Cobbers Face "Brick Wall" Season

MIAC softball preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office


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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- At the dawn of most Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) softball seasons, the 12 teams all enter with hopes of improvement over the previous season. Certainly this season each team is hoping for more wins and more success, but after the spring of 2013, just completing all 22 conference games would be a dramatic step in the right direction.

The previous season featured winter weather all the way through the conclusion of the regular season, and there was a noticeable lack of consistency in the standings. Not one MIAC team played all 22 scheduled conference games due to an unforgettably harsh performance by Mother Nature. Most of the league completed 20 games, but teams like St. Olaf (16) and Concordia (10) didn't come close to playing the full slate.

As a result, the conference made a one-time exception to alter the MIAC Softball Playoffs to try and make up for the regular season, or lack thereof. All 12 teams were invited to the tournament, where four three-team polls played round-robin games on the first day, with the four pool winners advancing to the usual double-elimination format. Though the snow-covered season was difficult, the 2013 Playoffs will be an event long remembered the coaches, student-athletes and fans.

Though the standings were uneven, they clearly indicated that St. Thomas was again the top team in the league with a perfect 20-0 record, and the Tommies went on to add the MIAC Playoff title as well, finishing 41-7 overall. It was the fourth-straight MIAC title for Head Coach John Tschida and his club, and UST has now won nine of the last 10 regular-season conference titles. St. Thomas' MIAC Playoff championship was its 10th in a row, as it has won each title in the tournament's 10-year history.

Bethel emerged as the top title contender in both the regular and post seasons, as the Royals were second with a 14-6 conference mark (27-15 overall) and also the runner-up in the MIAC Playoffs. Hamline was 12-8 in the MIAC (18-16 overall) to finish third, and Saint Mary's was also above .500 in conference play at 11-9 (18-15) to take fourth.

St. Olaf (15-17, 8-8 MIAC) and Gustavus (15-19, 9-9 MIAC) both finished .500 in conference play to tie for fifth place, and both won their pools to reach the double-elimination portion of the 2013 Playoffs. Carleton was 8-10 (14-19 overall) in sixth and Saint Benedict came in seventh at 8-12 in the MIAC, with an overall record (20-18) above .500. St. Catherine was 7-11 in conference play (16-17 overall) to finish eighth and Concordia (7-19, 3-7 MIAC), Macalester (13-27, 5-15 MIAC) and Augsburg (12-28, 5-15 MIAC) rounded out the final spots in the 2013 standings.

In 2014, the Tommies will again headline the conference in their "drive for five" consecutive MIAC titles. Another regular-season crown would make St. Thomas the first MIAC team to claim 20 total championships. Bethel and Gustavus return strong teams after last season's deep Playoff runs, and Hamline, Saint Benedict, Saint Mary's lead a group of talented contenders also looking to return to the postseason, and challenge UST at the top of the standings.

However, after the decimated 2013 season, simply playing all the games would be a step in the right direction. The conference's collective fingers are crossed for less winter and more spring in 2014 and, if the weather cooperates better, the outstanding product on the MIAC fields will be a tremendous bonus.

ST. THOMAS SELECTED TO SCORE FIFTH-STRAIGHT TITLE
Tschida's Tommie club has a ton of talent back from 2013's title team, and it's no surprise the conference coaches consider them the favorites once again. St. Thomas was the unanimous favorite to win the MIAC title in the 2014 MIAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll with 121 points and 11 first-place votes. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

After that, the coaches expect some serious competition throughout the standings. Bethel was picked to again finish as the runner-up with 108 points, but Gustavus was close behind in third with 101 points and the other first-place vote. The MIAC coaches expect a serious battle for the fourth and final spot in the four-team conference Playoff field, as Hamline, Saint Benedict and Saint Mary's all tied for fourth in the poll with 80 points apiece.

St. Olaf (55 points) edged cross-town rival Carleton (49 points) for seventh place by just six points, and ninth-place St. Catherine was just four points (45) behind the Knights. Augsburg (31) edged Macalester (28) for the final spot in the top 10 by just three points, and Concordia (14) completed the final spot in the coaches' predictions.

WHAT'S NEW?
There will be one new face in a MIAC dugout this season, as Colleen Powers takes over as the head coach at St. Catherine. Powers joins the Wildcats after coaching at nearby Lakeville South High School following college stints West Texas A&M and Central Michigan. The former University of Minnesota star player replaces Madge Makowske, who stepped down after 18 seasons to focus on her associate athletic director role at the school.

In other coaching news, Tschida is celebrating his milestone 20th season, and he is the longest-tenured conference coach. St. Olaf's Ruthie Neuger is celebrating a decade as the Oles' head coach, and has the third-longest tenure in the league behind Tschida and Carleton's Amy Erickson (16th season).

