Prep Softball: State Tournament Preview: Fergus Falls among three teams making first appearances

The Eagles of New Life Academy of Woodbury in Class A and the Pirates of Park Center, Brooklyn Park, in Class AA return to defend their respective titles. A new champion will emerge in Class AAA because Burnsville, which won in 2010, failed to qualify for this year’s tournament.

Three teams are making their debut appearances at this year’s tournament: Osakis in Class A, Fergus Falls in Class AA, and Bloomington Jefferson in Class AAA.

(Section 4) New Life Academy of Woodbury (21-4) vs. (Section 5) Osakis (23-0) @ 9:00 a.m. — The three-time defending champions from New Life Academy of Woodbury are making their sixth consecutive and overall appearance. The Eagles allowed only 43 runs all season while scoring 204 of their own. They had 138 RBI on 220 hits. Senior pitcher Rebekah Schmidt, who will play for Drake University next year, is a six-year starter and went 20-3 this season. She fired 291 strikeouts over 137 innings and her ERA is 0.66. Schmidt also smashed five home runs, drove in a team-high 23 runs, and bats .397. Senior Katie Stodolka has a team-high .459 batting average, knocking in 19 runs on 34 hits.

The Silverstreaks of Osakis are making their first tournament appearance. They had 183 RBI on 229 hits this season and bat .372 as a team. Junior pitcher Sabrina Zimmel compiled a season record of 19-0 and threw 125 strikeouts in 111 innings. Her ERA is 1.26 and she also boasts the team’s highest batting average of .480. Senior Mercedes Klimek, with a batting average of .472, belted 11 home runs this year and tallied 52 RBI on 34 hits.

(Section 3) Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg (21-0) vs. (Section 6) Hawley (18-1) @ 9:00 a.m. —The Fighting Saints of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg are making their third tournament appearance, but first since 2007. The Fighting Saints outscored their opponents 286-41 this year and they bat .442 as a team. Sophomore pitcher Erin Haglund has the highest batting average of .557 and she also smashed a team-high three home runs. She went 11-0 on the mound and fired 109 strikeouts over 69 innings. Sophomore pitcher Samantha Dunn compiled a season record of 10-0 with 70 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched. She has a .550 batting average and added 28 RBI on 33 hits.

The Hawley Nuggets return to tournament action after a one-year absence and they’re making their second appearance. This year’s team compiled a .354 batting average while holding opponents to a .147 batting average and outscoring them 185-28. The team also had 74 stolen bases. Senior Aundie Softing has a batting average of .423 and knocked in 23 runs on 22 hits. Junior pitcher Jessy Noreen compiled a season record of 17-0 and tossed 147 strikeouts over 94 innings. She also bats .400 and added 14 RBI on 22 hits.

(Section 2) New Ulm Cathedral (23-2) vs. (Section 7) Cherry/Cotton (24-1) @ 1:00 p.m. — The Greyhounds of New Ulm Cathedral are making their second consecutive and 12th overall appearance. They took consolation honors last year, but won titles in 1993 through 1995, 2003, 2005 and 2007. This year the Greyhounds scored 208 runs on 254 hits and they have a team batting average of .347. Senior Morgan Zollner bats .500 for New Ulm Cathedral and had 21 RBI on 25 hits. Junior pitcher Ali Brey, who went 16-2 on the mound this season, struck out 135 and has an ERA of 1.87.

The Tigers of Cherry/Cotton return for their second consecutive and overall appearance. They lost in the consolation semifinals of the 2010 tournament. The Tigers batted .432 as a team this year and outscored their opponents 285-33. Senior Sara Sauter tallied 37 RBI on 41 hits and also went 11-1 on the mound with an ERA of 0.49. Junior pitcher Shaina Novak compiled a 12-0 record, with 79 strikeouts and a 0.52 ERA.

(Section 1) Blooming Prairie (20-1) vs. (Section 8 ) Badger/Greenbush-Middle River (22-3) @ 1:00 p.m. — The Awesome Blossoms of Blooming Prairie are making their second consecutive and overall appearance. They lost in the consolation semifinals last year. Junior Hunter Henderson leads the offense with 21 RBI on 30 hits. Junior Tricia DeBoer added 11 RBI on 44 hits and has the best batting average of .543. She also tied the school’s record of 32 stolen bases, which she originally set last year. Senior pitcher Erica Manske struck out 170 batters in 120 innings and has a 0.99 ERA. Manske also holds school records with 71 career wins and 714 career strikeouts. The Awesome Blossoms outscored opponents 179-41 this season and the team batting average is .377.

