The University of Minnesota Duluth welcomes back a brand new session of softball this spring with an season-opening tournament beginning this Friday (Feb. 14) in Bentonville, Ark. The Bulldogs will compete in a four-day, eight-game event against seven different opponents.

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OPENING DAY:  UMD opens against Southern Nazarene at 9:30 a.m. and Henderson State at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs take the field Saturday to battle Pittsburg State at 9:30 a.m. and Nebraska-Kearney at 1:30 p.m. Sunday pits the Dogs against Southwestern Oklahoma State at 9:30 a.m. and No. 1 Central Oklahoma before squaring off against host Arkansas-Monticello in a doubleheader starting at 11:00 a.m.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: There are no live stats available but the games can be followed via the UMD Athletics or the UMD Softball twitter accounts. In addition, game result can be found via the UMD softball schedule or the tournament main website.

Tournament Website: uamsports.com/news/2014/2/6/SB_0206143253.aspx
Twitter: twitter.com/UMD_Softball
 
OPPONENTS AT A GLANCE:

Southern Nazarene kicked off the season in Stephenville, Tex. going 1-2 in the Texann Invite. The Storm won its season opener before dropping a Sunday doubleheader. Freshman first baseman Hannah LeBeau and junior outfielder/pitcher Kylie Lang were both named to the All-Tournament Team. LeBeau went 4-for-11 with five RBIs on the weekend while Lang hit .333 at the plate with four runs scored and pitched two innings of one-run ball. Last year, SNU went 19-33 overall and 11-25 in the Great American Conference.

Henderson State capped off their second weekend of play with a 2-2 split in the Hurry Up Classic in Arkadelphia, Ark. The Lady Reddies come into the 8-State Classic holding a 3-4 record after finishing 23-32 from a year ago. Senior catcher Amber Klug lead a quartet of players that have .400 average or better. Klug is currently smacking the ball at a .550 clip and a .850 slugging percentage (four extra base hits including a home run). Freshman pitcher Ashlyn White is 1-2 (three appearances, one start) on the mound and is leading the team with a .615 on-base percentage inside the batter's box.

Pittsburg State will commence the 2014 season looking to improve up on its 28-22 finish and seventh place Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association finish last spring. Designated hitter Tiffany Brown returns for her final collegiate season after batting .369 with 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 42 RBIs in 50 games while her other senior counterpart outfielder Brenna George swiped 24-of-26 bases.

Nebraska-Kearney, who departed the 2013 year 13-29 overall and 8-18 in the MIAA, returns seven seniors and eight starters from a season ago. The Lopers brings back their anchor in the infield, junior Malloy Noakes. Noakes has started in all 91 games at shortstop in her career and ended last season at .297 with 13 runs batted in. In addition, sophomore utility player Erin Dwyer had a standout rookie year for Kearney, as she led the club in batting average (.320), on-base percentage (.427) and was one five players to be perfect in the field.

Southwestern Oklahoma State began the 2014 campaign splitting a doubleheader against New Mexico Highlands University. The Bulldogs wound up finishing with a 16-36 record in 2013. SWOSU, in a similar circumstance with UMD, is comprised of three upperclassmen on the roster. Leading the pack is lone senior, pitcher Julianne Martinez. Martinez, who went 14-14 with a 3.15 ERA last spring, threw a complete game, nine-strikeout victory for SWOSU. Junior outfielder Nikki Brandt gave Martinez the win when she pounded the walk-off three-run home run to win 4-3.

Central Oklahoma opens the 2014 year as the defending national champions and the preseason unanimous No. 1 in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association poll. The Bronchos have 12 players, including seven starters, back from last spring's 51-11 championship squad. UCO had a rough outing in the season-opening Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev., claiming only two victories. A trio of NSIC teams, Augustana (win over UCO), U. of Mary (lost) and Minot State (lost) were a part of UCO's five-game Vegas stretch. As a club, the Bronchos hit four home runs and a .319 batting average. Freshman first baseman/designated player hit staggering .556 in her first four career games.

Arkansas-Monticello is hosting the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville, Ark., after sweeping the twin bill over Christian Brothers University then the following week tumbling twice in the Hurry Up Classic. UMD's only double header will be against Arkansas-Monticello. Sophomore outfielder Kali Piha led the Cotton Blossoms in six offensive categories throughout the first two weeks of the season.  Additionally, the Blossoms had a solid outings from pitchers junior Katie Slaughter and senior Courtney Wilson. The duo each recorded split decisions and a collective 1.99 ERA.

