MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE GAM E DAY - M ARCH 28, 2021
MUSTANG SOFTBALL The 2021 Great Plains Athletic Conference campaign begins this afternoon with Dakota Wesleyan University making the southeastern trek to Jensen Family Softball Complex. Head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann’s Mustangs are off to a white-hot start. They’ve already gone over the 20-win mark for a remarkable 31st time in the last 32 seasons as part of a 22-3 record and No. 16 ranking on the current National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ coaches poll. DWU, guided by first-year head coach Derek Lien, took an 8-10 overall and 0-2 league record to Briar Cliff University midweek.
MUSTANG MARKS The Mustangs hold a 20-8 all-time advantage on the Tigers. Dakota Wesleyan snapped a 10-game series slide, producing a split on their home field during the 2019 season. Morningside College received top billing on the conference’s preseason coaches listing, released March 19. The Maroon received six of the 12 first-place nods and 114 total points. Concordia University was a close second (110 points) and received three first-place nominations. At the same time, Midland University picked fourth, earned two first-place selections, and Northwestern College, situated in fifth, had one first-place recognition. The complete first five was made up of the Mustangs, CU, the University of Jamestown, MU, and NWC, with the five programs separated by just 31 points. In their most recent outing, senior infielder Lexie Stolen upped a meteoric roll of games with multiple hits to five, leading a 13run, 20-hit attack over two games at the McPherson University tournament March 11. Stolen went five-for-seven with a double and an RBI. The headliner of the afternoon at Bulldog Park was a three-for-three, three-run-scored, one-double output during an 8-0 victory over Langston University. Fellow upperclasswoman infielder Morgan Nixon wound up four-foreight with two runs driven in; senior catcher Ashton Whited
turned in a .330 dish day, going one-for-three with a run scored; and sophomore outfielder Vanessa Bohulsvalsky added to the program’s highlights with two hits in four at-bats, two runs scored, a double and an RBI. With that type of offensive power, the pitching staff had plenty of back-up. However, the three-member group could have succeeded with less. Sophomore Lisa Bolton fired a complete-game three-hit shutout with a career personal-high ten strikeouts against Langston, which was the program’s most in a game for an individual since 2019. The combination of junior Katherine Wurtz and senior Alex Nelson combined for a 10-strikeout effort, too, in a 5-2 victory over Tabor. Wurtz K’ed eight over six frames and Nelson set the Bluejays down in order in the seventh with two fans. Stolen represented Morningside on the NAIA’s national Player of the Week awards for March 8-14. Raising her season batting average to .453 and slugging percentage to 1.031, the senior extended her current hit streak to nine with a monster week at the dish for the Mustangs who went 8-0 on a tour of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. The national Player of the Week concluded the set with five straight multiple-hit contests. Stolen crushed four home runs and scored 14 runs in the timeframe to take the NAIA lead in both categories. The twin bill with the Tigers begins a busy frame of competition for Jones-Sitzmann’s squad. They’re scheduled to travel to Concordia University Tuesday, March 30, and Hastings College Thursday, April 1, for a pair of loop doubleheaders.
TIGER TALES Dakota Wesleyan went into the clash with Briar Cliff looking to stop a five-game losing streak. Their conference slate opened with a pair of losses at Dordt March 20 by 6-1 and 10-2 scores. Lien’s crew has been active on the basepaths. Through 18 games, DWU had 49 steals to their credit which was ranked 9th nationally. Freshman Alyssa Burke headlined the individual efforts with 22 which was fourth-highest in the span. Senior outfielder Alyssa Garcia tallied a .424 batting average which included three round-trippers, seven doubles and 24 RBI, and Burke had the top pitching numbers with a 3-1 record, two complete games and 31 strikeouts for other team highlights in the same timeframe.
