It’s a home double doubleheader weekend for the Saint Mary’s fastpitch softball team, as the Cardinals host Augsburg (Saturday) and Hamline (Sunday) in a pair of MIAC twinbills at the Saint Mary’s Field. First pitch in both DHs is set for 1 p.m.
SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS
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2024: 13-5 MIAC, 25-9 Overall
AUGSBURG AUGGIES
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2024: 9-7 MIAC, 24-10 Overall
HAMLINE PIPERS
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2024: 4-12 MIAC, 14-16 Overall
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SMU-AUG * LAST MEETING:
May 4, 2023 * Minneapolis, MN
W, 11-3; W, 12-11 (8) * Series History
SMU-HAM * LAST MEETING:
April 3, 2023 * Winona, MN
W, 4-3; L, 6-5 * Series History
SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:
April 23, 2024 * St. Paul, Minn.
Macalester * W, 15-4; L, 5-3
AUGSBURG * LAST ACTION:
April 23, 2024 * Arden Hills, MN
Bethel * L, 8-3; L, 9-0 (5)
HAMLINE * LAST ACTION:
April 23, 2024 * St. Joseph, MN
Saint Benedict * L, 10-2 (5); L, 2-1
SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:
End of Regular Season
MIAC Playoffs * TBD
AUGSBURG * UP NEXT:
April 28, 2024 * St. Paul, MN
St. Catherine * 1:00/3:00
HAMLINE * UP NEXT:
May 4, 2024 * Minneapolis, MN
Augsburg * 1:00/3:00
SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:
• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their doubleheaders against Augsburg and Hamline this weekend sitting at 25-9 overall, while owning a 13-5 mark in MIAC action.
• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s erupted for 15 runs — including seven in the top of the seventh inning — en route to a 15-4 Game 1 win over Macalester on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn. SMU did not have as enjoyable a game at the plate in the nightcap, however, managing just three runs in falling to the Scots 5-3.
• ROAD WARRIORS: SMU’s doubleheader at Macalester on Tuesday was the fourth consecutive road twinbill for the Cardinals, who played DHs at Carleton, Saint Benedict and Concordia in the past five days. … The Cardinals close out their regular-season schedule with a pair of home games this weekend, facing Augsburg on Saturday and Hamline on Sunday. … SMU is 5-3 on their home field, while going 20-6 on the road — including 12-2 in neutral-site contests.
• STREAK SNAPPERS: SMU had its six-game winning streak snapped with its 1-0, Game 2 loss to Gustavus on April 9. … The Cardinals have put together two five-game winning streaks this season, as well as a season-high six-game win streak this season. ... SMU heads to Macalester having won three straight.
• IN THE POLLS: Saint Mary’s made its first appearance in the NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll since 2006, earning a No. 25 ranking on March 12, before slipping into the “Others Receiving Votes” category in five of the last seven polls. … Saint Mary’s has faced three teams that were nationally ranked, winning all three — SMU dropped then-No. 4 Coe 5-4 on Feb. 24, and swept then-No. 10 Bethel 7-4 and 4-1 last Saturday.
• RARE COMPANY: SMU’s 17-2 start to the season was the Cardinals’ best since the 1997 season, when Saint Mary’s opened the year 37-1 — including a school-record 33-game winning streak.
• HITTING 25: With their 15-4 win over Macalester in Game 1 on Tuesday, the Cardinals locked up win No. 25 on the season. It’s the most wins in a season since 2006, when Saint Mary’s finished 25-15-1. … The last time the Cardinals won more than 25 games in a season was 2005, when they compiled a 37-12 mark — and made their last NCAA tournament appearance.
• LEADING THE CHARGE: Makayla Steffes (Winona, Minn.) boasts a team-leading .459 batting average. The freshman is one of five Cardinals who are hitting above .300. Peyton Berg (Chatfield, Minn.) is second to Steffes, hitting .396, followed by Ali French (Winona, Minn.) at .336, Naleya Bork (De Pere, Wis.) at .318, and Emily Bonk (Hudson, Wis.) at .301. Heather Nordlund (Byron, Minn. / .292) is hovering percentage points away from joining the .300 club.
• ON THE RUN: Steffes has scored a team-leading 39 runs, followed by French and Berg with 22, Lizzie Pike (Rochester, Minn.) with 21, Bork with 19, and Megan McGinnis (Appleton, Wis.) and Abbie Stigler (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) with 15. … Steffes scored a career-high five times against Emmanuel on March 4. The five runs scored were the most since Alex Raske scored five times against Macalester on April 22, 2015.