THE MANAGER: The passion for softball Jen Banford displayed as an all-conference collegiate player certainly has carried over into her role as a head coach. Since her arrival on the UMD campus in the summer of 2005, Banford's hard work, commitment and dedication has helped keep the tradition-rich Bulldog program firmly on the NCAA Division II radar.

During her eight years at the Bulldog helm, Banford, the reigning Northern Sun Intercollegiate Coach of the Year, has guided UMD to a 247-153 career record (for a .618 winning percentage), four NCAA II Central Regional berths (2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012), and one NSIC regular season championship. That NSIC title conquest, the school's first since 2003, occurred last spring when the Bulldogs rolled up their second most victories ever (they were 41-13 overall) and shattered some 23 team and individual single-season records, including most conference wins (19).  In addition, between Feb. 19 and March 19, the Bulldogs reeled off 14 straight wins -- their second longest victory streak ever (bettered only by the team's 19-game run in 1988).

In 2012, UMD went 38-22 and also churned out the school's fourth All-American in second baseman Tyra Kerr (National Fastpitch Coaches Association second team), a three-time All-NSIC first team honoree who closed out her rewarding career in 2012 owning team career marks for hits (267), starts (209) and games played (210). She was bestowed with UMD's Outstanding Female Senior Athlete Award for 2012-13. Two years earlier, Banford's first recruit at UMD, pitcher/designated hitter Kristin Danielson, joined the All-American club (NFCA Division II third team). A four-time member of the All-NSIC/North Central Conference team, Danielson is UMD's all-time leader for pitching wins (58), strikeouts (547), appearances (113), starts (93), innings (624.2) and complete games (72) . She is one of three NFCA All-Central Region selections who has played for Banford (Kerr in both 2012 and 2011 and outfielder Myriam Trepanier in 2009 and 2007 were the others) and is among 16 Bulldogs who have secured All-NSIC/NCC first or second team acclaim.  

Seven years ago, Banford's Bulldogs finished with a 31-23 mark, earned a trip to the NCAA II regionals and placed second in the NCC Tournament after going 25-20 the previous spring in her UMD debut despite possessing a roster which was void of any seniors and sported a mere three juniors.

Off the field, her Bulldogs have enjoyed similar successes: 21 NSIC/NCC All-Academic Team honorees and five NCC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll qualifiers. On top of this, a couple of Banford's pupils -- outfielder Myriam Trepanier and catcher/infielder Sarah Kabes -- were both recipients of UMD's Rasmussen Award (top senior Scholar-Athlete) in 2009-10 and members of the CoSIDA Academic All-District V team. Trepanier also received a post graduate scholarship from the Western Collegiate Hockey Association while Kabes and Coley Gale were bestowed with a 2011 NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete Award.

Banford, who, at age 33 (she was born on 11/29/80), is the youngest member of the UMD head coaching staff, joined the Bulldogs in the summer of 2005 following a one-season stint as the interim head coach at Mayville State University. Banford piloted the Comets to a 26-16 mark in all games -- for their best winning percentage (.619) ever -- and a 11-9 mark in the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC-10). In addition, Mayville State, an NAIA institution located in Mayville, N.D., also set team marks for batting average and home runs and one of Banford's players (Chantal Erickson) became the school's first softball All-American honoree. Besides serving as a head coach, Banford was also a lecturer in Mayville State's Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Banford spent the 2003-04 season at Northern State University, where she was graduate assistant coach with the softball Wolves. She entered the coaching arena fresh off a four-year career as a standout catcher at Valley City State (N.D.). During her Viking playing days she attained All-DAC 10 softball honors in 2000, 2001, and, one year later, was named to the DAC-10 All-Tournament Team as a senior team captain.

Banford, who was a multi-sport athlete (softball, hockey, basketball, and volleyball) at Seaway District High School in Iroquois, Ontario, graduated from Valley City State in 2003 with a B.S. degree, double majoring in Health and Physical Education and completed her Master of Science degree in Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science at North Dakota State University in 2005.

