DULUTH, MN – The University of Mary softball team wraps up their 2024 season with two road doubleheaders against the University of Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State University this weekend.

UMary opens against UMD in Duluth, MN, on Friday, April 26, at noon at the James S. Malosky Stadium. The Marauders then challenge the Huskies on Saturday, April 27, in St. Joseph, MN at 9 am.

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

THE RECORD
UMary owns a 9-35 record overall and a 2-20 record in the Northern Sun. The Marauders are currently 15^th in the NSIC.

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders lost all four games last weekend by one run. UMary dropped doubleheaders against Bemidji State University (6-5, 7-6) and the University of Minnesota Crookston (5-4, 3-2).

Emari Evans had a great day with the bat, smashing two home runs against BSU and UMC.

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

Francesca Villaneda leads the Marauders in batting average (.353), on-base percentage (.400) and total hits (36). Villaneda has a slash line of .353/.400/.402 to give her an OPS of .802.

Emily Schommer is second on the team in OPS (.826) and slugging percentage (.455). Schommer is tied for first on the team in home runs with two.

Mckenzie Reinhardt leads the team in runs scored (17) and is tied for first in home runs (2) and RBIs (15). Reinhardt has recorded a slash line of .301/.371/.388 to give her an OPS of .759.

Sariah Perez has a .294 batting average and a .773 OPS.

OPPO RESEARCH – St. Cloud State University
SCSU is 27-23 on the year and 10-14 in the NSIC. Junior first baseman Maggie Fitzgerald leads the Huskies in on-base percentage (.420), slugging percentage (.674), OPS (1.094) and home runs (13). Junior catcher Reese Holzhueter leads the team in batting average (.374) and doubles (11).
Sophomore pitcher Justyce Porter leads SCSU in ERA (2.34) and saves (7).

OPPO RESEARCH – University of Minnesota Duluth
UMD is 35-14 overall and 16-8 in the Northern Sun. Senior pitcher Lauren Dixon leads the NSIC in strikeouts with 201. Dixon leads the Bulldogs in innings pitched (158), wins (19), complete games (20) and ERA (1.48). Senior outfielder Kat Burkhardt leads UMD in slugging percentage (.583) and OPS (1.025). Junior infielder Nicole Schmitt has the most home runs (5), hits (56), doubles (17) and RBIs (41) on the team.

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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