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Stay up-to-date with the team over spring break in Florida.

Mid-Pre Season Mark

We are at the exact half way point of what we call our pre-season practice with 12 practices done and 12 to go before our first game on February 26th.

Progress is slow, but in a good way.  I have changed up our defensive fundamentals this year to place more emphasis on our feet and hands so there is a lot of learning going on.  Because of that we are taking things slow.  Believe it or not our infielders have not taken a fungo yet.  I am slightly concerned about that fact but I know in the long run our patience now will pay off down the road.  We have traditionally been a slow starting defensive team and I wouldn't be surprised if that's not the case again this year, but with our new approach I really believe that in the future we will be more prepared.

I continue to be impressed with the approach our players take at practice.  They are following our three points of emphasis, which are:  1) Bring a positive attitude, 2) Work hard at getting better, and 3) Hustle early.  

First on the docket this season is UW-LaCrosse, the 2010 WIAC regular and post season champion and regional tournament qualifier.  We played them three time last year in Tucson last year so this will be a good test for us right out of the gate.  That will be followed by a game against Carleton.  Both games are at the new dome in Rochester on  February 26.

CSS SOFTBALL APPAREL

  
Under Armour Hooded Sweatshirt - $55
Tackle Twill 'CSS', Embroidered "Softball"
     







Ringor Fleece Pullover - $30 
Black with embroidered print

 Under Armour T-Shirt - $20
Royal Men's Loose Cut
(Sizes Available - Large, X-Large)

 Allison Mesh Shorts - $15 
Grey Men's Cut, 7" inseam

Under Armour T-Shirt - $25 
Grey Men's Heat Gear, Loose Cut
(Sizes Available - Medium, Large)
 







Under Armour T-Shirt - $25      
Grey Men's Heat Gear, Loose Cut
(Sizes Available - Medium, Large)

Champion Hooded Sweatshirt - $25 
Grey Premier Reverse Weave
(Sizes available - Small, Large)


     






 Mesh Baseball Cap - $10
Adjustable





 



To place an order please contact me at 218-723-6422 or jwalter@css.edu.  


You will be charged for shipping or you can arrange to pick items up in my office.

GETTING UP TO SPEED

I am sitting in my office staring out the window, enjoying the massive amount of snow that has fallen so far this winter, knowing that some day this spring I will be cursing every inch of it as I no doubt will be shoveling it off the softball field.  There is certainly plenty for me to do to prepare for our first practice on January 24th, but the procrastinator in me will not allow such a thing. 

Rilee and I had taken an oath to keep up with the blog this season.  Anyone care to share how we are doing.  I'll do my best in this one to get everyone up to speed in hopes that we will be forgiven.

FALL SEASON

Chester Bowl Morning Workout

For all you alumni reminiscing about the good old days of fall softball please know the 'times, they are a-changing'.  To maximize our 16 days we incorporated numerous morning (6:30am) workouts to go along with our team practices in the afternoon.  The 'best' of those workouts were spent on the Chester Bowl hill, running, lunging, hopping and whatever else I could think of, up and down the top half of the hill.  More than a few players 'lost their cookies' but in the end they all survived.  Nothing like a little character builder, right!

The alumni game as always was a blast.  Heise came back an literally mow down every batter she faced.  We may have managed a couple foul balls, maybe.  Thank goodness she only threw three innings!  Azur then came in and did exactly what she was supposed to do, throw the ball right down the pipe so we could get our confidence back.  Thanks Azur for continuing to give back to the program:)  It was an enjoyable day with 15 alums making it back.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Piedmont Project

Is anyone out there aware of my obsessiveness with a well groomed softball field?  Well, one day this summer as I was cutting the outfield grass I came up with a brilliant idea (I do my best thinking behind the lawn mower).  It became known as the 'Ballfield Beautification Project'.  We selected a local, run down field (there are certainlt a ton in Duluth to choose from) and gave it a four hour makeover.(click on picture for short video)  It looked 100% better when we got done and I know ever player enjoyed every bit of the experience!!  (Actually, it seems they don't have quite the same passion as I do.)

In addition to the BBP we did our usual work at the start of the Duluth Inline Marathon and helped out at the Mentor Duluth Christmas Party.  Thanks to Theresa T. for organizing both events..