THE NSIC FORECAST: For the second straight season, UMD was projected with a fourth-place finish in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Bulldogs received 182 points (one first-place tally) while Minnesota State Mankato (seven) and Winona State (six) shared the top spot with 209 points in the 16-team conference. UMD was sandwiched between Augustana (184 pts.) and Minot State (177 pts.) to round out the top five.

2014 NSIC Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
1     Minnesota State Mankato    209
     Winona State    209
3     Augustana    184
4     UMD    182
5     Minot State     177
6     Concordia-St. Paul    153
7     Wayne State    152
8     St. Cloud State    114
9     U. of Mary     113
10     Upper Iowa    111
11     Northern State    78
12     Southwest Minnesota State    72
13     Sioux Falls    69
14     Minnesota State Moorhead    41
15     Bemidji State    35
16     Minnesota Crookston    21

LEADER OF THE PACK: Senior pitcher/outfielder Megan Mullen, a two-time All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection, has been chosen as the University of Minnesota Duluth's team captain for the 2014 season.

Mullen made quite a splash in her debut season, landing the NSIC Freshman of the Year Award and all-league second team acclaim to enjoy a rewarding sophomore year in which she set nine single-season team pitching records. Last spring, the Hermantown, Minn., product showed her versatility by spending most of her time in the outfield and wound up batting a career-high .327 in 52 games. For her efforts, she landed a spot on the All-NSIC second team last spring.

2014 PREVIEW: The 2014 Bulldog softball team will certainly have the distinction of youth as the roster is only comprised of three upperclassmen, two seniors and a lone junior.

Ninth-year head coach Jen Banford will attempt to repeat as Northern Sun Intercollegaite Conference champions and capture the club's fourth NCAA tournament birth in five years and the program's first national championship.

It will be a different challenge as UMD lost the services of five letterwinners, all starters. The squad does retain, however, 10 letterwinners from a season ago. Headlining that group is senior captain Megan Mullen. Alongside her is fellow senior infielder Brooke Neuroth.

Junior infielder Jordan Rice, who has three career grand slams to rank second among all active Division II players, anchors a talented group of infield sophomores  Daylce Gustafson, Ashley Lewis (.335), and Sami Schnyder (.299). Schnyder schattered a team record of 119 assist during her rookie campaign playing all 54 games at third base. Sophomores Laura Nadeau, Abbey Nelson and Ashley Schilling have proven to step in for spot starts and added bench depth to round out a solid young core.

On the mound, the Bulldogs will rely heavily on the experienced 1-2 punch of Mullen and sophomore Cayli Sadler.  Mullen owns nine single-season team pitching records and is chasing several career marks as well while Sadler, a Brooklyn Park Minn., native, registered a league-best 0.71 ERA against conference opponents last year. Despite the loss of their ace Julia Nealer, UMD recruited two more live arms, Sam Hartmann (Orono, Minn.) and Mariah Schultz (Lewiston, Minn.) that provide the Bulldogs added depth in the rotation.

In addition to Hartmann and Schultz in the circle, the Bulldogs welcome five other talented first-year players Angel Dahl (Cotton, Minn.), Mel Jarvi (Duluth, Minn.), Hailey Lundquist (Hastings, Minn.), Kylie Pewe (Grantsburg, Wis.), and Heather Woyak (Stevens Point, Wis.).

1 FOUR MANDY: In memory of the late Mandy Matula, the University of Minnesota Duluth Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, in partnership with the Matula family, has established the UMD Softball 1 Four Mandy Matula Fund. The fund will provide financial support for the Bulldog softball program.
 
Matula, who died this past spring at the age of 24, was a starting pitcher and utility player with the Bulldogs from 2007-08 to 2010-11.  She wrapped up her UMD playing days with a .304 lifetime batting average and posted an 11-9 record in 31 career pitching appearances. Matula, who missed her entire junior season while recovering from knee surgery, was a member of UMD's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and an active volunteer in the Duluth community during her time with the Bulldogs.
 
Her No. 14 jersey will be officially retired this spring, making Matula the first UMD Division II athlete to be so honored. In addition, No. 14 decals and patches will adorn UMD's softball uniforms and batting helmets during the 2014 season.

THE ON-DECK CIRCLE: The Bulldogs will travel to West St. Paul, Minn. Sunday and Monday (Feb. 23-24) for  five engagements over a two-day span.