WINONA, Minn. — Ali French (Winona, Minn.) and Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn.) turned more than a few heads in their very first game in a Saint Mary's fastpitch softball uniform.
 
French kicked off her Cardinal career going 4-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and three runs scored, and Berg chipped in a 2-for-3, two-RBI effort in her collegiate debut — and the freshman dynamic duo spent the rest of the season proving that that inaugural performance was just a sign of great things to come.
 
With French and Berg leading the offensive charge, Saint Mary's closed out the 2023 season with a 13-9 conference record — and its first post-season appearance in a decade.
 
And Tuesday afternoon, French and Berg — along with teammates Riley Hall (Dallas Center, Iowa) and Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn.) — were honored for their efforts, being named All-MIAC.
 
The honors didn't end there for French, however, as the freshman third-baseman was also named to the MIAC Softball All-Playoff Team, after going 1-for-3 with a double in SMU's 3-2 quarterfinal loss to St. Olaf.
 
French and Berg shared the team lead with a .406 batting average in conference play, with both collecting 26 hits in 64 at-bats. The two also shared the team lead with seven doubles, while French added 11 runs scored and 13 RBIs, and Berg tallied a pair of home runs and 19 RBIs.
 
Overall, French closed out her freshman campaign going 36-for-85 with 11 doubles and a home run en route to her team-leading .424 batting average, while driving in 18 runs and scoring 16 times. She boasted a .588 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage, while stealing six bases in seven attempts.
 
Berg, meanwhile, started 36 of the team's 39 games in 2023, sitting second to French with a .371 batting average, going 36-for-97 with nine doubles and a pair of home runs, while recording 24 RBIs and scoring seven runs. The freshman catcher owns a .526 slugging percentage and a .443 on-base percentage, while owning a .991 fielding percentage — committing just one error on 115 changes (103 putouts, 12 assists).
 
There would be no second-year slump for Hall, who earned All-MIAC honors for the second straight season after hitting .377 in 24 MIAC contests this season. The junior went 26-for-69 with five doubles, one triple, and a team-leading four home runs, while sporting a .652 slugging percentage and .522 on-base percentage. She was a perfect 8-for-8 in stolen bases in conference play, and led the league by being hit by a pitch 13 times.
 
One of just three Cardinals to start all 39 games this season, Hall sported a .351 batting average (39-for-111). She scored a team-leading 42 runs, delivered seven doubles, two triples, and a team-high four home runs, while owning a .559 slugging percentage and a .517 on-base percentage. Hall was a perfect 23-for-23 in stolen bases and was hit by a pitch 21 times — ranking No. 2 in all of NCAA Division III.
 
Nordlund started 23 of the team's 24 MIAC contests, sitting No. 3 on the team behind French and Berg with a .379 batting average. She recorded 25 hits in 66 at-bats, with three doubles, one home run, and 11 RBIs. Nordlund compiled a .470 slugging percentage and a .474 on-base percentage, and struck out just three times in 78 plate appearances.
 
Nordlund finished the year with a .356 batting average in 38 games, closing out the year 37-for-104, with five doubles, two home runs and 23 RBIs, while boasting a .462 slugging percentage and .455 on-base percentage
 
Saint Benedict's Gabby Spencer was named the MIAC's Player of the Year, while Bethel's Kayla Simacek earned MIAC Pitcher of the Year honors. Spencer's teammate, Ellie Peterson, was picked as the MIAC Rookie of the Year, with Bethel's Penny Foore being tabbed MIAC Coach of the Year, after leading the Royals to the regular-season and tournament titles.