SDSU lost the first three games of the series by one run with each game coming down to the final at-bat. The series opener began on Friday with a pitching duel between Jacks ace Stephen Bougher and Bison front man John Straka, each entering the game with a record of 5-2.

Bougher hurled seven solid innings giving up two runs but the Jacks came up short after the Bison scored a run in the ninth inning for a walk-off 3-2 win.

“Any game you lose by one run is heartbreaking,” Bougher said.

Saturday’s double-header brought more last inning misfortune when the Bison beat the Jacks, 7-6 in the first game and 3-2 in the second giving SDSU three straight losses in walk-off fashion.

“We were just a couple plays away from winning both those games,” said relief pitcher Shane Kraemer.

The Jacks clung to a 6-5 lead heading into the final inning of Saturday’s first game. SDSU donated a throwing error and a wild pitch to help NDSU score two runs for the victory. The second game brought yet another painful loss when the Bison won in extra innings on a bases loaded walk to end the game.

“Those are tough ones to swallow. We consider NDSU a rival and last weekend solidified that,” Kraemer said.

Like a broken record, the Jacks fell short again in the final game after NDSU scored three late runs to cap off the series with a 4-1 win.  On a bright note, Layne Somsen pitched his best game of the year and carried a perfect game into the fifth inning.

With NDSU atop the Summit league standings, it is likely the Jacks will play them again if they make the playoffs.

“I would like nothing more than to get another shot at them,” said Kraemer of the Bison.

If the Jacks want to turn this season around, they better do it in a hurry. SDSU carries a 2-6 Summit league record and that won’t be enough to get them into conference play.

“We definitely can’t lose another series if we want to make the tournament,” Bougher said.

SDSU has a chance to make up some ground in the conference standings with 13 of the remaining 14 games versus Summit league opponents. The Jacks will also have the advantage of playing 10 home games.

“A lot of the guys feel more comfortable playing at home. The team is rested and ready to go and we have a lot of resiliency on this team,” Kraemer said. “We are confident that we can get it going for conference play.”

If you’re having MLB problems I feel bad for you son, my team had 99 losses when last season was done. Hit me. Literally.

The Minnesota Twins finished last season with a record of 63-99 ,landing them their most losses since 1982 and a last-place finish in the AL Central division. It was a painfully bleak year (not even renowned Yankee fan Jay-Z could help them) with plenty of fans wondering what went wrong and would the Twins ever return to form?

This leaves the question: what can Twins fans expect this season? As much as it pains me to say, not a whole lot.

Minnesota begins the season with a few fan favorites missing from the roster. Longtime Twins Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Joe Nathan were all dealt in the offseason.

Losing Cuddyer to the Colorado Rockies is a painful blow to the Twins lineup and team chemistry. Cuddyer spent his entire career with the Twins organization and last season he led the team in batting average, home runs and runs scored. Thanks for the memories Cuddyer…

Fast forward to the 2012 roster.

Minnesota still has the sideburn sporting Joe Mauer batting third and calling games behind the plate.

Last season, Mauer signed the richest contract in Twins history, locking up the 2008 American League MVP for eight years and $184 million, giving Minnesota the ninth highest payroll in baseball. Time to win right? Wrong. Mauer only played 82 games in ’11 and saw his batting average drop to a career low .287 with only three homers. Should we be worried?

The All-Star catcher was plagued with an array of injuries that kept him sidelined and unable to get his bat going. If he can stay in the lineup, the Twins can expect to see him regain his batting title form and hopefully see his home run total dramatically increase.

I, for one, vote they shorten the fence at Target Field so Joe can actually hit some homers. Mauer only has one home run at Target Field since the team started playing home games there at the start of 2010. Yikes. Why build a ballpark where your star player cannot hit home runs? Good call on the field dimensions, Twins.

Let’s move on to someone who can hit dingers at any field in the majors: Justin Morneau. The Twins first baseman missed the majority of last season with concussion problems and is one headshot away from retiring. Morneau is having a decent spring training and fans can only hope he can regain his 2006 form when he took home MVP honors and played in 157 games.

The smart move is to move Morneau to the designated hitter position and play Mauer at first base to conserve his knees and ensure a long, healthy career. Mauer showed signs of promise last season when asked to fill in at first, and the truth is that the Twins’ most popular won’t be able to catch forever.