PERSONEL
A new year brings on new faces.  We welcomed six new players this fall with another transfer coming for spring semester.  We will be 21 strong.  Our coaching staff has also changed a bit.  We are lucky to have Kristin Swartz ('10) on staff to work primarily with the infield. She joins Rilee and myself.

We also did something a bit different with the selection of our captains.  Any return player who was interested in being a captain had to 'apply' for the position and then interview with a panel of players and with the coaching staff (another idea I came up with behind the lawn mower).  I was a little apprehensive going into the process but when it was completed I feel we selected the best possible leaders for the 2011 Saints.  Senior Jenn Falk returns for her second stint as captain and she is joined by fellow senior Betsy Wehseler and junior Merryssa Tiedeman.  I have no doubt they will get this team to paddle in the same direction.

UPCOMING SEASON
As mentioned earlier we begin practice on January 24th.  This is an exciting year for the us and the UMAC conference as the much awaited Automatic Bid comes into the play for the first time.  As last years UMAC regular season champion we have won the right to host the conference tournament the first weekend in May with the winner to move forward to the regional tournament.  The intensity of the tournament will be surely be elevated.

I have stuck to my vow of never returning to the 'god forsaken' state of Texas for spring break.  This year, for something different, we will travel to the Orlando area.  I'm looking forward to the bus ride down, not so much to the bus drive back.  I'm also looking forward to checking out the competition in Florida.  I've heard there will be some great teams there and I hope we get to play some of them.  We will also add a doubleheader with Central (Iowa) and Division II power Winona State to our schedule.


CSS SOFTBALL APPAREL
Before I forget, our new order of softball gear has arrived.  I'll put pictures, prices and order information on the next blog.  (It will be posted tomorrow at the latest.)

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
I think this should pretty much get me all caught up on CSS Softball news.  I wish everyone a HAPPY HOLIDAY season.  I hope you all will be able to relax and spend some quality time with your friends and family. 

P.S. Still snowing, by the way!

A Day in the Life of... Junior Theresa Tauer

Nickname: T-Dog/Tyrese

Hometown: Plymouth, MN

Position: Utility

5:30 am: I wake up at this odd hour which gives me about an hour to get ready and arrive to morning hill workouts on time. I awake to my cell phone singing a song that no one on the team knows: that's the way i like my music; unknown. The night before I had picked out a 'cute' outfit (in my perspective) although others may consider my clothing choices to be odd since they generally include glasses without lenses or skirts resembling those of the 1930's. I stuff these into my already full backpack, grab some grub and await my ride from Jenn Shaw on the corner outside my antique home

8:00 am: After the exhilarating and extremely fun time that was spent running up and down Chester Bowl ski hill, I head to school.

8:30 am: I shower and put on the the clothes that fit my personality.

10:00 am: My first and only class of the day is a nursing lab where we practice our skills on each other. We've tied each other up (with restraints), given each other shots (of saline solution) and analyzed Seymore Butts (a rubber buttocks with different ulcers on it).

11:15 am: I try and grab some sizzlin' food from Storm's Dena and attempt to find Brittni, Rachel and/or Falk (teammates) to eat with. Usually I am successful and feel like I belong, which I obviously do.


11:30 am:  After food I hop, skip and jump to the theatre where I begin to work. What kind of work do I do? I sew the costumes for the different performances throughout the year. This is one of the strangest work study jobs offered on campus, but it fits well for me.

4:00 pm:  My final accomplishment of the day is softball practice which is great because I can let everything that went not so well in my day just fade away as I throw, bat and field. It's a very therapeutic kind of experience.

7:45 pm: I catch the bus to drive me to the nearest  spot to my house and trudge through darkly lit streets until I reach the door to my house. I get inside and eat some foot (which tends to be a common occurrence on the softball team - we love to eat!) and listen to some music like Cloud Cult, Wookiefoot or Mumford & Sons as I drift off into dreamland!

Batter Up: Senior Erika Solin

Why is your name spelled with a K and not a C? "My name is spelled with a K and not a C because I was born at sea and my parents, being the literary genious' that they are, did not want to be too repetitive or ironic. It would take the focus away from the person behind the name and I would walk through life in the shadows. Thank you, mom and dad, for letting me shine for the person I am."  
Did you ever try to catch the rabbits on Park point?
"Being a good friend of the park point fox, I don't really associate myself with the rabbits.  The fox is much more friendly and has been known to show up to beach fires as well as go jogging alongside my brother when he runs."