• BIG RUN GAMES: Saint Mary’s has erupted for 237 runs in 34 games this season — including a season-high 22-run outburst in routing North Central 22-1 on Feb.18, an 18-run outburst in drubbing Martin Luther 18-2 on Feb. 24, and a 17-run showing against Emmanuel in a 17-9 win on March 4 … SMU’s 22 runs against North Central were the most in a game since plating 27 against Mount Marty College on March 20, 2009. … SMU has plated 10 or more runs nine times this season — all victories.
• WALKING AWAY: The Cardinals have drawn a season-high seven walks in a game twice — against Emmanuel on March 4 and vs. Saint Benedict on April 20. … SMU has amassed 94 free passes this season, led by Bonk with 18
• HIT PARADE: Saint Mary’s boasts eight players who have reach 20+ hits through 34 games, including four — Steffes (51), Berg (38), and French (36), and Megan McGinnis (Appleton, Wis. / 31) — who have collected at least 30 hits. … Bork (27), Nordlund (26), Bonk (25), and Stigler (22) have also reached the 20-hit mark. … Steffes and Bork have each posted career-high four-hit games, while SMU has had nine different players post three hits in a game this season. … Steffes — who has had a least one hit in 29 of the team’s 34 games — leads the team with 15 multiple-hit games, followed by Berg with 11 and McGinnis with 10.
• EXTRA, EXTRA: The Cardinals have delivered 85 extra-base hits this season — 57 doubles, nine triples, and 19 home runs. … Nordlund and Bork have delivered a team-best nine doubles, one more than Steffes and two up on Berg. … McGinnis has recorded three of the team’s nine triples, one more than Pike and Steffes, while Bork, Samya Brown (Chicago, Ill.) owning the other three. … Saint Mary’s clubbed a single-game season-high nine doubles against Penn State Behrend on March 7, including a career-high three by Bork.
• BOMBS AWAY: Berg leads the Cardinals’ home run parade with seven — including posting her first and second collegiate two-home run game. The sophomore launched a pair of round-trippers against No. 10 Bethel on April 13 and repeated the feat against Saint Benedict on April 20. … Bork and Nordlund are sitting second on the team with three round-trippers, followed by French, Steffes, and Bonk with two each, and McGinnis with one. … Berg launched Saint Mary’s first home run of the season, a two-run shot against Northwestern on Feb. 17. … Bonk’s two-run home run against St. Catherine on March 29 was the first of her collegiate career, while Steffes’s lead-off HR against St. Scholastica in Game 2 on April 6 was her first as a Cardinal. … … SMU slugged five home runs against St. Scholastica on April 6 — three in the first game and two more in the nightcap.
• ISN’T IT GRAND: Nordlund’s grand slam home run against Carleton on April 18 was SMU’s first four-RBI round-tripper since Alex Raske delivered a bases-clearing HR against Bethel on April 2, 2014.
• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Berg sits atop the team’s RBI race with 31. Nordlund (26), French (25), Steffes (19), Bork (17), Pike (14), McGinnis (12), and Breonna Methner (Woodbury, Minn. / 10) have also reached double figures in RBIs this season. … Nordlund, French, Berg, and Steffes have all posted four RBI games this season — with Nordlund achieving the feat twice. … Berg leads the team with eight multiple-RBI games, two more than Bork and Nordlund. … Nordlund finished SMU’s doubleheader against Carleton on April 18 with seven RBIs — four in Game 1 and three more in Game 2.
• STREAKING ALONG: Steffes and French have both posted hitting streaks of 10 or more games this season — Steffes hit safely in her first 12 games this season, while French had at least one hit in SMU’s first 10 games. … McGinnis’s current six-game hit streak is team team’s longest active streak. … French, who closed out the 2023 season hitting safely in each of the Cardinals’ last 12 games, had her 22-game hitting streak snapped against Heidelberg on March 7.
• CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Saint Mary’s has swiped 71 bases on 89 attempts this season, led by Steffes, who is 17-for-23 in the stolen base department. … SMU has gotten at least one stolen base from 19 different players. … Saint Mary’s posted 92 stolen bases in 112 attempts last season.
