NSIC RELEASE
BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its postseason softball awards on Wednesday. Augustana's
Lindsay Spanton,
Jenelle Trautmann were named All-NSIC First Team and
Sarah Kennedy,
Mackenzie Alstott and
Carley Pickett were named to the second team.
Spanton, a senior from Apple Valley, Minn., has had a strong season for the Vikings leading the team and ranking 17th in the NSIC batting .373. Spanton leads Augustana with 14 doubles on the season which ranks fourth in the NSIC and has driven in 42 runs on the season, ranking seventh amongst players in the NSIC. She currently ranks third in the NSIC with a .500 on-base percentage and fifth with a .694 slugging percentage. Spanton has been putting up career numbers this season, posting 40-plus RBI for the second time in her career while batting well over .300. She is etching her name into the record books at Augustana ranking sixth all-time with 49 career doubles, seventh all-time with 145 career RBI and ninth all-time with a .439 on-base percentage. Spanton recently became the school's all-time leader in walks with 94 in her career, including 26 this season which ranks third in the NSIC. This marks the second career All-Conference honor from the NSIC in Spanton's career. She was named to the second team as a sophomore in 2011.
Trautmann, a native of Hastings, Minn., was named All-NSIC First Team for the third straight season and is having a strong year both at the plate and in the circle. Trautmann is batting .331 on the season with 55 hits and a team-high 45 RBI which ranks fourth overall in the NSIC. She has 10 doubles and a team-high 12 home runs on the season and has compiled a .630 slugging percentage. Trautmann recently became Augustana's all-time leader in home runs and has hit 48 in three seasons with the Vikings. In the circle, Trautmann is one win away from tying her career-high in wins with a 24-5 record. Her 24 wins is the most by any pitcher in the NSIC. She owns a 1.99 ERA in 35 appearances and has struck out 156 batters, ranking fourth in the NSIC, in 155.0 innings of work. Trautmann has struck out 100 or more batters in three straight seasons for Augustana.
Freshman shortstop
Sarah Kennedy has had a strong first season with the Vikings starting all 51 games. The Bettendorf, Iowa native ranks third on the team with a .352 batting average and leads the team with 58 hits, which ranks 12th overall in the NSIC. Kennedy has four doubles, four home runs and one triple on the season and has driven in 24 runs. She is 6 for 6 on stolen base attempts and owns a .932 fielding percentage and lead the team with 106 assists to go along with 59 putouts.
Alstott, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, ranks second on the team batting .373 on the season with 51 hits, including three doubles. She owns a .447 on-base percentage and has stolen 14 bases on 15 attempts in her first season in the blue and gold. Alstott leads the team and ranks second in the NSIC with 12 sacrifice bunts on the season. She has started all 51 games for and owns a 1.000 fielding percentage on the season and has 33 putouts from center field. Alstott has picked up two or more hits in a game 15 times this season and owns the second longest hitting streak of the season, going seven straight games with at least one hit.
Pickett, a sophomore from Maplewood, Minn., has played a dual role in the circle for the Vikings this season, starting 23 games, but also being used as a closer. Pickett currently leads all pitchers in the NSIC and is tied for the NCAA lead with seven saves on the season. Pickett owns a 2.23 ERA (sixth in the NSIC) on the season and is holding batters to a .253 batting average (ninth in the NSIC). In 33 appearances, Pickett has compiled a 14-5 record while tossing five complete games and five shutouts while striking out 107 batters in 132.0 innings of work. Pickett has struck out at least one batter in 29 of her 33 appearances.
Minnesota State's Lindsay Erickson was named the NSIC's Player of the Year while her teammate Coley Ries earned pitcher of the year and freshman of the year honors. Winona State pitcher Hanna Lythberg earned newcomer of the year honors. Lori Meyer was named the NSIC's Coach of the Year.
Augustana begins postseason play this week as the No. 3 seed in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament and will play No. 6 seed Minnesota Duluth at 12 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls.
Augustana enters the week ranked fourth in the NCAA Central Region Rankings. The top eight teams in the final regional rankings on May 5 will earn a spot in the Central Region Tournament. Automatic bids will be awarded to the conference tournament winners from the NSIC, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Great American Conference.
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