What is with you and cold water?
"Cold water is way more refreshing then warm water.  Lake superior is perfect temp."

When did Lewis and Clark come about? (Editor's note: Erika's high school teammate, Mya Gordon (now assistant coach) and Erika nicknamed themselves Lewis and Clark in their days back at Duluth Central High School. They did not let the adventures die as they were reunited at CSS for 2 years following Mya's transfer from Itasca Community College).  
"I was assigned the task of scoping out the new world with Meriweather Lewis. We didn't really know each other, but he seemed competent and I respected him for his knowledge of crossbows and technique in canoe navigation.  We hit it off right away. just a couple of kids really, off on an adventure.  He saved my life several times as in my youth I had a tendancy of walking into buffalo stampeeds without looking.  I had the chance to repay him, though, when Lewis wasn't paying attention to a particularly large pile of bushes that nearly squashed his scull.  I pulled him to safety in the knick of time.  and the rest is history.  

What was going through your head when you were frantically looking around at the fog rolling in against Bethany? (Editors true note: Those in attendence at the April 30th game could witness Erika staring up towards the sky with a puzzled look at the fog as it appeared. 
"The first thought that came to my mind was, obviously, where is my wand?  I have watched enough Harry Potter to recognize the presence of dementors in the area.  When I couldn't come up with a decisive answer I did start to worry, I mean who else could fend them off?  Certainly not T-Dawg (3rd baseman Theresa Tauer) regardless of what she may say.  Luckily, however, there was no attack. 

What's the fish eye and how did that evolve?(Editors note: There is no explaining the fish eye... you'll have to ask her one day to perform it). 

 "You'll have to ask Lewis, I don't remember how it came about."

What's the best man made into animal you have ever made? (elephant, giraffe, fish... or something else)? 
"I would say the top two are definately the elephant and the turtle.  Sadly, nobody may ever witness the turtle again because Rilee Dawson lost the footage."

 Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok... can we be serious for 1 minute to answer some questions... 

Major: Marketing

Favorite class: Advertising

What are your career aspirations?
"I would someday like to work for a company who's purpose I belive in, designing marketing strategies to reach people who could benefit from what the company provides."


What do you like best about CSS softball?
"I like the stress on "smart softball", and the thought process behind playing the game.  I like getting the chance to meet awesome people who share a love for softball and who like to work hard." 


  

Coach Walter Earns 300th Career Win

Check out the article the Duluth News Tribune printed on Coach Walter's 300th career win that came April 30th vs Bethany Lutheran College at http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/167484/publisher_ID/36/

The Saint made it interesting late in the game, with Bethany Lutheran loading the bases in the 7th inning with the score 3-2 and one out. Freshman pitcher Shannen Schmidt struck out the final two batters to end the game.

The Saints are now 25-11 and 18-1 in conference action and have clinched the UMAC regular season championship. Kenwood Field will be the home of the conference tournament May 7-8th which was changed from Aberdeen, SD. CSS will look to defend its regular season conference championship.

Batter Up: Sophomore Merryssa Tiedeman

Position: Centerfield
Major: Nursing
Favorite values in others: "Respect and honesty"
What kind of music is on your ipod? "Only the best... Backstreet Boys"
What is the most rewarding experience at CSS this far? "Every time I volunteer somewhere. Nobody really wants to do it, but you feel so much better about yourself and how much you've affected/helped someone else afterward."
I should win an oscar for... "Best Hair"
What time did you grace us with your presence in the world? "I grace the world with my presence every time I walk out the door... but I was born at 10:34 am"
Any significance to your number? "The number 2. Hmm. I wish I were a size 2, does that count?"
If you could eat anything right now, what would it be? "My mom's meatballs. Mmmmm"
What was your favorite toy as a child? "I loved my water baby and playing in the playhouse with my sister."
One of your scars... how did you get it? "Playing tag with my sister when I was little, I tripped (she actually probably tripped me) and I fell on the sharp corner of our wooden TV. Not only is there a scar, but a huge bump that hasn't gone away."
One dream... "I would absolutely love to go to Africa to help the homeless and less-abled children. Hopefully next summer!"

Home Opener Tuesday

The Saints will host Northland College (WI) in the home opener Tuesday at 4:00. This also marks the beginning of the conference season as the Saint look to avenge their conference regular season and post season championships from 2009.

