GAME NOTES (PDF)
This week
No. 7 Augustana (8-3) travels to Vadnais Heights, Minn., where it will take on Minnesota Duluth (8-6) in a nonconference doubleheader on Wednesday at 11:30am.
The Series
Augustana is 36-12 against Minnesota Duluth with the Vikings winning both matchups last season and eight of the previous 10 contests.
Last time out
The Vikings fell twice last week in a doubleheader against Winona State in Rochester, Minn. The Vikings lost 4-1 in the first game and 5-2 in the second contest.
Viking Power
The Vikings have 16 team home runs in 11 games this season. Team leaders in home runs are as follows:
Janelle Trautmann 4
Matley Jones 3
Theresa McMahon 2
Chelsi Winskowski 2
Lindsay Spanton 1
Taylor Kapsch 1
Kelsey Kalkman 1
Chelsey Durland 1
Elizabeth Murray 1
Dangerous Durland
Senior
Chelsey Durland (Orono, Minn.) has been spectacular from the circle so far this season. In 20.1 innings pitched, Durland is 2-0 with a 2.07 ERA and a team-leading 25 strikeouts.
Winskowski #Winning
Junior
Chelsi Winskowski (Elk River, Minn.) is leading the team in batting average (.481) and on-base percentage (.588).
New kids on the block
Augustana's 2012 roster has four new additions: Sophomore
Jordan Schaffer (Hastings, Minn.) who transfered from St. Cloud State, and freshman
Elissa Reinsma (Slayton, Minn.),
Matley Jones (Lincoln, Neb.) and
E.J. Scharmer (Mankato, Minn.). Schaffer joins the Vikings after playing a year at SCSU, where she started 23 games and had 17 RBIs. Scharmer transferred to from Oakland in Michigan.
About the squad
The Vikings lost only two seniors from last year's NCAA postseason qualifying team. The team now has five seniors and four juniors, all who saw significant playing time last season. Junior
Theresa McMahon (Hartford, S.D.) led the team with 16 home runs last year, tied for first all-time in the single-season school record book. Senior
Chelsey Durland (Maple Plain, Minn.) will be valuable for the team this year as she was named to the 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Central Region team. Durland has a 1.58 ERA in five appearances in the early stages of the 2012 campaign. Six of seven Vikings who were named to the 2011 All-NSIC first or second teams are back for 2012. Junior
Jenny Brown (Omaha, Neb.) was an All-NSIC first-team selection and batted .422 to lead the team.
Players to watch
Ashley Meyer (Rapid City, S.D.) was named the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Meyer pitched in 40 games last season, posting a 29-7 record with a 1.34 ERA in 241.0 innings pitched. Meyer is 3-2 so far this season with a 2.42 ERA. Senior catcher/infielder
Elizabeth Murray (Cottage Grove, Minn.) also was named an NSIC “Player to Watch.” Last season, the catcher started all 61 games and was second on the team with a .376 batting average, including 42 RBIs and 68 hits. Murray was named All-NSIC second team last season. After 11 games this season, Murray is hitting .306 with 11 hits and five RBIs.
National Rankings
Augustana stayed to No. 7 in the latest national poll released Feb. 29. The Vikings were previously ranked No. 7 in the Feb. 22 poll and No. 8 in the NFCA preseason poll. To view the complete poll, turn to page 6.
Coaches' corner
Gretta Melsted, head coach at Augustana since 2007, has complied an impressive 65-11 record in three seasons of NSIC competition, and is 175-108 (255-199) overall as she begins her sixth season as head coach at Augustana. In 2010 and 2011, Melsted was named the NSIC Coach of the Year. Melsted notched her 250th career win at the Desert Stinger.
Michael Mook is in his third season as a graduate assistant coach for the Augustana softball program, and works primarily with the pitching staff. Graduate assistant Kelsey Thompson is in her second year with the team.
Northern Sun Preseason Coaches Poll
Augustana was ranked No. 1 in NSIC coaches poll released on Jan. 19.
2012 NSIC Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll
1. Augustana (8) 162
2. Minnesota State (4) 152
3. Winona State (1) 145
4. Minnesota Duluth (1) 133
5. Concordia-St. Paul 117
Wayne State 117
7. U-Mary 87
8. Southwest Minnnesota State 81
9. St. Cloud State 75
10. Northern State 60
11. Upper Iowa 59
12. MSU Moorhead 41
13. Bemidji State 24
14. Minnesota, Crookston 21