• IN THE CIRCLE: Steffes has logged a team-leading 105.0 innings in SMU’s first 34 games, compiling a 13-4 record and a 2.40 ERA, while throwing 11 complete games. … Kenzie Gatz (Oswego, Ill.) has put together a 4-3 record and 3.43 EAR in 51.0 innings, while Bork (6-2 2.49 ERA, 45.0 IP), Izzy Griffin (West St. Paul, Minn. / 2-0, 4.73 ERA, 13 1/3 IP), and, and Rhiannon Carroll (Rudolph, Wis. / 0-0, 8.08 ERA, 4 1/3 IP) have also seen time in the circle for the Cardinals. … As a staff, Saint Mary’s pitchers own a 2.91 ERA and opposing batters are hitting just .267.
• SAVING THE DAY: Steffes has collected all four of the Cardinals’ saves this season, including Game 2 saves against Saint Benedict on April 20 and Concordia the following day.
• PITCHING FIRSTS: Steffes recorded her first collegiate pitching win with a six-inning, six-hitter against Northwestern on Feb. 17, and collected her first career save in SMU’s 5-4, Game 2 win over St. Catherine on April 29. … Gatz earned her first win as a Cardinal with a complete-game effort in SMU’s 11-4 win over Elizabethtown on March 8.
• FANNING THE FLAMES: Saint Mary’s pitchers have struck out 119 batters in 33 games, led by Steffes with 69 strikeouts, followed by Gatz with 21 and Bork with 17. … Steffes struck out a single-game career-high 10 batters in last Sunday’s 2-1 Game 1 win over Concordia. The freshman also owns a nine-strikeout performance this season. … Steffes’ 10 strikeouts against Concordia are the most since Bork fanned 10 against Houghton on Feb. 27, 2023 and Amber Chow struck out 10 against Gustavus on April 17, 2021.
• MIAC HONORS: Steffes collected her third MIAC weekly honor on April 1, being named MIAC Pitcher of the Week. The freshman has also been named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week twice, on Feb. 19 and March 11.
• PROGRAM FIRSTS: The Cardinals’ spring trip games against Thomas, Emmanuel, Heidelberg, Penn State Behrend, and Elizabethtown were all the first in program history.
• WORKING OVERTIME: Saint Mary’s has played two extra-inning games, beating both Heidelberg (3-2) and Penn State Behrend (15-11) in eight innings. SMU scored nine runs in the top of the seventh, and then erupted for five runs in the top of the eighth in their 15-11 win over Penn State Behrend on March 7.
• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, Saint Mary’s is hitting .336 (319-for-949), with 57 doubles, nine triples, and 19 home runs, while scoring 237 runs and owning 194 RBIs. … SMU has outscored its first 34 opponents 237-118 — including 78-22 through the game’s first two innings. … SMU has scored five or more runs in an inning 11 times — including an 11-run fourth inning in the Cardinals’ 22-1, five-inning victory over North Central on Feb. 24. SMU has also posted a nine-run seventh inning against Penn State Behrend on March 7, an eight-run first inning against Emmanuel on March 4, and a seven-run seventh inning against Macalester on Tuesday. … Saint Mary’s is 13-1 when holding its opponents to two runs or less. … The Cardinals are 20-5 when scoring first and 16-1 when scoring in the first inning. … SMU owns eight wins cut short by the eight-run rule.
AUGSBURG SCOUTING REPORT:
• FOR THE RECORD: The Auggies head into their weekend doubleheaders against Saint Mary’s and St. Catherine sporting a 24-10 overall record, including a 9-7 mark through the first 16 games of their conference slate.
• LAST TIME OUT: Augsburg proved to be no match for 17th-ranked Bethel last Tuesday in Arden Hills, Minn., as the nationally ranked Royals dealt the Auggies 8-3 and 9-0 setbacks.
• ROAD WARRIORS: The Auggies are in the midst of playing four consecutive road doubleheaders. Augsburg has already faced Carleton (W, 9-5; W, 11-7) and Bethel (L, 8-3; L, 9-0) during their eight-game road trip, and will square off against Saint Mary’s and St. Catherine this weekend, before closing out the regular season at home against Hamline on May 4.
• SWEEPING UP: The Auggies have played 12 doubleheaders thus far this season, going 7-2-3. Augsburg took a pair from Northland, Crown, Martin Luther, North Central (Minn.), St. Scholastica, Concordia, and Carleton, while being swept by Saint Benedict and Bethel, and splitting against Gustavus, Macalester, and St. Olaf
• LEADING THE CHARGE: Zoie Johnson heads into the weekend leading the team with a .323 batting average. She is one of four Auggies with batting averages above the .300 mark, being joined by Lola Pilon (.317), Torrie Rehder (.311), and Olivia Hennager (.309), with Jaime Olson (.289) sitting just percentage points shy of joining the .300 club.
