SCHEDULE CHANGE: UMary vs MSU Moorhead moved to Thursday, April 11

BISMARCK, ND – In their first home games of the season, the University of Mary softball team is set to host six games over four days at the University of Mary softball field.

UMary opens with a doubleheader against Minnesota State University Moorhead on Thursday, April 11, with the first pitch set for 1 pm. The game was scheduled to take place on Wednesday but was moved to Thursday.

The Marauders then take on Winona State University in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 14, starting at noon. UMary finished the weekend against Concordia University, St. Paul in a doubleheader on Sunday, April 14, scheduled for noon.  

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

THE RECORD
UMary owns a 7-25 record overall and a 0-10 record in the Northern Sun.

LAST TIME OUT
The Marauders suffered a pair of 8-0 defeats in their doubleheader against Augustana University last weekend.

LEADERS
Emily Schommer is off to a strong start to the season, leading the Marauders in on-base percentage (.421), slugging percentage (.511), home runs (2) and OPS (.932).

Janelle Bergmann leads UMary in batting average (.333), total hits (24), doubles (9) and RBIs (12). Bergman has posted a slash line of .333/.385/.458 and an OPS of .843.

Francesca Villaneda has been a tough out this year, hitting .306/.367/.333 with six runs scored and six RBIs.

Sariah Perez leads the team in runs scored (11) and is batting .291 on the year with a .743 OPS.

Whitney Carnes has made one start and 11 relief appearances. Carnes has pitched 23.1 innings and owns a team-best 3.90 ERA.

Arria Johnson has a 4-6 record and a 5.37 ERA. Johnson leads the team in strikeouts (21) and is second in innings pitched with 43.

OPPO RESEARCH – Minnesota State University Moorhead
MSUM owns a 20-16 record overall and currently sits in sixth place in the NSIC with a 7-7 record in conference action. The Dragons are led by Freshman catcher Chloe Makinney, who leads the team in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.427), slugging percentage (.500) and OPS (.927). The MSUM pitching staff is led by sophomore Azalya Lopez. Lopez has recorded an ERA of 2.55 and has struck out 89 batters over 88 innings.

OPPO RESEARCH – Winona State University
WSU has a 24-14 record and is in fourth place in the Northern Sun with an 8-4 conference record. The Warriors offense is highlighted by senior infielder Sam Keller and senior infielder Abbie Hlas. Keller leads the team in batting average (.408), on-base percentage (.469), slugging percentage (.654) and OPS (1.123). Hlas owns a slash line of .386/.466/.535 to give her an OPS of 1.001. Sophomore pitcher Izzy Howe has a record of 11-4 and owns a 2.46 ERA over 87.2 innings.

OPPO RESEARCH – Concordia University, St. Paul
CSP is 30-6 and sits on top of the NSIC with an undefeated conference record of 12-0. Freshman infielder Alexis Monty leads the Golden Bears in batting average (.528), on-base percentage (.583), slugging percentage (.699), OPS (1.282) and hits (65). Junior catcher Danni Sharum has hit the most home runs (4) and has the most RBIs (33) on the team. Junior pitcher Erica McCullough leads CSP in wins (18), ERA (3.00), strikeouts (86) and innings pitched (126).

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, 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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