THE OPENING PITCH: The University of Minnesota Duluth will host Wayne State College and No. 13 Augustana University in the final weekend of the regular season at Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs are in second place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and are in position to secure one of top seeds in the NSIC Tournament with a possibility to win their second regular season championship.
UMD will have domestic violence awareness day on Saturday, April 28 against the Wildcats. In remembrance of former Bulldog Mandy Matula, the softball team will be wearing custom made purple jerseys in honor of her. In addition to the game, UMD is partnering with Safe Haven Shelter to raise awareness about domestic violence. That double header will begin at 6:00 p.m. under the Malosky Stadium lights.
Sunday versus the Vikings, the Bulldogs will be having senior day along with parents day on campus. The weekend is also alumni weekend, where the Bulldogs will be welcoming back former players and hosting their first home run derby. Game times for the double dip will be at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.
SCOUTING REPORT ON WAYNE STATE: The Wildcats are 15-26 overall and 9-13 in the NSIC. They won four straight before getting swept by Southwest Minnesota State last Wednesday.
SCOUTING REPORT ON AUGUSTANA: The Vikings are 34-10 and 16-4 in the NSIC. They are third in the NSIC two games back of the Bulldogs. Augustana has won six of the last seven. It split with Sioux Falls last Wednesday. The Vikings are fourth, one spot behind UMD, in the NCAA Central Region Rankings.
HOW THEY RANK: Here is how UMD and its opponents stack up with its respective records, in the NSIC, in the National Fastpitch Coaches' Association poll and the NCAA Central Region Rankings.
TEAM RECORD NSIC NFCA NCAA
UMD 34-9 13-3 (2nd) RV 3rd
WSC 15-26 9-13 (10th) NR NR
AUGIE 34-10 16-4 (3rd) 13th 4th
WATCH LIVE: The double headers will be available for free via a web stream by Bulldog Productions, in addition to live stats, with Josh Wallace handling the play-by-play. The stream can be viewed at: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd
LIVE STATS: Live stats can also be viewed here: portal.stretchinternet.com/umd
LAST TIME UP: The Bulldogs capped a 5-1 week off with a sweep at Bemidji State. UMD won 5-2 in the first game then exploded for 12 runs in the seventh inning to win 14-2. The 12 runs was tied with the 2014 Bulldogs for the most runs in an inning in program history. Also, Becky Smith set the single-season UMD record with 60 RBI and she also notched her 200th RBI of her luxurious career.
NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: On March 14, the Bulldogs received the program's first National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Player of the Week. Jessica Bren captured the prestigious distinction after going 12-for-18 (.667) with seven home runs and a triple. She knocked in 15 RBI and scored 11 times to go along with five stolen bases. Bren posted a .684 on-base percentage and a 1.944 slugging percentage. She is one of two freshmen this season to take home the honor.
NSIC WEEKLY HONORS: No other team in the NSIC has more conference player of the week honorees this season than UMD. The Bulldogs have four players recognized by the league and is the only institution to sweep a week. Becky Smith (2/20 and 4/24), Jessica Bren (3/12), Valerie Hohol (3/12) and Breanna Swint (4/2) were all recognized by the league.
UNDER THE LIGHTS: The Bulldogs haven't played a game under the lights in Duluth since the defunct North Central Conference Tournament at Wheeler Complex in 2008. The last time UMD played on campus was on April 21, 1999 vs. Winona State where it won 2-1 and 8-5.
IRONMAN TRIO: Hannah Schmoll, Becky Smith, and Natalie Wright are all staring down the consecutive starts (209, Tyra Kerr), most starts (209, Tyra Kerr) and most games played (212, Jordan Rice) records. Smith and Wright have started all 207 games since stepping foot on campus as freshmen and have started every single game. Schmoll (206) has started each game since not playing in the season opener in 2015.
MILE MARKER 100: Jen Walter became the fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins. Walter reached the historical mark in the first game against Northern State on Thursday. She attained 100 victories in 145 games while former head coach Jen Banford reached 100 wins in 182 games.
BRING THE GALS BACK HOME: After not having a single home game on campus in 2013, the Bulldogs have played 49 games in Duluth. They are 35-14 (.714) during that time frame. UMD was 11-5 last year and now 4-0 in 2018.
TEMPORARY HOME: Malosky Stadium had been the temporary home site the last five years while Junction Avenue Field thaws. The Bulldogs have gone 24-9 (.727) on the home artificial turf.
PILING UP THE HITS UNDER WALTER: Since the arrival of the new manager, UMD is 86-6 when it out-hits the opposition. That is roughly 62 percent of the total games under Walter (92 of 147).