From Then Until Now

Ok, I'll admit, it's been a while... and that hasn't come without some jabs here and there about blogging more frequently. So here is a pledge: We will blog at least once weekly for the remainder of the season. I know it's a lofty goal but hey, we'll give it our best shot.

A lot has happened since the week prior to our spring break trip. Despite the great weather and Tucson sun, our win-loss record wasn't exactly what we had hoped for. We finished the trip at 3-7, with four games lost by two runs or less. Off the field activities included "sunning" by the swimming hole and traveling up the mountain in our 15 passenger vans to eat supper with the Lakeland (WI) softball team who graciously invited us up to their house one night.

We arrived back in Minnesota to find NO SNOW on our field and were able to practice outside immediately. Now, I cannot remember the last time we returned from our spring break trip to a field not covered in snow. We have been loving every minute of outdoor practice since then.

This past weekend we traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to compete in the Coe Tournament. We finished with a 2-2 record, with a pair of losses to #24 ranked Coe College and a pair of wins against UW-Platteville. Freshmen pitcher Shannen Schmidt recorded her first collegiate win in the tournament as the Saints recorded the 500th win of the program.

We returned for a short week of practice before players head home for Easter Break. They will return Monday in preparation for our first home game of 2010 vs conference rival Northland College on Tuesday, April 6th at 4 pm.

Check back for updates!

Saints Anticipating Spring Break Trip

After a couple month hiatus, the blog is back in full swing (no pun intended). We'll do our best to keep this updated with all the Saints news.

Following weeks of preparation indoors, the Saints are ready to hit the dirt. We will board the plane Saturday enroute to Tucson, AZ for a week of softball and sun. The weather outlook looks to be a vast improvement from last year's week of rain in Texas over spring break that saw the Saints play 6 games in 2 days.

The schedule looks to be a challenging one, with 10 games in a five day span, against UW-LaCrosse, Southwestern (TX), Augsburg (MN), Otterbein (OH), Lakeland (WI), Dickinson (PA), Schreiner (TX) and North Central (IL).

Be sure to check back for updates!

Batter Up: Freshman Leah Hettwer

Hometown: Andover, MN
High School: St. Francis HS
Position: Catcher/1B
Major: Pre-Med
Hobbies: Singing horribly with my roommate, bonfires, snowmobiling, going on adventures with my friends.
Dream job: I want to be an orthopedic surgeon or a trauma surgeon because both will challenge me and I want to work with people. My dream job is an orthopedic surgeon for a professional baseball team, hopefully the Twins!
Talent I'd most like to have: Creativity... I'm not creative at all!
Favorite value in others: I love people with a good sense of humor!
Hardest part of the transition from high school to college ball: The pitching is a lot different but it's a new challenge so I'm excited for it!
What animal or rodent do you hate the most? Spiders! Disgusting!!!!
Something few people know about you: I can do 12 backflips in a row... just kidding!
Favorite memory of elementary school years: Going to Camp St. Croix with my 6th grade class and toilet papering our teachers cabin.
Tell us about your teammates: It's been really fun getting to know them this first year! Everyone has a really good sense of humor so it makes everything a good time.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Patagonia with all the penguins!!!
Favorite thing about CSS softball: I love that it is intense but still fun at the same time!

FALL BALL & ALUMNI GAME

We are already in our final week of the fall season and it has been extremely busy. This is the first week I feel like I have some time to breathe. I've spent a considerable amount of time at the field getting it in practice and game shape. The grass won't stop growing and I'll admit, I've become a bit obsessed about it. I also cut an new infield arc to eliminate the lip that was forming. Here's a pointer to all those looking to use a sod cutter. Make sure the ground isn't rock hard, or be prepared to muscle the cutter around. Ouch!

And, there has been a some softball going on as well. We've had five 6:30am workouts. Who scheduled those! We've spent three of those running up Chester Bowl. The players love it....well, maybe 'love' isn't the right word. I also scheduled small group workouts during the day on our team practice days, so those days are quite long for me.

We have really focused on defensive, throwing and baserunning fundamentals. The players are itching to do some hitting, but we'll get to that. I think we've laid a good foundation for down the road.

Last weekend was our alumni game with a record 24 alums returning. It turned out to be a gorgeous day and I think everyone had a great time. We also honored the 25th Anniversary Team, which we named last year. I'd like to report that no homeruns were hit (even with me pitching), but Laura hit a ball half way up the left field fence and settled for a double. Katie Brown made it all the way back from Idaho. It was great to see everyone and reminisce about the good old days.

