Complete Release (PDF)

THE WIND UP:  The University of Minnesota Duluth will make its third and regularly scheduled final trip this spring to the West St. Paul Regional Athletic Center to take on Minnesota State University-Moorhead in a pair of non conference contests Tuesday. The opening pitch of the first game is slated for 11 a.m. with the second game following 20 minutes after.

THE RECORDS: The Bulldogs, who have won six out of their last eight, are 9-6 overall while the Dragons, who finished 7-36 last year, open up their 2014 campaign Tuesday versus UMD.

THE SERIES: This is the 79th and 80th meetings between UMD and MSU-Moorhead since 1983. The Bulldogs hold a sizeable 64-14 in those games and won all four match ups from a year ago.

HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and MSU-Moorhead stacks up against each other in the NFCA Top 25 and as well as their records.
 
                           NFCA      Record
UMD                     NR           9-6
MSU-Moorhead      NR           0-0

DRAGON SCOUTING REPORT: MSU-Moorhead, who was projected to finish 14th in the league according to the preseason coaches' poll, finished 7-36 last year, 5-23 in NSIC play, good enough for 14th in the 16-team conference.

Junior catcher Brittany York returns as one of six returnees from a year ago with seven newcomers. York, who is one of the five juniors players the Dragon roster, started all 43 games, hitting .256 with three home runs and 15 RBI. Junior Rachel Sannicandro, who was as sure-handed at right field last spring, successfully fielded all 42 chances and stole bases at a .750-percent clip. Sophomores Kristen Norby and Kristy Bruni provided some pop in their bats as rookies tallying a combined five doubles and seven homers.

Sophomore hurler Morgan Nybo proceeds as the staff ace leading the team in wins (four), starts (18), complete games (eight), innings pitched (94.2), and strikeouts (55). Along with Nybo, Alexa D'Onofrio, the lone senior on the team, will forgo her final season after taking a redshirt due to an injury that kept her off the field. D'Onofino is 9-33 with a 5.92 ERA as a Dragon in the starting and relief roles including 149 punch outs. Norby will also see time in the circle splitting time at second base.

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.

LAST APPEARANCE: UMD split in a twinbill against conference foe Concordia-St. Paul Tuesday, March 4 at the West St. Paul dome. In game one, the Bulldogs used a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Cayli Sadler to take a 3-1 victory. Sadler tossed a complete game giving up that solo run, striking out seven Golden Bears in the process. In the rematch, CSP jumped up  3-0 after two innings before UMD pounced back square the contest with a two-run homer by senior captain Megan Mullen. The Bears responded  with two runs chasing starter Sam Hartmann out of the circle. RBIs by Mullen and junior Jordan Rice knotted the game again at five before a third Bulldog error did them in the sixth inning,

DOME SWEET DOME: The Bulldogs have called the West St. Paul dome its home away from Duluth after finishing a perfect 15-0 inside the comfort of the Teflon bubble and 20-2 since the beginning of the 2013 year., and when inside, are 31-5 overall.

ALL ABOUT THE FAST START: The first inning has aided in the success of UMD, who is out scoring the opposition 23-7. When the Bulldogs score first, they are 7-0 and a perfect 5-0 when they score in the opening frame.

RALLY CAPPERS: The Bulldogs had a pair of late-inning heroics against Henderson State and Nebraska Kearney. Freshman outfielder Heather Woyak propelled UMD past Henderson State with her two-run triple with two outs in the seventh inning and sophomore outfielder Ashley Schilling doubled in a pair of runners including the go-ahead run to spring the Bulldogs over the Lopers. UMD is 2-1 in games decided by one run.

TURN TWO: UMD has turned six double plays on the year to lead the conference including two against Southern Nazarene in the season opener. Senior infielder Brooke Neuroth and junior infielder Brooke Neuroth has each helped complete three of those six to pace the conference by two-fold.

FOLLOW MY LEAD: Sophomore infielder Sami Schnyder responded to the pressure since being thrown into the leadoff position to start the 2014 season reaching base 12-of-22 (.545) as the leadoff hitter.

THE BIG HURT: Junior Jordan Rice has been ripping the cover off the ball. Of her 18 hits, over half of those have gone for extra bases (a .870 slugging percentage) including five home runs. Rice currently ranks tied for second in RBIs (17), tied for third in doubles (5), third in slugging percentage and holds the top slot in the conference in home runs.

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 Intercollegiate 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  Dalyce Gustafson, Ashley Lewis (.335), and Sami Schnyder (.299). Schnyder shattered 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.).

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.

ON DECK: The Bulldogs will embark on a five-day road trip through Oklahoma and Arkansas playing double headers against East Central Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Arkansas Tech beginning Sunday, March 16.