That being said, they still need other players to step up.

The team is counting on Denard Span to lead off and play center field. Span is a career .285 hitter and will need to bat around .300 if he hopes to hold down his spot with young speedster Ben Revere competing for it. Revere showed signs of greatness in the outfield and lighting quick speed on the bases in the absence of Span last year. The team did add outfielder Josh Willingham, who spent time with Oakland last year and hit 29 home runs. He provides one of the few power threats for the Twins, but infielder Luke Hughes will get a spot if he continues his hot spring training where he batted .317 and hit a team leading six home runs.

The offense will improve with Mauer and Morneau back in action. The pitching staff, however, looks sketchy at best.

Even with starting pitcher Francisco Liriano having an amazing spring training, the future is dim. Minnesota pitchers finished last season 29th overall in earned run average at an abysmal 4.58 and last in the league in strikeouts. Veteran Carl Pavano led the starting rotation with a mere nine wins ,and leaving Ron Gardenhire wondering who was going to give him solid innings from day-to-day. The same was the case with the bullpen, which beyond Glen Perkins and a hit-or-miss Matt Capps, was terrible and found itself leaning on the likes of Jim Hoey and Chuck James.

On a brighter note, the Twins will not lose 100 games this year. They won’t win the World Series by any means, but they also won’t finish last in the American League again either. Gardenhire is one of the best managers in the league and Joe Mauer can still win a batting title.

People always count the Twins out and somehow they end up surprising everyone. The boys are back in town and the season is upon us. All we can do now it sit back and enjoy the action.

The series started off on a high note Friday when the Rabbits won the opener 10-5 behind a strong pitching performance from Stephen Bougher (3-2) who went seven innings with four strikeouts.

“I just pitched to contact and our defense played well,” Bougher said. “Our pitchers need to keep going deep into ball games.”

First baseman Aaron Machbitz provided some offensive support by going 2 for 4, including a home run with four RBI’s.

“Mach was big for us that game,” Bougher said.

Saturday’s double-header began with a heartbreaking loss when UNC scored two runs in the final inning to secure an 8-7 win.

In the second game, SDSU bounced back with a 7-3 victory. Pitcher Adam Bray (1-2) tossed his best game as a Jackrabbit, giving up two runs while striking out six batters, earning his first win of the season.

“He battled through and got us a win,” said Bougher of his freshman teammate.

Outfielder Phil Paquette dominated UNC’s pitching staff by going a combined 6 for 8 on Saturday bringing his season batting average up to a stellar .393.

“You need to go into every at bat knowing you can get a hit,” said Paquette, who recently moved into the cleanup spot. The slugger produced 12 hits in the series. “As the weekend went on, I just felt more and more confident.”

The most exciting game of the weekend came in the final match on Sunday when the Jacks had a chance to win the series. SDSU trailed 6-15 at the start of the eighth inning and put together a furious comeback. After stringing together seven unanswered runs and seven consecutive hits in the ninth, the team fell short with a 15-13 loss.

“Even though we lost, it was a good moment for our team,” said Assistant Coach Brian Grunzke. “It showed resiliency and it showed our guys won’t quit.”

“I definitely feel like there was a different mentality in the dugout after we made that run in the ninth,” Paquette said. “More confidence.”

The team will need to maintain a positive mindset if they hope to improve their 6-12-1 season record. After starting an abysmal 0-8, the Jacks season has improved having since gone 6-5-1 in their last 12 games.

“We’ve played a very tough early season schedule,” Grunzke said. “We need to be consistent, day in and day out.”

Consistency in ballparks is a luxury the Jacks are without. The team has yet to play a home game this season, one of the downsides of being in a northern climate for the first two months of the season.

“The road kind of becomes your home for the first six weeks of the season. We don’t have much of a choice,” Bougher said.

SDSU won’t see a home crowd until April 10 when they host Mount Marty and then Minnesota on the very next day.

“We can’t wait to use the home atmosphere to our advantage,” said infielder Andrew Melton. 

Passionate student fans now have an official home, courtside at home basketball games and hope to make a lasting impact on opposing teams.

The SDSU student body has forever been without an “official” home at Frost Arena, leaving Jackrabbit nation seated sporadically during home basketball games. Not anymore. Students now have a territory to call their own: the Rabbit Den.