Front Row (L to R): Sue Van Loon '91, Chris Lorentz '01, Laura Brueggemeier '00, Jen Walter,
Keely Behning '01, Rilee Dawson '07 Back Row (L to R): Laura Heise '06, Abbie Feldt '01,
Azur (Buczynski) Coleman '02, Jen (Vancura) Beres '04, Kristi (Erickson) Kirk '06, Stephanie Sklors '94

This weekend is our Fall Classic. Here's the schedule for the weekend:

10am - vs. Bemidji State
Noon - Family Day Picnic
2pm - Concordia-St. Paul
4pm - Finlandia

We've still got a lot of work to do, but I'm encouraged by the team chemistry and work ethic. It's going to be a fun year.

New Faces Join Saints

With the 2009 season officially wrapped up it's time to look ahead. This has been a great recruiting year for us and I think we have gone out and found some talented individuals who fit in well with the philosophy of our program.

In addressing our needs, we looked looked for players who:
1. Are passionate about softball,
2. Want to get better and possess the work ethic to match that,
3. Have the desire to compete at a high level,
4. Have the talent to help us reach our goal of becoming national champions.

We clearly needed to address our catching situation having graduated Robin Lake who started almost every game behind the plate as a senior. We feel fortunate to have three catchers coming into the program which includes one all-state honoree and two all-conference catchers in Bonnie Kowalcyzk (Menomonee Falls, WI), Leah Hettwer (St. Francis, MN) and Jennifer Marinaro (Nashwauk, MN). Bonnie is a multidimensional player with a strong arm to control baserunners and will give us left-handed power presence at the plate. With her experience playing for the Wisconsin Bandits and success of her high school team, we feel she will provide and immediate impact offensively and defensively.

With the addition of Shannen Schmidt (DePere, WI) and Darcy Roach (East Grand Forks, MN) we have not only added two players who give us additional depth on the mound, we add two pitchers to a staff who can help our program continually grow. We feel they both will be able to contribute as freshmen but there is also plenty of room for them to develop in the years to come.

The last area where we felt a void is centerfield after graduating three year starter Chelsey Weiss. We have a number of options with our returning outfielders which may include moving Theresa Tauer back to the outfield, thus opening up the third base position. Because of this, Rachel Perushek (Mesabi Range CC, Virginia, MN) can potentially fill either one of these needs. Her athleticism gives her versatility. Only time will tell where she fits in best. Her competitiveness and will to win can have a very contagious effect on her teammates. Another addition who will give us some options will be Brittni Johnson (Northland CC, Thief River Falls, MN). Brittni spent most of her time at Northland in the pitching circle but has the ability to play in the outfield.

In addition to these players we also welcome Allison Spiering (Mounds View, MN) and Jannon Stewart-Garcia (Minneapolis, MN). Spiering can play a multiple of positions including outfield, second base and catcher and Stewart-Garcia will bring us some speed offensively and will compete at third base or second base.

With this talented group of individuals along with the return of 7 starters it looks like an exciting year to come.

2009 Season Wrap Up

Here it is June 29th and I'm finally getting around to wrapping up the 2009 season which ended eight weeks ago. What have I been doing you ask. Well, I have put on 6000 miles driving around Minnesota and Wisconsin looking for future Saints, along with a trip to the College World Series in Oklahoma City and a trip to Winnipeg. Yes, I'm a little road weary.

As I reflect on our season I am happy with the results. We set out to accomplish three goals: 1) Be the best Independent team in the Midwest Region, 2) Be ranked in the top ten in the region, and 3) Be the best team in the UMAC. Although we only succeeded at our third goal I still feel it was a successful year. We had two huge wins late in the season. The first was a 3-1 win over Eau Claire avenging two earlier losses and the second was a 4-3 win over Gustavus Adolphus. Gustavus went on to finish third in the country so I think it proves we can compete at a high level. In addition, we became the first team in the UMAC to go 24-0, winning the regular season and post season championships.

I think the biggest surprise throughout the season was the power we demonstrated at the plate. We hit 31 home runs, which was only two short of a team record set in 2006. We were led at the plate by freshman Theresa Tauer (3B, Wayzata) who belted nine over the fence and knocked in a team high 47 RBI. The freshman class hit a total of 20 homeruns, including six by Brynn Wollak (C/DH, Stillwater), and four by Merryssa Tiedeman (OF, Zumbrota-Mazappa).