• ON THE RUN: Augsburg has scored 173 runs this season, and has gotten at least one run scored from 17 of the 18 players who have seen action. … Katie Manecke has scored a team-high 26 runs, five more than Rehder. The pair of two of nine Auggies with 10+ runs scored — Pilon (15), Hennager (15), Jayden Evenson (15), Morgann Paaske (14), Johnson (13), Funk (13), and Olson (11) are the others. … Manecke and Pilon have each scored a season-high three runs in a game this season.
• HIT PARADE: Augsburg has three players — Rehder (33), Pilon (33), and Johnson (31) — who have delivered 30 or more hits, while Hannager (29), Manecke (27), and Olson have eclipsed the 20-hit mark. … The Auggies have had a player record a season-high three hits in a game seven times. … Hennager and Rehder share the team lead with 10 multiple-hit games, two more than Pilon. … Augsburg recorded a season-high 17 hits against North Central on March 21.
• EXTRA, EXTRA: The Auggies have collected 252 hits in 34 games, including 54 for extra bases. Augsburg has banged out 46 doubles and eight home runs — the Auggies have yet to hit a triple this season. … Pilon leads the team with eight doubles, one in front of Hennager and two up on Rehder. … Pilon, Funk, and Paaske have all launched a team-leading two home runs, with Rehder and Johnson accounting for Augsburg’s other two round-trippers. … The Auggies banged out a single-game season-high five doubles against North Central on March 21.
• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Pilon and Hennager are the team-leaders in RBIs with 25 and 22, respectively, while Johnson (17), Rehder (13), Olson (13), Funk (12), Evenson (12), and Manecke (12) have also reached double digits in RBIs. … Hennager and Pilon have both delivered four RBIs in a game — Hennager against Luther on March 2 and Pilon vs. North Central on March 21. … Pilon has amassed a team-best eight multiple-RBI games, followed by Hennager with seven.
• STREAKING ALONG: Johnson put together a season-high 11-game hitting streak earlier this year. Pilon, meanwhile, comes into the Auggies matchup against Saint Mary’s with the team’s longest active hit streak at five.
• IN THE CIRCLE: Augsburg has used three different pitchers through 34 games, with all three logging more than 45 innings. Paaske (12-4, 3.30 ERA) leads the staff with 95 1/3 innings pitched, followed by Olivia O’Connor (8-5, 3.83 ERA) with 80 1/3 IP and Libby Moore (4-1, 2.12 ERA) with 46 1/3 IP. … Paaske and O’Connor share the team lead with 17 pitching appearances, four more than Moore, while Paaske has made a team-high 16 starts. … Paaske owns 10 complete games, followed by O’Connor with eight and Moore with three.
• FANNING THE FLAMES: Augsburg’s three pitchers have combined to strike out 130 batters — Paaske owns 57 Ks, O’Connor has fanned 51 and Moore comes in with 18 strikeouts. … O’Connor struck out a single-game season high nine against Northland Feb. 27.
• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Auggies are hitting .286, going 252-for-882, with 46 doubles, eight home runs, and 172 runs scored, while owning 149 RBIs. Augsburg pitchers, meanwhile, combine for a 3.25 ERA, with opponents hitting .288 off them. … The Auggies have scored 10 or more runs in a game six times — all wins — including a season-high 17 runs in routing North Central (Minn.) 17-1 on March 21. On the flip side, Augsburg has allowed its opponents 10+ runs just twice – falling to McMurry 11-0 on March 13 and surrendering a season-high 13 in dropping a 13-2 decision to Belhaven on March 11. … The Auggies are a perfect 13-0 when scoring at least six runs. … Augsburg has been limited to two runs or less in eight of its 10 losses. … Augsburg is 7-0 in one-run games. … Augsburg is 11-1 when scoring in the first inning, and 16-1 when scoring the game’s first run.
HAMLINE SCOUTING REPORT:
• FOR THE RECORD: The Pipers head into their conference doubleheaders against Carleton and Saint Mary’s sitting at 14-16 overall, including 4-12 through 16 MIAC contests.
• LAST TIME OUT: Hamline came up empty in its MIAC doubleheader against Saint Benedict on Tuesday in St. Joseph, Minn., falling to the league-leading Bennies 10-2 in five innings in the opener, before dropping a 2-1 decision in the nightcap.
