Dallas Center, Iowa / .352). Allison Ciero (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) and Abbie Stigler (Menomonie, Wis.) are just percentage points away from joining the over-.300 club, sitting at .297 and .294, respectively.
• RUNNING WILD: Saint Mary’s has plated 208 runs through 38 games this season. … Hall has scored a team-leading 42 runs, while Stigler (27), Ciero (20), Naleya Bork (Fond du Lac, Wis. / 17), French (16), Cassie Sutor (Chicago, Ill. / 13), and Grace Olmstead (Beloit, Wis. / 10) have also reached double digits in runs scored. … SMU has had a player score three runs in a game three times this season.
• HIT PARADE: The Cardinals have seven players who have reached 30 hits this season — Hall (38), Nordlund (37), Berg (36), French (35), Ciero (33), Stigler (32), and Bork (30). … Nordlund and Ciero lead the team with 10 multiple-hit games, one more than Hall, French, and Berg. … SMU has gotten a multiple-hit game from 13 different players. … French owns both of the team’s four-hit performances — going 4-for-4 against both Crown on Feb. 18 and vs. Gustavus last Sunday.
• EXTRA, EXTRA: Ninety-two of the Cardinals’ 320 hits through 38 games have been for extra bases — including 71 doubles, five triples and 16 home runs. … Bork (11), French (10), Berg (9), and Stigler (8) lead the team in doubles, while SMU’s five triples have come from four different players — Hall (2), Ciero, Sutor, Bork, and Mackenzie Carey (Prescott, Wis.). … SMU belted six doubles among its eight Game 1 hits against Carleton on April 7.
• GOING YARD: After delivering just five home runs a year ago, Saint Mary’s has already launched 16 round-trippers this season. Hall and Bork lead the team with four and three HRs, respectively, with Stigler (2), Berg (2), Nordlund (2), Sutor, French, and Jada Allen (Stevens Point, Wis.) owning the other nine. … The home runs by Berg, Bork, Nordlund, Stigler, Hall, Allen, and French were all collegiate firsts.
• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Saint Mary’s boasts eight players who have reached double figures in RBIs through 38 games. Berg leads the way with 24 RBIs, one more than Norland, with Bork (22), Ciero (18), French (18), Stigler (16), Hall (14), and Sutor (10) also owning 10+ RBIs. … Nordlund and Berg have amassed a team-leading six multiple-RBI games, with Ciero and Berg each owning five.
• STREAKING: Hall has reached base safely in 23 straight games, while Nordlund ‚— who had her season-high 11-game hitting streak snapped in Game 2 against Augsburg Thursday — has been on base in each of the team’s last 12 games.
• CAN’T CATCH ME: Saint Mary’s has posted 89 stolen bases in 108 attempts this season – led by Hall (21-for-21), Stigler (16-19), and Ciero (14-for-17). … SMU has gotten at least one stolen base from 17 different players.
• OUCH: Hall has been hit by a pitch 20 times — the most among all Division III players this season — and has been hit by a pitch in each of the team’s last four games. … Hall was hit by three pitches against Rosemont on March 3, tied for the highest single-game total in NCAA Division in 2022.
• IN THE CIRCLE: Saint Mary’s has used five different pitchers this season, led by Sarah Kraus (Onalaska, Wis. / 9-9, 4.05 ERA) and Bork (6-7, 3.51 ERA), who have logged 119 1/3 and 83 2/3 innings, respectively. … Izzy Griffin (West St. Paul, Minn. / 2-1, 3.62 ERA, 19 1/3 IP), Sutor (2-0, 3.62 ERA, 17 2/3 IP), and Amy Gappa (Trempealeau, Wis. / 0-0, 3.50 ERA, 10.0 IP) have also seen time in the circle. … Kraus has tossed a team-high 11 complete games, four more than Bork, while also leading the team with 24 pitching appearances.