The Gators of Badger/Greenbush-Middle River are looking to improve on last year’s third-place showing. They are making their second consecutive and fifth overall appearance. They batted .364 as a team and outscored opponents 300-71. Senior pitcher Erin Efta went 14-2 on the mound and has a 2.20 ERA. She threw 58 strikeouts over 83 innings and also has the team’s highest batting average of .532. In addition to her pitching duties, she also tallied 32 RBI on 41 hits. Senior Haley Price, who has a batting average of .430, added 36 RBI on 34 hits for the Gators.

(Section 3) Pipestone Area (22-3) vs. (Section 8 ) Fergus Falls (11-8) @ 11:00 a.m. — The Arrows of Pipestone Area, last year’s sixth-place finisher, are making their sixth consecutive and seventh overall appearance under this name. The Arrows won one previous championship in 2007 and they made one additional appearance as Pipestone-Jasper in 2001. This year’s squad bats .351 and tallied 187 RBI on 248 hits. Sophomore Tasia Woelber compiled a 17-3 record on the mound, throwing 182 strikeouts in 134 innings with a 1.46 ERA. Ninth-grader Kelly Nettick belted a team-high seven home runs and also added 43 RBI on 33 hits. Her batting average is .402.

The Otters of Fergus Falls are making their debut tournament appearance. They have 221 hits while holding their opponents to 163. Their team batting average is .316 and they had 102 RBI. Junior Sydney Schultz has the highest batting average of .439, including 18 RBI on 29 hits. Senior pitcher Aimee Magnusson compiled a season record of 8-4 and threw 63 strikeouts in 72 innings. Senior Haily Johnson led the Otters with 21 RBI on 24 hits.

(Section 5) Park Center, Brooklyn Park (23-4) vs. (Section 6) Albany (21-4) @ 11:00 a.m. — The Pirates of Park Center return to defend their 2010 title. This is their second consecutive and 12th overall appearance. The Pirates outscored their opponents 158-36 this year and they have a team batting average of .377. Juniors Kati Fern and Jordan Petersen wield the heaviest bats for Park Center. Fern has an average of .500 and notched 27 RBI on 47 hits and Petersen bats .447 with 24 RBI on 38 hits. Junior Nicole Tada handled the majority of the pitching duties for the Pirates, going 18-4 this year, throwing 232 strikeouts over 150 innings and has an ERA of 0.98.

The Albany Huskies return for their fourth overall appearance, but first since 1992. This year’s team compiled a .334 batting average and outscored its opponents 198-44. Sophomore Rachel Mohs has a batting average of .438 and knocked in 33 runs on 76 hits. Junior pitcher Karli Persson compiled a season record of 20-4 and tossed 182 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.47. She also bats .295 and added 16 RBI on 56 hits.

(Note: Any second-round game involving Mankato East will be played Thursday, June 9, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on either Field 5 or Field 6.)

(Section 1) Zumbrota-Mazeppa (21-3) vs. (Section 2) Mankato East (24-1) @ 1:00 p.m. — The Cougars of Zumbrota-Mazeppa are making their second consecutive and third overall appearance. They lost in the consolation semifinals in 2010. This year they have a .355 team batting average and scored 169 runs. Conversely, opponents only hit .175 for 73 runs. Junior pitcher Megan Nelson is 15-2 so far this season, fanning 103 batter over 99 innings and earning a 1.69 ERA. Nelson is also the third-leading hitter with a .425 average. Sophomore Amber Jentsch led the Cougars with both her .507 batting average and 38 hits. Senior Julie Niebuhr provided some power, knocking out eight of the team’s 17 home runs this season and hitting .427 overall.

The Cougars of Mankato East are making their second consecutive and 14th overall appearance. They placed third last year and seek a fifth title to add to their championships in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991. The Cougars scored 219 runs while holding opponents to 27 and they have a .395 batting average. Senior EJ Scharmer slugged 12 of the team’s 20 home runs and knocked in a team-high 46 RBI with her .539 batting average. Junior Nicole Ries is the primary hurler (22-0) and struck out 205 in 125 innings and has a 0.56 ERA.