MORNINGSIDE MUSTANGS O. N 00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
NAME Sydney Gesink Mackenna Sidzyik Ellie Cropley Mykel Gray Josie Baxter Carrington Entringer Mia Barozzo Katherine Wurtz Sydney Struve Carson Cameron Lexie Stolen Brittany Turnquist Hope Rose Brooke Haage Micki Twedell Morgan Nixon Ashlyn McMillen Katie Murphy Kennedee Jones Ashton Whited Taylor Richter Breanna Tjebben Alyx Curran-Lewis Makenna Bonneau Alex Nelson Holly Severance Emma Christensen Justine Lovato
YR. POS. So. INF R/R Fr. INF R/R Jr. OF L/L Jr. UT L/L Jr. OF L/L Jr. OF L/L Fr. UT R/R Jr. UT L/L Fr. UT R/R Sr. OF R/R Sr. INF R/R So. OF R/R Fr. C R/R Fr. IF R/R So. OF L/L Jr. INF R/R Fr. UT R/R So. C R/R Fr. IF L/L Sr. C R/R So. INF R/R Jr. INF R/R So. OF L/L Fr. UT R/R Sr. P R/R So. IF R/R Fr. UT R/R Fr. OF R/R
HOMETOWN Sioux Center, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Sioux City, Iowa Ames, Iowa Lincoln, Neb. Baltic, S.D./Baltic Santa Paula, Calif. Omaha, Neb. Granville, Iowa Herman, Neb. Sioux City, IA Alta, Iowa South Sioux City, Neb. LeMars, Iowa Sioux Falls, S.D. Omaha, Neb. Blair, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D. Ankeny, Iowa Elkhorn, Neb. Rock Valley, Iowa Fort Dodge, Iowa Plattsmouth, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Sioux Falls, S.D. Las Vegas, Nev. Sergeant Bluff, Iowa Colorado Springs, Colo.
30 31 32 33 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 45
Halleigh Kokenge Emily Thompson Cara Forsblom Vanessa Bohuslavsky Madison Treiber Jess Walker Kailani Peru Andi Hays Rylee Olson Tori Misiaszek Sydney Petersen Lisa Bolton
So. Sr. So. So. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. So. So. So.
OF INF OF UT P/OF INF UT P/OF INF UT IF P
R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R L/L R/R R/R R/R
Sioux Falls, S.D. Brandon, S.D. Cedar Falls, Iowa David City, Neb. Vermillion, S.D. Plattsmouth, Neb. Colorado Springs, Colo. Elkhorn, Neb. Hardwick, Minn. Mitchell, S.D. Omaha, Neb. American Canyon, Calif.
Head coach: Jessica Jones-Sitzmann Assistant coaches: Mackenzie Neely, Brooke Lyman, Mara Amsberry
DAKOTA WESLEYAN O. N 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
NAME Allison McElveny Destinee Nelson Adriana Thomason Stephanie Gabel Devany Farris Kyllie Ramirez Haley Linke Britain Smith Reagan Nebel Katelyn Farris Reagan Grossi Alyssa Garcia
YR. POS. Jr. OF R/R Fr. OF L/R Jr. OF R/R Sr. INF R/R Sr. P R/R Jr. P R/R So. INF R/R Fr. P R/R Sr. INF L/R Fr. UTL R/R Fr. C R/R Sr. OF R/R
HOMETOWN Chula Vista, Calif. Henry, S.D. Las Vegas, Nev. Sioux Falls, S.D. Cheyenne, Wyo. Revillo, S.D. Mitchell, S.D. Lennox, S.D. Hayti, S.D. Converse, Texas Vail, Ariz. LaVerne, Calif.
16 18 20 21 23 26 28 32 33
Alexys Durham Lena McCoy Meghan Daffern Alyssa Burke Madeleine Sargent Monique Gomez Meaghan Valdivia Ashton Simantel Nora Nelson
Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Fr. Fr.
OF UTL P P C INF P UTL INF
Head coach: Derek Lien Assistant coaches: Samantha Gill, Noah Bartscher
R/R R/R R/R L/R R/R R/R R/R R/R R/R
Rapid City, S.D. Estherville, Iowa Tehachapi, Calif. Rapid City, S.D. Rapid City, S.D. Santa Maria, Calif. Phelan, Calif. Scotland, S.D. Rapid City, S.D.
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