The Rabbit Den was created by a non-profit student organization in hopes of generating more fan participation at Jacks home games. The organization worked with the athletic program to get the project started.

Membership in the student sector costs ten dollars for the entire year and each Rabbit Den constituent will collect a t-shirt upon joining along with a free soda for every home game. Members will also receive preferential seating in lower section of the south side at Frost Arena. In addition, official gameday props will be handed out pregame in the form of foam fingers, Santa hats, pom-poms, and other items.

Public Relations and Marketing director Kameron Anderson hopes the Rabbit Den will unify Jackrabbit faithful.

“It’s a cheap way for students to get priority seating and get more involved,” said Anderson. “We want to pump up the student section and give the teams extra support.”

The idea of the Rabbit Den is to unite students and boost school spirit. “Students feed off each other. We want people to get loud,” Anderson said.

Fan participation at college basketball games is a major attraction throughout the country. Schools like Duke University have the Cameron Crazies that create a hostile environment for opposing teams, an example the Rabbit Den hopes to follow.

SDSU jumped to the Division I ranks in 2004 and joined the Summit League in 2007 making way for higher class competition. The women host Arizona St. and Iowa a Frost Arena in marquee games this month alone.

“We are trying to create that D-I atmosphere,” said Den member Tim Goldammer. “We want to get people hootin’ and hollering in order to support the Jacks positively.”

The men’s team is currently ranked No. 17 in the Mid-major poll and the women’s team is the two-time defending Summit League Champions making for another exciting environment this year.

Ten dollars seems a fair price for reserved seating with all proceeds from the Den going to pay for t-shirts and props. The student organization is working on promotional programs including a white-out game and an all pink game supporting the fight against breast cancer.

Last weekend’s games against NDSU was the Rabbit Den’s inaugural event. So far, the official student only section boasts around 100 members. “Hopefully, we can get our numbers up around 500 and fill the entire section,” said Anderson.

The goal for this year is to prove to other programs that the Jackrabbits are a unified front with major school spirit.

Sign up sheets are available at the student union and a booth is stationed at home games. The Rabbit Den also has a Facebook page with information available about their website and upcoming events.

“This is a building year but hopefully we can catch on,” said Anderson. “We want to get the word out that we are here to stay.”

It was a sad day last year when Alison Anderson and Ketty Cornemann played their final game of basketball for SDSU.

However, Jackrabbit athletics were not over for these two super athletes. Both decided to use their final year of eligibility to play another sport. Cornemann joined the volleyball team, and Anderson runs cross country and track.

Switching sports after four years is no simple task. Check out Michael Jordan’s minor league baseball stats for some perspective.

How did these two handle such a difficult change? Pure athletic ability helps, accompanied with a world-class work ethic.

“Both were very dedicated to our sport and our program,” said women’s basketball head coach Aaron Johnston, who coached them for four years. “They were strong competitors on the basketball court, and the team will miss them this year.”

During their basketball careers, the duo achieved numerous accomplishments, including back-to-back Summit League Championships and two trips to the NCAA tournament.

Cornemann, a native of Yankton, was a two-year starter and was named to the all-Summit League second team last season. She was also a 1,000-point scorer for the Jacks. Anderson was a defensive specialist and played a key role off the bench.

Both players were exceptional athletes in high school, which eased the transition from sport to sport. A competitive nature fueled their willingness to play another sport at the collegiate level.

What started out as a joke between Cornemann and volleyball head coach Nanabah Allison-Brewer, soon became reality. Cornemann approached Allison-Brewer about playing volleyball and she was welcomed with open arms.

She is no stranger to the game. In high school, Cornemann was selected as the South Dakota Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year.

“We felt like she could bring that championship experience to our program,” Allison-Brewer said. “She made the transition well, and it has been a pleasure coaching her.”

After joining the team as a fifth-year rookie, Cornemann did not have any allusions about her role on the team.

“I didn’t think I was going to come in and change the world, I just wanted to help the team in any way I could,” Cornemann said. “I wanted to play to the best of my ability.”

Cornemann has done that and is one of the key contributors off the bench.

“She understands the game and she’s a hard worker,” Allison-Brewer said.

A superior work ethic is something Anderson shares with Cornemann, along with being an outstanding athlete.