• REPEAT PERFORMANCES: Kraus recorded back-to-back, complete-game shutouts in SMU’s sweep of St. Scholastica on April 14, allowing four hits in the opener and three hits in the nightcap.
• PITCHING FIRSTS: ?Griffin picked up her first collegiate win, and her first collegiate shutout — in her first collegiate start — in a 2-0 victory over Carleton on April 8. ... Bork recorded her first pitching win as a Cardinal against Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 18, allowing one run on four hits in four innings of a 5-1 Saint Mary’s win.
• FANNING THE FLAMES: Cardinal pitchers have combined to strike out 132 batters through 38 games, led by Kraus (60) and Bork (48). … Bork struck out a career-high 10 batters in the Cardinals’ 8-3 win over Houghton on Feb. 27. The 10 strikeouts were the most by a Cardinal pitcher since Amber Chow fanned 10 against Gustavus on April 17, 2021.
• MIAC WEEKLY HONORS: The Cardinals have had two players named MIAC Player of the Week this season. Nordlund was named MIAC POW on March 6, after hitting .500 (10-for-20), with a double and a home run, in SMU’s eight spring trip games, while French landed her first MIAC POW honor on May 8 after going 13-for-25 (.520) with three doubles and 16 RBIs in eight games.
• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 208-168. … SMU has scored 10 or more runs in a game four times — including in both games against Augsburg last Thursday, beating the Auggies 11-3 and 12-11. … SMU posted a season-high 13-run effort in its 13-1, five-inning victory over North Central on Feb.18. … Saint Mary’s is 10-4 in games decided by five or more runs, and are 5-8 in one- or two-run games. … The Cardinals have held their opponent to two runs or less in 11 of their 21 wins. On the flip side, SMU is 1-8 when failing to plate more than two runs. … SMU is 14-4 when leading or tied after five innings, while going 2-13 when trailing heading into the sixth frame. … Saint Mary’s has used a season-high 21 players in game twice – in Game 2 vs. St. Olaf on April 11 and Game 1 against Augsburg last Thursday. … Saint Mary’s has scored four or more runs in an inning 11 times this season, including a seven-run second inning against Augsburg on Thursday and a season-high eight-run first inning against North Central on Feb. 19.
ST. OLAF SCOUTING REPORT:
• FOR THE RECORD: St. Olaf heads into the post-season on the heels of a 20-19 overall record in 2023, including a 14-7 showing in conference play, earning the Oles the No. 3 seed in the six-team MIAC Tournament.
• POST-SEASON HISTORY: The Oles are making their seventh trip to the MIAC Tournament, having also appeared in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. … St. Olaf, which sports a 7-11 record in 18 conference tournament games, finished runner-up in each of the last two tourneys — losing to St. Thomas 3-0 in 2021, while falling to Bethel 5-0 a year ago.
• LAST TIME OUT: The Oles had three pitchers combine on a three-hit shutout, as St. Olaf defeated St. Scholastica 2-0 in the opening game of their schedule MIAC doubleheader Monday at Mabel Shirley Field in Northfield, Minn. Game 2 was declared a no-contest due to lightning.
• ROLLERCOASTER RIDE: It’s been a wild ride for the Oles this season. St. Olaf opened the year going 6-14 in its first 20 games, before rattling off wins in 14 of its last 19 games. … St. Olaf has put together winning streaks of two (twice), three, and eight games, while struggling through losing streaks of two, four, and six games.
• LEADING THE CHARGE: St. Olaf, which enters post-season play hitting .326 as a team, boasts seven players who are hitting above .300 through 39 regular-season games. Medora Rylee leads the Ole offense, sporting a .398 average, followed closely by Hannah Peschel at .376 and Maya Patty at .358. Tarah DeCroock (.348), Amelia Christenson (.343), Jenna Peschel (.313), and Anne Fossum (.303) are also carrying batting averages north of .300 into St. Olaf’s quarterfinal against Saint Mary’s.