Junior Kristin Swartz (2B, Hermantown) was steady all year both offensively and defensively earning the UMAC Player of the Year award, while hitting .393 with a .724 Slugging percentage and .956 fielding percentage. Both Swartz and Tauer were second team All-Region picks.

Newcomer Jen Falk (P, Altona, MB, Canada) and sophomore Kayla Jenkins complimented each other on the mound. They recorded 15 and 14 wins, respectively, and combined for a 2.21 ERA.

Seniors Chelsey Weiss (OF, Brainerd), Mary Jo McNamee (3B/P, Escanaba, MI), Robin Lake (C, McGregor) and Mya Gordon (1B, Duluth) were without a doubt the hardest working class I've EVER had while at St. Scholastica. Their selfless commitment and leadership to the softball program has left a lasting legacy that have set the standard high for future classes. I am proud to have known them and coached them.

This is an exciting time for Saints softball and I am looking forward to what lies ahead of us.

Saints tagged with additional honors...

Two Saints were named to the Midwest All-Region team announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Junior captain Kristin Swartz (2B, Hermantown, MN) and freshman Theresa Tauer (3B, Plymouth, MN) were both named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Midwest Region Second Team.
Swartz finished the season with a .383 batting average while hitting 6 homeruns and 37 RBI. Tauer led the Saints with a .487 batting average while belting nine homeruns with 47 RBI.

Saints receive UMAC recognition

Several Saints received UMAC recognition following both conference regular season and post-season championships.

UMAC Coach of the Year: Jen Walter
UMAC Player of the Year: Kristin Swartz, 2nd Base (Hermantown, MN)

All-Conference:
Kayla Jenkins, Sophomore, Pitcher (Esko, MN)
Jen Falk, Sophomore, Pitcher (Altona, Manitoba, Canada)
Brynn Wollak, Freshman, DP/Catcher (Hugo, MN)
Kristin Swartz, Junior, 2nd Base (Hermantown, MN)
Theresa Tauer, Freshmen, 3rd Base (Plymouth, MN)

Honorable Mention:
Chelsey Weiss, Senior, OF (Brainerd, MN)
Michaela Carlson, Junior, OF (Alexandria, MN)

UMAC All-Defensive Team:
Kristin Swartz, Junior, 2nd Base (Hermantown, MN)

Tauer and Jenkins named UMAC Player, Pitcher of the Week

For the second time this season, sophomore Kayla Jenkins (Esko, MN) has been named UMAC Pitcher of the Week after hurling her way to a .86 ERA in five wins last week.



Theresa Tauer (freshman, Plymouth, MN) earned her first Player of the Week award after compiling a .652 batting average leading the Saints to a 8-1 record last week. Tauer had 15 hits including 8 doubles on the week which included a split with the defending NCAA Division III National Champions, UW-Eau Claire.

Oh, the things we do to play a home game...

It has become inevitable the past couple years that just when we start to think we're going to get out on our field, good ole' mother nature decides to dump heaps of snow on it. Our home opener with Northwestern was postponed from last Saturday, but we were bound and determined to do everything within our power to play at home this week. We were scheduled to play Martin Luther College today and Bethany Lutheran College tomorrow, both at home.
Although we moved our game scheduled for today to Ashland, WI, we still were trying to play at home tomorrow. Over the past week people have been putting many hours of hard work into the field. Highlights included shoveling a good portion of the outfield and breaking up inches of ice underneath the snow. There was also a competition to see who could chip off the biggest ice chunk with the ice pic. This kept a few entertained for a while. Numerous sleds were used to carry snow from the outfield to beyond the left field fence after using ice picks and shovels. Drainage ditches were produced from the left side of the infield into left field and it looked as if we would challenge the flow of the Nile River for a while. We also attempted shop vac'ing the water from the field. One (who will remain anonymous) even went to the extremes of starting snow on fire (and not realizing that when you pour gasoline on a fire while it's burning, the flame will, in fact, follow the gasoline back into the container. And, at that point, it's best to bail ship but AVOID throwing the container in the fire. Lesson learned. Despite all of our efforts, our field still looks like it needs a few days of the Sun's tender loving care before it's ready for Saints softball.