• HITTING THE ROAD: The Pipers are in the midst of playing 12 of their final 14 games of the regular season on the road — the lone exception, Saturday’s home DH against Carleton. HU has already faced St. Catherine (L, 11-3; W, 12-4), St. Scholastica (W, 6-0; L, 5-1); St. Olaf (L, 12-1; L, 7-5; and Saint Benedict (L, 10-2; L, 2-1) during its current “road trip.” After Sunday’s contest at SMU, HU will close out the regular season at Augsburg on May 4. … Hamline is 2-6 on its home field, while going 12-10 away from Meredith Field — including 10-4 in neutral-site games.
• LIMPING IN: With their back-to-back losses to Saint Benedict on Tuesday, the Pipers head into the weekend in the midst of a five-game losing streak — having not won since beating St. Scholastica 6-0 in Game 1 of their doubleheader on April 18.
• LEADING THE CHARGE: Gabby Tuhy heads into the weekend as the Pipers’ batting average leader, owning a .449 average. She is one of seven HU players sporting averages north of .300, being joined by Jenna Rubbelke (.398), Josephine Cariveau (.341), Abbey Herbert (.333), Mikenna Johnson (.304), Maddie Johnson (.303), and Elena Martinez (.301), while Savannah Johnson (.291) is percentage points away from joining the .300 club.
• ON THE RUN: As a team, Hamline has scored 136 runs in 30 games, and boast two players — Rubbelke (23) and Cariveau (21) — who have crossed home plate more than 20 times. Martinez (19), Tuhy (14), Maddie Johnson (13), Savannah Johnson (13), and Mikenna Johnson (11) have also scored 10+ runs this season. … Tuhy scored a single-game season-high three times against St. Catherine on April 14.
• HIT PARADE: Rubbelke and Tuhy have collected 39 and 35 hits to lead the team, with Cariveau also eclipsing the 30-hit mark, sitting with 31. Martinez (25), Savannah Johnson (24), Herbert (24), Maddie Johnson (23), and Mikenna Johnson (21) have all delivered 20+ hits through 30 games. … The Pipers have four players — Martinez, Rubbelke, Cariveau, and Tuhy — who have posted four-hit games. … Tuhy has posted a team-best 12 multiple-hit games, two more than Cariveau. … Hamline delivered a season-high 17 hits against St. Catherine on April 14.
• EXTRA, EXTRA: Thirty-six of Hamline’s 257 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including 32 doubles, two triples, and two home runs. … Savannah Johnson has accounted for 10 of the team’s 32 doubles, with Cariveau sitting second on the team with eight doubles. … Tuhy and Abigail Chamenick have accounted for HU’s two triples, and Cariveau and Martinez are the owners of Hamline’s two home runs.
• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Hamline has five players who have reached double figures in RBI, including two — Cariveau and Savannah Johnson — who share the top spot with 21 runs batted in. Tuhy (15), Herbert (12), and Mikenna Johnson (12) have also driven in at least 10 runs. … Cariveau collected a season-high four RBIs against Buena Vista on Feb. 24. … Savannah Johnson has recorded six multiple-RBI games followed by Cariveau with five. … HU collected a single-game season-high 10 RBIs twice — against Martin Luther on Feb. 18 and vs. St. Catherine on April 14.
• STREAKING ALONG: Rubbelke heads into the Pipers’ weekend games riding a season-high 20-game hitting streak. She is the only Piper with an active streak longer than four games. … Rubbelke has reached base safely in all 30 games this season.
• IN THE CIRCLE: Hamline has used three different pitchers, with all three logging more than 55 runs this season. Gracie Bond (5-7, 4.54 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched with 66 1/3. Natalee Boelk (5-5, 5.76 ERA) is second on the team with 65 2/3 IP, with Montana Miller (3-3, 3.90 ERA) chipping in 55 2/3 IP. … Miller leads the team with 20 pitching appearances — including 14 in relief — while Bond has made a team-high 13 starts, two more than Boelk. … Both Bond and Boelk have tossed two complete games, two more than Miller, while Boelk and Miller own the team’s two saves.
• FANNING THE FLAMES: Hamline’s three pitchers have combined to record 57 strikeouts — Bond leads the way with 31, followed by Miller with 17 and Boelk with nine.
• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, Hamline is hitting .311, going 257-for-799, with 32 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 136 runs scored, and owns 121 RBIs. … The Pipers have scored 10 or more runs in a game five times — all wins. … HU plated a season-best 12 runs in beating St. Catherine 12-4 on April 14. On the flip side, the Pipers have allowed 10+ runs in a game just four times, including allowing 12 runs in falling to St. Olaf 12-1 on April 20. …