Anderson’s list of high school accolades includes Player of the Year honors from the Waseca County News and the Albert Lea Tribune, and she finished as the all-time leading scorer in school history. She also lettered in track six times, among numerous other honors.

Anderson, who hails from New Richland, Minn., joined the track team late last season after a friend suggested she talk to cross country head coach Rod DeHaven about joining the squad.

This season in cross country, her times have improved with every event.

“It’s nerve racking,” Anderson said. “You have to be on your toes the whole time.”

Joining the track and cross country team stretches beyond school for Anderson.

“I was interested in pursuing cross country because it is something I could do lifelong,” Anderson said.

Anderson runs up to 40 miles a week for preparation and sometimes 10 miles per day.

“There’s certainly no denying it’s a different level of hierarchy,” DeHaven said. “I’m appreciative for the time I’ve got to spend with her. Her personality and leadership skills have been a big asset to the team.”

The relationship between Anderson and Cornemann extends beyond the basketball court. The duo came to SDSU as freshmen in 2006 and lived together for two years.

“Alison and I are like best friends,” Cornemann said.

The feeling is mutual with Anderson.

“Ketty is one of the easiest people to get along with,” Anderson said.

After graduation, each aspires to coach basketball someday.

“They both have what it takes,” Johnston said. “They have the dedication, they communicate well and have great personalities. I think they’d be very successful.”

#1.1743525:1036670466.png:11-03-2010 14:Ketty Cornemann leaps for a kill in a match earlier this year. Cornemann has 69 kills in 19 matches this year.:Collegian Photo
#1.1766943:3144770368.jpg:Alison Anderson runs at Edgebrook Golf Course in the SDSU Classic on Oct. 2. :Alison Anderson runs at Edgebrook Golf Course in the SDSU Classic on Oct. 2. :Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson

New equestrian coach Joe Humphrey steps in after Megan McGee, former equestrian coach, accepted a job with the World Equestrian Games in August.

The Jacks lost five-year equestrian coach Megan McGee in August just before the season started.

It couldn’t have come at a worse time. How will the team fare this year?

Enter interim head coach Josh Humphrey and a host of assistant coaches along with a slue of talented riders. The Jacks are not looking back.

“It’s a setback to some degree when you lose a coach of her caliber, but we are moving forward.” Humphrey said. “The assistant coaches did an outstanding job in playing catch up with some issues.”

With the season well under way, the change of coaches has been a fairly simple one.

Humphrey has been with the team since its inaugural season in 2005 and is prime for the head-coaching job.

“He’s a familiar face and he’s done a great job. It made the transition easy,” junior Megan Schiferl said.

The Jacks are also looking forward to the entrance of the new English discipline coach Leigh Nichols, who arrives this week. Nichols was the head coach of Delaware State last year and will bring a boost to the team.

“We are all very excited to meet coach Nichols and to see how she can refresh the team,” Schiferl said.

The team (0-3) started out this season on the road against some tough competition in South Carolina, Kansas State and Auburn. These three schools won various events last year at the Varsity Nationals.

Last weeks event in South Carolina showed signs of progress.

“We competed successfully throughout the weekend and got better with each ride,” Humphrey said. Three Jacks riders took home MVP honors in South Carolina, not enough to obtain victory.

The schedule does not get any easier as they travel to River Falls, Wisconsin this weekend to compete in the IHSA Western event. The Jacks will take 14 riders in hopes of capturing their first victory of the season.

In addition to having 48 riders on the roster, the team also carries 40 horses in the stables. Luckily for the Jacks, coach Humphrey is a well-organized machine.

“Structure and organization is an important factor,” Humphrey said.

With the first win of the year eluding the Jacks, the team remains optimistic.

“We need to focus on building confidence and team chemistry,” Schiferl said. “Team stability is an important factor for the Jacks this year.

The team hopes to contend in the Varsity National event at the end of the season in Lexington, Ky. The event is the Super Bowl of the Equestrian world and does not begin until May 5.

“Effort has been outstanding. We have a good foundation to build on and it will help us compete this year,” Humphrey said. “We need to continue to ride in the moment.”

#1.1668970:2989339768.jpg:Equestrian.jpg:Victoria Pecak competes at a home event held at the Nathelle and Lawrence DeHaan Equestrian Center.:File Photo
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The SDSU men’s golf team finished the final round of play at the Kansas Invitational on Tuesday. This was the second tournament of the year and there is room for improvement, stability being a main concern for the young team.

