Game Time...The Northwestern College softball team resumes its season at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament held on the campus of St.Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minn. The Raiders will play four games in two days, beginning with a doubleheader against the host Huskies on Friday at 1pm. Northwestern will play University of Minnesota-Crookston and Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday. 

All of the games can be followed via the following website:

    Tournament Website | 

All-Time...Northwestern is 0-1 all-time against St.Cloud State, losing 8-0 in six innings at last year's tournament. The Raiders are 1-0 all-time against Crookston, earning a 9-1, five-inning win in 2005, and are 2-4 all-time against the Mustangs in a rivalry that began in 1992. They have not played since the 2005 season.

Scouting Reports...

    St. Cloud State Huskies:
    2021 record: 0-0; season opener
    2020 record: 15-7
    Head Coach: Paula U'ren (23rd year)
        -career record of 725-485, 60% win
    Preseason rank: picked 4th in NSIC (Northern Sun) preseason
    Top Players:
        Jasmin Estrada - all-conf: .411 BA, 13 runs, 5 HR, 22 RBI
        Maya Keating - 2x all-conf: .370 BA, 16 runs, HR
        Megan Conrads - all-conf: .333 BA, 18 runs, 2 HR, 13 RBI
        Brooke Bowlin - all-conf: .333 BA, 16 runs
        Sydney LaPoint - 7-0, 2.20 ERA  54 IP, 40 K's
        Kylie Thomsen - 4-4, 2.54 ERA, 41.1 IP, 29 K's

    Minnesota - Crookston Golden Eagles:
    2021 record: 0-2
    2020 record: 6-10, best start to season in program history
    Head Coach: Travis Owen (2nd year)
        -former ass't @ U. Northern Colorado and Northern State
    Preseason rank: picked 14th in NSIC (Northern Sun) preseason
    Top Players:
        Malia Pula - .426 BA, 9 runs
        Cassie Querry - .375 BA, 12 runs, 4 HR, 17 RBI
        Gabriella Blomdahl - .277 BA, 6 runs
        Hannah Macias - .265 BA, 7 runs, 5 RBI
        Paige Pitlick - 3-5, 2.24 ERA, 43.2 IP, 61 K's
       
    Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs:
    2021 record: 0-0; season opener
    2020 record: 9-7
    Head Coach: Bailey Bouman (3rd year)
    Preseason rank: picked 10th in NSIC (Northern Sun) preseason
    Top Players:
        Bailey Johnson - .438 BA, 19 runs, 3 HR, 13 RBI
        Kali Tomlinson - .411 BA, 10 runs, 3 HR, 15 RBI
        Jillian Noel - .375 BA, 5 runs, HR, 19 RBI
        Lileya Kebos - .340 BA, 5 runs, 12 RBI
        Shelby Bloemendaal - 1-3, 4.67 ERA, 33 IP, 12 K's
       
Northwestern Notes...

Northwestern opened its 2021 season with a sweep against Viterbo last weekend, earning a 4-2 win in game one and 14-2 (5 innings) in game two. The Raiders hit .380 and smacked three home runs over the weekend, led by freshman Kameryn Etherington who hit .600, going 3-for-5. Erika McKenney hit .571 with four RBI and both Jennifer Boeve and Bri Giordano hit .500.

Etherington and Samantha Ubben picked up wins in the circle for head coach Shane Bouman's squad; Etherington gave up two runs in five innings while Ubben recorded 10 strikeouts in six innings in the game one win.