THIS WEEKEND

Conference games continue away from home this weekend for the University of Mary Softball team. The final neutral site series before Easter will feature UMary take on Wayne State College Friday at 2:30 and 4:30 pm, and then Augustana Saturday at 12:30 and 2:30 pm. 

NEUTRAL SITE

The Marauders will once again play away from home on the hill at the MSU Air-Supported Dome. This comes one week after the Marauders were unable to play their scheduled home openers against St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth. 

LAST TIME OUT

Despite dropping each game of their past two doubleheaders, the Marauders (5-20, 0-6 NSIC) turned in very competitive performances against conference powerhouses in softball. UMary fell 12-1 and 7-5 to St. Cloud State on April 1, and 3-0 and 4-2 on April 2 to Minnesota Duluth. Sunday featured exceptional pitching from Emari Evans and Jamison Ness coupled with solid execution from the defense behind them. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Janelle Bergmann continues to lead the Marauders hitting entering the weekend. The true freshman from Tracy, CA is batting .357 with a .831 OPS. Bergmann also has scored a tied-team high 12 runs. 

Brooke De Jonge remains one of the leading batters for UMary with a .328 batting average. The junior from Abbotsford, BC, Canada also has 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored (tied-team high), and an OPS of .832. 

Devyn Ritz had a solid weekend at the plate and at first base April 1-2. Ritz belted a three-run home run to get the Marauders back in a crucial game against St. Cloud State, and made several great plays, including a diving catch, over the weekend. 

Sariah Perez remains a top returning hitter for the Marauders as the sophomore from Patterson, CA is batting .309 thus far with 12 RBIs. 

Nicole Eckhardt remains a tough leader on the rubber for UMary. The junior RHP from Cornelius, OR has an ERA of 5.33, and has earned 4 wins and a save for the Marauders. 

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION - WILDCATS

Wayne State enters the weekend 7-23 overall and 2-5 in the Northern Sun. Kim Vidlak leads many hitting categories for the Wildcats, batting .384 with 6 doubles, 7 triples, 3 home runs and 22 RBIs. Grace Lucka and Samantha Felt lead the Wildcats pitching staff with each pitching ERAs below 5.00. 

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION - VIKINGS

Augustana enters the weekend ranked fourth in the NSIC standings with an 18-9 overall record and 5-1 in conference. Seven Viking batters are hitting above .300 with three above .370. Gracey Brink provides power for the Augustana lineup with a .372 average, 6 home runs, and 23 RBIs. Hailey Houston is another standout for the Vikings, leading the pitching staff with a 2.46 ERA and an 8-2 record on the season. 

THE STAFF

Dre Frantz returns to the University of Mary in her second year as head softball coach. Frantz brings a desire to elevate the program where she excelled as one of UMary Softball's most decorated athletes. 

As a Marauder, Frantz earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA first-team All-American honors as a utility player after her impressive senior season. One of only three Marauders during the program's NCAA era to earn All-American honors, she was also a Daktronics All-American honorable mention selection and a Louisville Slugger/NFCA and Daktronics All-Region choice in 2010 after hitting .427 with a .469 on-base percentage and a .680 slugging percentage, all career-highs. In her four-year career, Frantz posted a batting average of .393 with a .432 on-base percentage and a .605 slugging percentage. 

Before taking over as Head Coach, Frantz stayed close with the program, serving six total years assisting the coaching staff. Frantz's coaching history also expands throughout the community, helping coach Mandan in 2014, Bismarck from 2015-18, and then taking over the helm with Legacy softball. In 2020, Frantz returned to the collegiate coaching level as an assistant at Bismarck State College. 

Frantz is joined by other familiar faces in the UMary Softball program. Cassidy Barclay returns to the Marauders for her second season as an Assistant Coach. Barclay was a four-year starter and all-conference catcher for Emporia State University. 

Kaitlyn Alvarado returns to UMary this season in her first year as an Assistant Coach. Alvarado was a standout player for the Marauders from 2019-2021, both in the circle and at the plate. She batted a career average of .288 and had a career slugging percentage of .413. 

Jared Sotelo comes to UMary for his first season as an Assistant Coach for the Marauders. Sotelo brings experience to the staff, coaching softball for the last nine years and most recently assisting the Park University Softball program.

Kennedy Cowart returns to UMary as the Marauders Student Coach. Cowart was a .310 hitter for the Marauders in 2022 as a senior. Cowart also played at West Virginia Wesleyan College where she earned two-time MEC First Team All-Conference honors. 
 

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