So... off we go to Ashland tomorrow morning to face Bethany Lutheran College in a conference doubleheader. With a few more days of sun, we hope to be able to play our home opener on Monday against Northwestern
College.

25th Anniversary Team

Last weekend was suppose to be a big one. Our home opener and the celebration of 25 years of St. Scholastica Softball. Again, the weather gods did not cooperate so instead of a great weekend of softball and celebration it was a grueling weekend of snow removal.

But neither snow, wind or rain will deter us. We can still celebrate our 25 years of softball and to do so we have named our Silver Anniversary Team.

KEELY BEHNING - Duluth, Minn.
1999-01 - Outfield/Pitcher
All-Region (2x), UMAC All-Conference (2x)
Single Season record holder in steals (33) and triples (9)
Career State: .377 BA, .552 SLG%, .441 OBA, 50 SB



ERICA (BOND) KOZACEK - Jefferson City, Tenn.
2005-07 - Outfield
NFCA All American (3rd Team), All Region (2x), UMAC All-Conference (2x), Member of Saints Century Club (106 hits)
Career Stats: .455 BA, 20 HR, 78 RBI, .880 SLG%

LAURA BRUEGGEMEIER - Litchfield, Minn.
1996-00 - First Base
All-Conference Honorable Mention (3x)
Member of Saints Century Club (144 hits, 122 runs)
Career Stats: .299 BA, 87 RBI, 22 SB, .962 FLD%


AZUR (BUCZYNSKI) COLEMAN - Cloquet, Minn.
1998-02 - Pitcher
All Region, UMAC All Conference (3x)
Career Stats: 34 Wins, 523.1 IP, 81 Starts, 213 K's



KELLY (CORDIE) KONCZAK, -Lino Lakes, Minn.
2002-06 - Catcher/Third Base
UMAC All Defensive Team, Best Stolen Base Against % (.434 0 23 of 53)
Member of Saints Century Club (127 hits)
Career stats: .283 BA, 9 HR, 30 SB, .968 FLG%


RILEE DAWSON - Eveleth, Minn.
2003-07 - Pitcher/First Base
NFCA All American (2nd Team), All Region, UMAC All-Conference (3x), UMAC Player of the Year, UMAC All Defensive Team,
Member of Saints Century Club (105 hits)
Career Stats: .349 BA, 13 HR, .578 SLG%, 34-14 W/L, 2.35 ERA, 300 K's, 299 IP

KRISTI (ERICKSON) KIRK - Becker, Minn.
2002-06 - Outfield
All Region (1st Team-2x, 2nd Team-1x), UMAC All Conference (4x)
Member of Saints Century Club (189 hits, 142 runs, 116 RBI)
Career Stats: .390 BA, 13 HR, .601 SLG%, 43 SB


ABBIE FELDT, Bovey, Minn.
1999-01 - Pitcher/First Base
All Region (2x), UMAC All Conference (2x)
Career Stats: .328 BA, 50 RBI, .429 SLG%, .981 FLD%, 16-16 W/L, 2.62 ERA



VERONICA GIESEN, New Praque, Minn.
1998-00, 02 - Centerfield
All Region (2nd Team), UMAC Player of the Year, UMAC All Conference (2x)
Member of Saints Century Club (136 Hits)
Career Stats: .357 BA, .538 SLG%, 37 SB


LAURA HEISE, Richfield, Minn.
2002-06 - Pitcher/First Base
All-American (2x), All Region (3x), Region Player of the Year, UMAC Player of the Year (4x), UMAC All Conference (4x), NCAA DIII Career Strikeout leader (1125)
Member of Saints Century Club (217 hits, 136 runs, 151 runs)
Career Stats: .456 BA, .750 SLG%, 95-21 W/L, 0.68 ERA, 732.1 IP, 46 Shutouts


CHRIS LORENTZ, Staples, Minn.
All Region (2x), UMAC All Conference (4x)
Member Saints Century Club (209 hits, 175 runs, 119 RBI, 109 SB)
Career Stats: .379 BA, 13 HR, .577 SLG%



STEPH SKLORS, Eveleth, Minn.
All District (2x), Team Captain





SUE VAN LOON - Hermantown, Minn.
1987-91
All District (3x) MWCC All Conference





HEAD COACH JEN WALTER
Record 245-140 (.636)
UMAC Coach of the Year (4x)




Thank you to all former Saints who made this program what it is today. Your legacy lives on!