“We need more consistency from top to bottom,” head coach Jared Baszler said.

After the first round of play, the Jacks sat in a tie with Drake University for ninth place with a combined score of 297. The team was ten shots off the lead, entering the second round when things took a turn for the worse. With a combined second round score of 305, the Jacks were bumped back to 11th place with only one round remaining.

“With this stiff competition, anything over 300 hurts ya,” Baszler said.

The Jacks were looking to stay competitive going into the last day of play. They shot a combined 298 in the third and final round on Tuesday. With a total score of 900, the Jacks finished a respectful 10th out of 15 teams in the tournament. Oklahoma City University won the event with a score of 865.

Sophomore David Smith shot 4 over par for the tournament and placed 15th overall.

“I struck the ball well but I didn’t capitalize on my putts,” Smith said.

This was a reoccurring theme for the Jacks as a whole throughout the event.

“We missed putts that we should have made, Baszler said. “Looking forward, we need to keep improving.”

The Jacks will need to practice their short game before traveling to Kansas State Sept. 27 to compete in the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate event.

Freshman Hudson Carpenter finished an impressive 7-over-par and placed 26th overall. With no senior leadership on the team, the Jacks will rely on some younger players to contribute and help the team compete.

The season has just begun and the team is confident in their abilities.

“We showed promise and we all played well,” Smith said. “I think we can make some noise this year.”

#1.1641613:480640027.jpg:Sophomore Greg Fehrman tied for 66th at the Kansas Invitational.:Sophomore Greg Fehrman tied for 66th at the Kansas Invitational. The Jacks finished 10th out of 15 teams over the weekend.:Collegian Photo by Ryan Robinson

Last year, the Twins won the central division by defeating the Detroit Tigers in a thrilling extra regular season game. Less then a week later the World Series Champion New York Yankees swept them 3-0 in the playoffs. Night and day compared to this year.

The Twins have a genuine shot at the American League pennant and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota trails the Tampa Bay Rays by two games for the best record in the majors. They are also tough to beat at Target Field hosting the best home record in the American League at 48-23. If the Twins’ pitching can continue its second half form, do not be surprised to see Minnesota with home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

With the season nearing its end, the Twins try to capture their second straight AL Central title and the sixth in the last 10 years. Minnesota has won eight out of the last 10 games as of Sept. 13 and show no signs of slowing down.

The Twins have the best record in the American League since the All-Star break without the team’s cleanup hitter and All-Star first basemen Justin Morneau. Even without Morneau, Minnesota is tied for first with the Texas Rangers in team batting average at .276 and ranks third in the entire league in total hits. Morneau is currently on the disabled list due to a concussion he suffered in early July. To the dismay of Twins fans, his return is uncertain.

Hopefully Morneau can return with some time left in the season to regain his timing and help the Twins in the playoffs.

Forty-year-old designated hitter Jim Thome provides much-needed power in the middle of the lineup. On Sept. 11 Thome hit his 23rd homer of the season in the top of the 12th inning in a scoreless game against the Cleveland Indians. The Twins won 1-0. Thome currently sits eighth on the all-time home run list at 587 homers. No doubt Twins fans look forward to watching him chase the 600th.

The Twins have a crucial three-game series against the Chicago White Sox who trail Minnesota by six games as of Sept. 12. This is the last time the two teams meet this season and it could be the last chance for Chicago to gain ground on Minnesota. If the Twins can avoid a sweep and scratch out one or two wins against the Sox, pencil them in for the playoffs. The Twins have a favorable remaining schedule, which includes three games apiece against the Royals and Indians.

Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings square off against the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game on Thursday night. Brett Favre returns for his nineteenth season to quarterback the talented Vikings offense against the evenly matched Saints. The QB matchup between All-Pro Drew Brees and forty-one year old Favre is reason enough to tune in.

Offense:

The Vikings finished 12-4 last year atop the NFC North behind the arm a Favre and the power running of Adrian Peterson who finished second in the NFL in rush yards. Peterson led the league in rushing the previous two seasons before that. If Peterson can hold on to the ball, he is primed for a career year. The loss of pro-bowl wide receiver Sidney Rice for 6-8 weeks is a major blow considering he was Favre’s number one option. The team will rely on 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year Percy Harvin and first time pro-bowl tight end Vishante Shiancoe to catch TD passes. With shaky offensive line play in the preseason, Vikings fans can only hope three-time MVP Favre can carry the offense for one more year which Favre says will be his last.