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT THIRD INNING: The big inning as been the third. Outscoring teams 77-31, the Bulldogs, who have scored the most runs in the third, have a plus-46 run differential in that inning.
SHUT 'EM DOWN: The Bulldogs have outscored the opposition 36-7 in the final inning.
EXTRA! EXTRA!: UMD is 14-4 in extra innings dating back to the 2013 season. Only one game this season -- a 4-3 win over Upper Iowa -- has been needed to decide a game in the eighth inning or later. Last season, the Bulldogs won the only game that didn't finish in seven (8-7 over Northeastern State in eight innings).
RUNNING AWAY IN A ROUT: The Bulldogs are 23-1 this season in games decided by five or more runs. They have beaten teams via the mercy rule 13 times.
... AND WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: UMD has gone 16-6 in one-run games over the last three seasons. It has won eight of the last nine one-run decisions.
SCORE FIRST: Scoring first doesn't always lead to victories but it is close. The Bulldogs have a combined 94-18 (.839) record dating back to 2015 when scoring first including 26-5 in 2018.
TAKING CHARGE: Grabbing the lead early, results in positive outcomes. When leading in the fifth inning or later, the Bulldogs are 20-0. When trailing, they are 2-7. In fact, they have blown only one game (Minot State 8-7, Mar. 30) this season when leading after any complete inning.
KEEP THE BALL DOWN: UMD has surrendered 25 home runs this season. When the pitchers keep the ball from leaving the park, the club is 23-5.
NO EXTRA OUTS: UMD is 19-1 this season when it is perfect in the field and doesn't commit an error.
BOMB SQUAD: The Bulldogs have launched the ball out of the park. They rank first in the NSIC in home runs with 56. That is 15 more than the next closest NSIC squad in Sioux Falls. The program record for homers in a season sits at 61 set in 2013.
BOMB SQUAD II: UMD circled the bases a season-high six times is a 17-2 thrashing of LIU Post. The six home runs is tied for fifth-most in Division II. In that game Jordyn Thomas smashed three consecutive home runs including two in an inning. She is the first Bulldog to homer in three consecutive at-bats and the last to hit multiple dingers in an inning since Ashley Lewis accomplished that feat back on March 26, 2016.
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD: The trio of Jessica Bren, Becky Smith and Jordyn Thomas are all ranked in the top five in the conference in home runs. Bren, the league leader, has sent out 15, which is tied for the single season record set by Kierra Jeffers (2013).Thomas has 11 and Smith has 10. This is the scond time is school history with three players with double digit home runs (2011).
BREN BOMBER: Jessica Bren is first among freshman in homers. Her 15 homers is tied for 10th in Division II. On a per game basis, the Victoria, Minn., native has sent a homer out at a pace of 0.34 per game, which is 12th best.
THE TEAM OF STEAL: Not many teams are as aggressive on the base paths than UMD. After setting the program mark for steals with 112 last year, the Bulldogs are at it again. They have 105 stolen bases, which is tied for 13th nationally. They are swiping 2.33 bags per game, the 13th-best mark.
SWOOPING IN UNNOTICED: On a per game basis, Hannah Schmoll is swiping 0.78 bases, which is the best in the NSIC and 16th in the entire Division II landscape.
RIPPING IT EVERYWHERE: Four batters -- Hannah Schmoll (.444), Becky Smith (.405), Sammi Sadler (.395), and Natalie Wright (.392) -- have an average above the .390-mark. Only three other players in the NSIC have a better batting average than Schmoll, who is second in the NSIC in hits (68) and leads the conference in runs (55).
RIPPING IT EVERYWHERE II: Seven batters have a slugging percentage over .500 with a pair of freshman, Jordyn Thomas (.852) and Jessica Bren (.733), leading the way. In fact, UMD has a team slugging percentage of .566, which would crush the single-season record set by the 2013 Bulldogs (.489).
SEND THEM PACKING: The nine strikeouts recorded by Valerie Hohol in the season opener against SMSU and against Minnesota Crookston and by Breanna Swint against Georgian Court were both collegiate highs. Hohol eclipsed her previous mark of eight strikeouts last year against the University of Minnesota Crookston. Swint bested her high of seven strikeouts done last season against MSU Moorhead.
OFFENSIVE BOMBARDMENT: It was rarified air on Feb. 15 against Missouri Western State. For only the third time in the last decade, the Bulldogs eclipsed the 20-run mark in their 22-12 shelling of the Griffons. Surprisingly, the 22 runs are tied for 22nd most runs scored by a Division II team this season. In that game, Becky Smith scored five times, which is tied for third in the country for an individual game-high. They also had 21 RBI that contest, which is 14th as an individual team-high.