WHO'S BACK?
The Tommies are in prime position to defend their MIAC title with many of their top stars back. All-American infielder Kimmy Hassel graduated, but catcher Emily Gregory and shortstop Jenna Hoffman have both earned multiple All-MIAC and All-Region awards. As for the mound, the Tommies welcome back star junior Kendra Bowe, who has been named MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Year in each of her first two collegiate seasons.

St. Thomas isn't the only team with stars back, as Bethel's Rod Radcliff - the reigning MIAC Coach-of-the-Year - has plenty of talent back as well. Junior shortstop Angie Jackson was named the MIAC Most Valuable Player and an All-American in 2013 after hitting .479 and driving in 59 runs. Sophomore pitcher Karli Persson joined Jackson on the All-MIAC team, and talented catcher Caroline Kivisto is also back behind the Royals' plate.

Gustavus will be led by a trio of returning All-Conference stars, as Jeff Annis' club looks to again challenge for the MIAC title and a postseason bid. Pitcher Sarah Rozell is a two-time All-MIAC selection, and outfielder Brittany Brenke and Carly Klass (2B) were also honored for their 2013 performances. Hamline said goodbye to graduated three-time All-MIAC selection Bethany Hine, but Jim Rubbelke's team has All-MIAC pitcher Brianna Vela back, along with a pair of talented Laurens - Turitto and Clouston.

Saint Benedict had a breakout season in Head Coach Racheal Click's first season, led by All-MIAC outfielder Lexi Alm and MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year Kim Lidstone, who had a 31-game hitting streak. Both are back - along with pitcher Rachel Nelson - as the Blazers attempt to return to the Playoffs. Saint Mary's has been a fixture in the MIAC postseason in recent years, and Head Coach Jen Miller has high hopes for her 2014 team as well. Two-time All-MIAC catcher Alex Raske is back to lead the Cardinals, and infielders Kristen Thelen and Mariah Harper are also back in the lineup.

St. Olaf has high hopes in Neuger's 10th season after reaching the final four in last year's Playoffs. All-MIAC sophomore Becca Walz returns to the hot corner in 2013, and Haley Schreier returns at first after leading the Oles in homers (six) and RBI (24) a year ago. Across town, Carleton is also hoping to move up into contention this season, led by three-time All-MIAC shortstop Jenny Ramey. Erickson also has talented pitcher Keelin Davis and infielder Kaitlyn Bagley back to bolster her team's 2014 hopes.

Powers will be aided in her first season leading St. Catherine by the return of three-time All-MIAC outfielder Alyssa Luedtke. Senior infielder Alyssa McKee and sophomore pitcher Lindsey Klein are also back for the Wildcats. Augsburg graduated a pair of stars in Bri Dorale and Allyson Ruedy, but All-MIAC Honorable Mention P/1B Lindsay Helbach returns for Tim Gormley's club, as do versatile veterans Bekka Kelly and Amanda Eaton.

Jody Gabriel has both talent and power back in her Macalester lineup with Scots' all-time home run leader Cleo Nagy back for her junior season, and All-MIAC junior Miranda Stokes also returns. Macalester shortstop Saraswati Wilson hit over .400 as a sophomore in 2013. In his second season as Concordia's head coach, Mike Reese must replace graduated star Kaia Sele, but has talented veterans back to lead the way. Junior shortstop Paige Beseman was an All-MIAC pick last season, and senior outfielder Heather Jonasson and junior pitcher Hilary Rotunda also return for the Cobbers.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
The 2014 season is already under way, as Saint Benedict began the MIAC schedule with a sweep of UW-Stout on Feb. 14. Most of the conference's teams will start their seasons with nonconference contests next week, with all 12 teams in action by early May. Conference play begins on Saturday, March, 29, and runs through Sunday, April 27, with the MIAC Playoffs returning to its four-team, double-elimination format May 2-3 at Rice Creek Park in Mounds View, Minn.

There will be plenty of important dates for MIAC fans to track sprinkled throughout the conference's regular season. Perhaps the top marquee matchup will take place before the calendar flips to April, as defending champ St. Thomas travels to face last year's runner up, Bethel, in a MIAC Playoff championship game rematch on March 30.

In another heated battle of Playoff hopefuls, Click takes her Saint Benedict squad to Gustavus to take on her alma mater in a highly-anticipated doubleheader on April 3. Macalester will travel to Augsburg for a Twin Cities showdown on April 5, as both hope to score a pair of wins to facilitate upward movement in the standings. April 17 will have a pair of marquee doubleheaders, as recent MIAC Playoff mainstays Saint Mary's and Hamline square off on the Pipers' home field, and the two Northfield rivals - Carleton and St. Olaf - will meet the same day. Finally, two of the MIAC's newest coaches will meet in a big series for their teams, when Powers' St. Catherine squad hosts Reese's Concordia team on April 23.

2014 MIAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (11 for first, 10 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.