(Section 4) St. Paul Johnson (19-3) vs. (Section 7) Hermantown (16-6) @ 1:00 p.m. — The Governors of St. Paul Johnson are making their fourth appearance, but first since 2005. They batted .281 as a team and scored 186 RBI on 222 hits. Senior Jenna Dushaw went .457 at the plate and had a team-high 43 RBI on 32 hits. Junior Katie Donohue also drove in 31 runs and handled the bulk of the pitching duties (11-1), striking out 88 in 67 innings for an ERA of 1.7.

The Hawks of Hermantown are looking to improve on last year’s runner-up showing in their fourth consecutive and 18th overall appearance. If they win it would be their fourth title; they won previously in 1991, 2002, and 2009. The Hawks scored 150 runs this season and batted .382. Sophomore Katie Thun is the pitching ace (16-5), striking out 201 hitters in 129 innings with a 2.23 ERA. Thun also has the second-highest batting average of .549. Sophomore Celine Francisco has the highest batting average (.571) for Hermantown. She tallied 24 RBI on 44 hits during the regular season.

(Section 1) Hastings (20-2) vs. (Section 3) Bloomington Jefferson (20-4) @ 9:00 a.m. — The Raiders of Hastings are making their fourth consecutive and fifth overall appearance. They finished third each of the last two years. The Raiders defeated qualifiers Forest Lake 8-2 and North 4-2. They batted .340 as a team and scored 137 RBI on 210 hits. The Raiders also had three no-hitters this year and eight games without errors. Senior Treya Connell handled the bulk of the pitching duties (19-1), striking out 212 in 122 innings for an ERA of 0.63. Connell also wielded the heaviest bat with an average of .509. Junior Lori Bauer had 27 RBI on 26 hits for Hastings and has a batting average of .448. She also accounted for six of the Raiders’ 16 home runs.

The Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars are making their first tournament appearance. They defeated North 4-2 this year and hit .311 as a team. Junior Lauren Falkanger (11-2) and sophomore Hannah Evavold (10-2) shared the pitching duties. Falkanger struck out 79 batters in 65 innings and Evavold fanned 100 in 107 innings. Their ERAs are 1.94 and 1.83, respectively. Junior Nicole Tabon leads Bloomington Jefferson with a .479 batting average. She also had 23 RBI on 35 hits.

(Note: Any second-round game involving North will be played Thursday, June 9, at approximately 2:00 p.m. on either Field 5 or Field 6.)

(Section 4) North, North St. Paul (20-2) vs. (Section 8 ) Brainerd (20-1) @ 11:00 a.m. — North is making its third consecutive and 11th overall appearance, and the Polars have been the runners-up for the past two years. North won previous titles in 1984 and 2007. The Polars had 241 hits while holding their opponents to 92. They had 152 RBI and their team batting average is .386. Junior pitcher Tabitha Bayers leads the Polars with her 34 hits, .453 batting average, and 23 RBI. On the mound she is 10-1 with 103 strikeouts in 67 innings and she has an ERA of 1.15. Junior Jamie Rubbelke has 12 RBI to her credit and an average of .467. Junior Carley Pickett, who went 10-1 on the mound for the Polars with a 0.47 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 74 innings, hit .510. North beat Forest Lake 4-2 and lost to Bloomington Jefferson 4-2 during the regular season.

The Brainerd Warriors, who lost in the consolation semifinals of the 2010 tournament, are making their second consecutive and seventh overall appearance. The Warriors did not play any other qualifiers. Brainerd did not provide team or individual statistics.

(Note: Any second-round game involving Forest Lake will be played Thursday, June 9, at approximately 2:00 p.m. on either Field 5 or Field 6.)

(Section 5) Totino-Grace, Fridley (24-0) vs. (Section 7) Forest Lake (16-6) @ 11:00 a.m. — The Eagles of Totino-Grace are making their 12th appearance, but first since 2007. The Eagles did not face any other qualifiers and they did not provide team or individual statistics.

The Forest Lake Rangers are making their fourth consecutive and 10th overall appearance. They finished as the consolation champions in 2010. The Rangers lost to both Hastings 8-2 and North 4-2 during regular-season play. This season the Rangers batted .320 as a team and had 117 RBI on 196 hits. Opponents were held to 65 runs on 133 hits. Junior Shannon Nelson had the best batting average of .461 for Forest Lake; she also had 18 RBI on 35 hits. Senior Taylor Burmeister went 13-6 on the mound and has an ERA of 2.76. She also struck out 84 batters in 134 innings.