• ON THE RUN: Hannah Peschel and Tarah DeCroock have been running wild this season, scoring 32 and 31 runs, respectively to lead five St. Olaf players with 20 or more runs scored. Jenna Peschel (21), Patty (20), and Fossum (20) have also reached the 20-run mark, with Rylee sitting at 19.
• HIT PARADE: Hannah Peschel has racked up a whopping 50 hits in 39 games. She is one of four Oles who have amassed 40+ hits, being joined by DeCroock (46), Rylee (45), and Patty (43), while Christenson (37), Andrea Conway (36) and Fossum (30) have chipped in 30+ hits. … St. Olaf has five players — Hannah Peschel (17), Rylee (15), DeCroock (14), Patty (13), and Christenson (10) — with 10 or more multiple-hit games this season. … The Oles have had six different players record four hits in a game.
• EXTRA, EXTRA: St. Olaf has banged out 374 hits in 39 games, including 106 for extra bases — 87 doubles, six triples, and 13 home runs. … Christenson (14), Hannah Peschel (12), and Rylee (11) lead the team in doubles, with DeCroock (2), Hannah Peschel, Rylee, Conway, and Shreya Ashok owning St. Olaf’s six triples.
• BOMBS AWAY: The Oles 13 home runs have come from five different players. DeCroock and Christenson have each launched four round-trippers, while Hannah Peschel and Emma Simons both own two HRs and Fossum has hit the other one.
• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Christenson has recorded a team-best 30 RBIs, two more than Patty and three up on DeCroock. Hannah Peschel (25), and Conway (24) have also eclipsed the 20-RBI mark this season. … Christenson leads the Oles with 10 multiple-RBI games — including a season-high five RBIs against Augsburg on April 27.
• STREAKING ALONG: Conway (11), DeCroock (11), Christenson (11), and Hannah Peschel (10) have all put together hitting streaks of 10 or more games this season, but DeCroock and Rylee head into post-season play with the team’s longest active streak at nine games. … DeCroock and Patty enter St. Olaf’s MIAC quarterfinal game having reached base safely in each of the Oles’ last 10 games.
• IN THE CIRCLE: St. Olaf has used five different pitchers this season, with four of them logging more than 40 innings. Jenna Peschel (8-7, 2.92 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched with 91.0, followed by Madyn Singleton (3-6, 3.96 ERA, 63 2/3 IP), Roxanne Ring (7-1, 3.39 ERA, 62.0 IP), and Jaelyn Orth (2-6, 5.11 ERA, 49 1/3 IP). … Jenna Peschel leads the team in both appearances (21) and starts (16), and has tossed six complete games and owns both of the Oles’ complete-game shutouts. … Ring has accounted for all three of St. Olaf’s saves this season.
• FANNING THE FLAMES: St. Olaf pitchers have combined to strike out 133 batters this season, led by Jenna Peschel with 44 Ks and Orth with 42. Ring and Singleton have chipped in 24 and 23 strikeouts, respectively. … Orth has struck out a season-high nine batters twice this season — against Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 25 and vs. Buena Vista the following day.
• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: St. Olaf has scored XX runs this season — including six games of 10 or more runs. … The Oles plated a season-high 17 runs in beating UW-Eau Claire 17-13 on Feb. 26. St. Olaf also reached 10 runs in wins over UW-Eau Claire (10-4), Concordia (15-1; 10-4), Carleton (10-9), and Augsburg (11-2). … Along with their season-high 17 runs, the Oles also recorded season-highs in hits (19(, RBIs (16), and doubles (6) against UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 26. … St. Olaf has played 15 games decided by two runs or less, going 7-8 in those 15 contests. … The Oles have been held to two runs or less in nine of their 19 losses. … St. Olaf has played six extra-inning games, going 2-4 — including a marathon 8-7, 13-inning win over Emory on March 29.
