BISMARCK, ND – The University of Mary softball team hosts their final home games of the season against Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston this weekend.

UMary opens against BSU on Saturday, April 20, with the first pitch scheduled for noon. The Marauders then challenge UMC on Sunday, April 21, at noon.

HOW TO WATCH
Fans can watch the games or follow the live stats at www.GoUMary.com/coverage  

SENIOR DAY
The Marauders host senior day on Sunday, April 21, before their game against the Golden Eagles. UMary honors Mckenzie Reinhardt, Emari Evans and Nicole Eckhardt for their contributions on and off the field at the University of Mary.

THE RECORD
UMary owns a 9-31 record overall and a 2-16 record in the Northern Sun. The Marauders are currently 15^th in the NSIC.

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders took down Northern State University on the road 9-5, 1-0 in a doubleheader last Wednesday. Hannah Chambers and Nicole Eckhardt were dominant in the circle for the Marauders. The duo pitched a combined 10.1 innings and allowed zero runs on five hits.

Francesca Villaneda delivered a clutch hit to give UMary a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth. Mckenzie Reinhardt then smashed a huge three-run homer to give the Marauders a 9-5 win.

In game two, Villaneda came up big again in the top of the sixth inning when she smoked a ball into left field to bring home Ariana Retuta. After a tremendous start from Chambers, Eckhardt would come in the sixth inning and lockdown a Marauders 1-0 victory.

LEADERS
Janelle Bergmann leads UMary in batting average (.337), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.494) and RBIs (15). Bergman has posted a slash line of .337/.389/.494 and an OPS of .883.

Emily Schommer leads the Marauders in on-base percentage (.400), home runs (2) and walks (12). Schommer has the second-best OPS on the team at .876.

Sariah Perez leads the team in runs scored (14) and total hits (30). Perez is batting .306 on the year with a .801 OPS.

Francesca Villaneda has been a tough out this year, hitting .307/.365/.341 with 11 RBIs.

Mckenzie Reinhardt is tied for first in home runs (2) and runs scored (14). Reinhardt is batting .289 with a .728 OPS.

OPPO RESEARCH – Bemidji State University
BSU is 11- 32 on the season and 5-15 in the NSIC. The Beavers sit in 13^th place in the Northern Sun. Junior outfielder Alexa Christenson leads the team in hits (49) and batting average (.336). Senior outfielder Molly Houts has the highest OPS (.833), on-base percentage (.460) and slugging percentage (.373) on BSU. Senior Stella Dolan leads the pitching staff in wins (8), ERA (3.90), innings pitched (167), strikeouts (104) and complete games (16).

OPPO RESEARCH – University of Minnesota Crookston
UMC is 12-32 overall with a 5-15 record in conference action. The Golden Eagles are currently 12^th in the NSIC.  Senior catcher Shaelyn Grant leads UMC in home runs (10), RBIs (27), slugging percentage (.563) and OPS (.904). Junior infielder Whitnee Curry leads the team in hits (40) and batting average (.342). Sophomore pitcher Alexa Guilford and senior pitcher Thayda Houser lead the Golden Eagles pitching staff. Guilford leads the team in ERA (3.64), while Houser has the most strikeouts (54) and innings pitched (86).

THE STAFF
Amy Schmeckpeper enters her first year as the Marauders head softball coach. A Coach of the Year recipient, Schmeckpeper brings three seasons of collegiate head coaching experience to the Marauders plus a decade of coaching on collegiate diamonds.

Schmeckpeper joins UMary after three seasons as the head coach at Garden City (KS) Community College (GCCC), where she led the Broncbusters to a division title while earning league coaching honors in her first season. Schmeckpeper coached 17 All-Region athletes at GCCC, including an All-American. Additionally, she coached 13 All-Region players in five seasons as the associate head coach at Lamar (CO) Community College.

Kaitlyn Alvarado returns to UMary this season in her second 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.

JANELLE BERGMAN NSIC Player to Watch
Bergman is the Marauders NSIC Player to Watch. A sophomore utility player from Tracy, CA, she had a strong first season at UMary in 2023. Primarily used as a shortstop, Bergmann was second on the team in hitting with a .306 batting average. She finished her freshman season with a .349 on-base percentage and a .355 slugging percentage while starting a team-high 41 games out of the 44 she played. Bergmann had six doubles, scored 14 times and drove in 11 runs.

"Nelly is one of our most athletic returners who will provide experience in key positions on the field," said Marauders head coach Amy Schmeckpeper. "She has grown both physically and mentally this fall as a result of her hard work and determination. I am excited to see how she performs this spring."

EMARI EVANS NSIC PITCHER TO WATCH
Evans enters her third season at UMary and is the Marauders NSIC Pitcher to Watch in 2024. A senior from Surprise, AZ, pitched 85.2 innings last season over the course of 30 appearances, including 14 starts. She finished 2-13 with two complete games.

"Emari will be one of our strongest pitchers this year," said Schmeckpeper. "She had an exceptional fall and worked hard to improve her skill set, while providing composure and experience on the mound. A leader for our program, Emari is a compassionate teammate and dedicated student-athlete. I am excited to see what this season has in store for her."

NOTABLE RETURNERS
Mckenzie Reinhardt returns to the Marauders as a senior middle infielder. Reinhardt made 35 starts in 2023 and produced a solid batting average of .292, while driving in 13 runs.

Nicole Eckhardt returns for her senior year. Eckhardt pitched 111.0 innings in 2023 and recorded a team-best 5.68 ERA. Finished the season with four wins and one save inside the circle. Led the team with 74 strikeouts.

Sariah Perez heads back for her junior season. Perez started 31 games in 2023. Recorded 27 hits to help produce a .284 batting average. Perez also finished with 3 home runs, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 21 RBIs, and 15 runs scored.

Francesca Villaneda returns for her sophomore season. Villaneda made 34 starts and 40 appearances as a true freshman. Villaneda finished as the Marauders top hitter in her rookie season with a .316 batting average.

Other returners include Janine Warne, Emily Schommer, Natasha Stubbs, Arria Johnson, Ariana Retuta, Kelsey Mischel and Hannah Chambers.

NEW FACES
Schmeckpeper brings in five new freshmen to the UMary softball program. Jenel Mallari, Karadyn Fuller, Ariane Sims, Emma Kimberling, and Katelyn Falk look to make an impact in their true freshman season.

The Marauders are also bringing in three new transfers to the program. Jaraya Diaz (Garden City Community College) and Whitney Carnes (Shasta College) look to make great contributions in their first seasons at UMary.

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