Defense:

The Vikings finished sixth in total defense last season with the defensive line leading the way. Perennial pro-bowl tackles Kevin and Pat Williams, along with fellow all-pro Jared Allen make up one of the toughest defensive lines in the NFL which led the league in sacks with forty-eight. South Dakota native Chad Greenway and the talented EJ Henderson head up the linebackers. The acquisition of veteran Lito Shepperd and the hard hitting Antoine Winfield combined for four pro-bowls and will be crucial in mentoring a young defensive backfield.

Chicago Bears

The addition of Jay Cutler last year at QB didn’t work out in the Bears favor. He led the league in interceptions and the Bears missed out on the playoffs. The defense is headed up by veteran linebacker Brian Urlacher and newly acquired sack machine Julius Peppers – who received a hefty contract in the offseason. The Bears are hoping offensive coordinator Mike Martz can help Cutler regain his 2008 form when he had a career year with the Denver Broncos.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers finished 11-5 in route to a wild card berth but lost in the NFC playoffs to the Arizona Cardinals. Pro-Bowl Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hopes to continue his success in becoming one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. Rodgers replaced Brett Favre three seasons ago and he is close to stepping out of his shadow. The Packers finished with the NFL’s second best team defense and they show no signs of slowing down. It is safe to say that the Packers are a serious threat to compete for a Super Bowl crown.

Detroit Lions

The Lions finished last in the NFC north at a lowly 2-14 and the outlook isn’t much better this year. Second year pro Mathew Stafford showed signs of potential last year but the North is to strong this year for the Lions to compete. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson has unlimited talent and is a nice complement for Stafford. First round draft picks DT Ndamukong Suh and RB Jahvid Best are exciting players, but this could be a long year for Lions fans.

As the race for the Summit League playoffs heat up, the SDSU women’s softball team depends on freshman pitcher Kori Seidlitz to keep the games within reach of victory.

The ace of the Jacks pitching staff carries a record of 11-15, with an ERA of 4.40 and 127 strikeouts in her first year at the collegiate level. Seidlitz seems to be maturing as the season carries on. Last week she was the first Jackrabbit in history to obtain Summit League Pitcher of the Week honors.

“It felt good, and it makes me want to work harder as a player,” she said.

Seidlitz is no stranger to awards, though. In her hometown of Mountlake Terrace, Wash., she got numerous accolades, including Player of the Year from various newspapers, and even snagged a spot on the All-Area Team in the Seattle Times.

So how did SDSU convince a West-Coast girl like Seidlitz to tempt the frozen tundra of South Dakota? Not the weather.

“(It was) like moving to another country because the coldest I’ve ever felt was like 20 degrees,” she said.

Another major recruiting effort was on the behalf of pitching coach Tracie Adix, a native of Washington who grew up merely 20 miles away from Seidlitz’s hometown.

“I grew up reading about her and watched her play for DePaul University,” said Seidlitz. “She really put SDSU on the map for me.”

Adix, who has been a coach at State for three years, predicts a bright future for Seidlitz.

“If Kori puts in the effort in the offseason, she could do great things for this program and eventually become a leader,” said Adix.

This may be crucial to the team’s success in years to come since the lineup consists of five freshman starters and only two seniors. Luckily for Seidlitz, one of those seniors is catcher Dani Broshar, who calls the pitches thrown in the games. Broshar’s senior leadership is vital to a team heavy with young players, especially to a freshman pitcher. Head coach Joanna Lane describes Broshar as having a “stoic mentality and high expectations for her pitchers.”

When Seidlitz is not on the mound mowing down batters with her wicked curveball (her favorite pitch), she is busy studying her major of pre-law off the field.

Her teammates have dubbed her with the nickname of “Princess,” because she loves to wear pink and paint her fingernails on her left hand – her non-pitching hand.

The softball team currently sitProxy-Connection: keep-aliveCache-Control: max-age=0

in fourth place in the Summit League standings, which is significant when only four teams make the playoffs. Their remaining six games are all in-conference battles, with a huge final series against the rival Bison of NDSU to be played at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium May 7 and 8.