MIAC Release

ST. PAUL, MINN. – To say 2016 was historic for the St. Catherine University softball team might be a bit of an understatement. The Wildcats achieved a plethora of program firsts, including the first big to the NCAA tournament in program history. Naturally, the St. Kate's softball team would kick off the 2017 with another impressive milestone: the team's highest selection in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) preseason poll. Thanks to an impressive 2016, the Wildcats were selected to finish second by the MIAC head softball coaches, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

St. Kate's softball team is ready for the high expectations, especially after a historic 2016 season. The Wildcats opened the season with a perfect 13-0 record, the longest win-streak in program history, before going on to qualify for the MIAC playoffs and earn the team's first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. After a season like that, it's no wonder St. Kate's was ranked No. 13 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason top-25, the highest ranking for a team in the MIAC.

Of course, the Wildcats will have some pretty big shoes to fill if they the success from 2016 to carry over to 2017. St. Kate's lost two seniors to graduation, reigning MIAC Softball Player-of-the-Year Robyn Rohr (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) and standout outfielder Donielle Kurvers (Monticello, Minn. / Monticello). In her senior season, Rohr set multiple school records and lead the MIAC in multiple statistical categories, including batting average, on base percentage, runs, and hits. Kurvers started every game but one for St. Kate's in 2016 and one of the Wildcats most consistent outfielders throughout the season.

However, there are plenty of juniors ready to fill Rohr and Kurvers' shoes and step in as the new leaders of the team. Junior pitcher Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) is back for her third season with St. Kate's after a successful sophomore season with the program. Flugstad followed up her impressive first year with the Wildcats by being even better as a sophomore, earning All-Conference and All-Region honors for the second time in her career.  In her sophomore year, Flugstad broke and reset multiple school records, including shutouts in a single season (8) and wins in a single season (19). Flugstad finished 2016 with the second lowest earned run average (ERA) in the MIAC at 1.22, which stands as the second-lowest ERA in program history. Flugstad also led a staff that was second in the MIAC in combined team ERA, and led St. Kate's pitchers in innings pitched (153.2), wins, shutouts, and strikeouts (158) at seasons end.

Flugstad was no slouch at the plate either. The sophomore ace may have had a slow start to the season, but she was one of the Wildcats hottest hitters in both postseason tournaments. Flugstad was the only member of St. Kate's team to reach base safely in every game of Decorah Regional in the NCAA Tournament to close the season with a .294 batting average.

Fellow juniors and All-MIAC honorees Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) and Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) are both back for the 2017 season. Macziewski and Sis earned All-MIAC honors for the first time in their careers after serving as two of the team's statistical leaders, both offensively and defensively. Macziewski was second only to Rohr in several offensive categories, including batting average (.343). Defensively, Macziewski was even better and finished with the most defensive assists (74) on the team and fielded four double plays during the regular and post season while only committing three errors at third base.

Sis earned All-Conference honors after finishing third on the team in batting average (.321) and second in on base percentage (.394), runs scored (31), hits (45) and doubles (14). Sis was also a defensive stalwart, having played first base for the Wildcats in all but three games when she caught.

Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) and Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) round out the softball team's upper classman rankings. Berquam is expected to get more time on the mound this upcoming season as the No. 2 pitcher, while Woebke will continue to be a key part of St. Kate's middle infield.

The Wildcats five juniors will be joined by six sophomores who were all part of the 2016 team that made deep runs in the MIAC and NCAA tournaments. Eight first years will also be making their debuts with the program, all of whom will have a chance to make a major impact this season.

St. Kate's won't waste any time jumping right into the 2017 season. The Wildcats open their season with weekend with four games at the Rochester Community Technical College (RCTC) dome in Rochester, Minnesota. St. Kate's will take on the College of St. Scholastica and Domincan University Saturday evening before turning around to play Simpson College and Coe College on Sunday. Sunday's game against Simpson will be the first meeting between the two teams since the NCAA Regional Tournament, where the Wildcats defeated Simpson twice in order to advance to the Regional Final.