The last time UMD had that many runners cross the plate was on March 4, 2006 when it put up a 25-spot on Marian College. The combined 34 runs were the most in program history since UMD and Upper Iowa tabbed 39 runs back in April 15, 2007.
PATIENCE AT THE PLATE ALL SEASON: The Bulldogs have drew 171 walks this season, which is a single-season record. The 2012 Bulldogs had the previous record with 160 walks.
TAKE YOUR BASE: No one draws more walks for UMD then Lauren Oberle. She has 26 walks on the year, second in the NSIC. She has shown a keen eye at the plate with at least a walk in 20 games and multiple free passes in five of them. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is 38th in the country in walks per game at 0.65.
THE RBI QUEEN: Back on Feb. 15, Becky Smith set the career RBI record at UMD, jumping pass Ashley Johnson (2008-11) and Kierra Jeffers (2010-13) for most all-time. She now sits with 200 RBI surpassing the old mark of 149. Smith sits in eighth among her active Division II peers for RBI in a career. The Long Lake, Minn., native also set the single-season record on Apr. 25 with six RBI against Bemijdi State. She has 60 RBI, tied for sixth in the country.
SPEED DEMON: The season and career record holder in stolen bases, Hannah Schmoll has one last year to etch her name higher into the UMD record books. Back in 2016, Schmoll smashed the single-season stolen base record with the new aggressive guidance by coach Walter. Schmoll stole 40 bases on 46 attempts during her sophomore campaign. Last year, the Grand Rapids, Minn., native notched 37 steals, three shy of her own record. She was at it again as Schmoll has swiped 35 this season. Schmoll has 139 stolen bags in 156 tries for her career. Both those marks are career highs at UMD. Among active leaders in Division II, Schmoll ranks with the third most.
BREAKING PROGRAM RECORDS: Aside from the RBI and stolen base markers falling, two other records have been broken. Hannah Schmoll has claimed the career runs record. The Grand Rapids, Minn., native has 196 runs breaking Michaela Goris' mark of 160. Becky Smith broke the doubles record with 57, passing Ashley Johnson and Gina Zech, whom both had 45.
GOLD GLOVE MATERIAL: 2017 was a record-breaking year defensively for the Bulldogs. UMD closed out the year with a .974 fielding percentage -- the best mark in program history (the previous record was .971 set in 2002) - - to rank 11th among all NCAA Division II clubs. Leading the way for the Bulldogs and setting career highs in that department were Becky Smith (.982), Kalynn Tilton (.982), Hannah Schmoll (.978), Lauren Oberle (.971) and Natalie Wright (.965).
THE HEAD COACH: In two short seasons at the controls of the University of Minnesota Duluth program, Walter has posted back-to-back 35-win seasons, accumulating a 70-37 overall record while going 39-17 in league play (including 18-10 in 2017 when it placed fourth in the 16-team standings).
Walter made quite the splash during her debut season at UMD as not only did the Bulldogs set a team record for NSIC victories by finishing 21-7 (good for a second-place finish and just one game back of league champion Minnesota State University-Mankato), but they returned to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 2012. Along the way, they amassed a 35-17 overall mark and shattered or equaled nearly one dozen team and individual records.
On July 22, 2015, Walter signed on as just UMD's third head softball coach since the 1981-82 season. Walter certainly had proven herself the previous 16 seasons right down the road at the College of St. Scholastica, having directed the Saints to a 447-233 overall record (a .657 winning percentage), five NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (2006, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015), 15 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular season championships, 13 UMAC Tournament titles, and one trip to the NAIA National Tournament (2004). During Walter's tenure, CSS also eclipsed the 30-victory plateau on seven occasions. In addition, Walter helped produce three CSS All-Americans -- Laura Heise (2004 and 2006), Erica Kozacek (2006) and Rilee Dawson (2007) – 11 UMAC Player of the Year award recipients, 43 All-Region selections, 71 All-UMAC picks, and 81 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar-Athletes.
A native of Wadena, Minn., Walter played two years of softball at Golden Valley Lutheran College in Minneapolis, where she was a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American catcher, and continued her collegiate career at Augustana College (S.D.), attaining All-North Central Conference honors as a senior in 1985. She went on to serve as the head softball coach at Perham High School (1989-91) and the assistant softball coach at both the Breck School (1991-97) and Robbinsdale Armstrong High School (1997-99).
Inducted as player into the 2010 Minnesota High School Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Walter received a B.A. degree in health, physical education and recreation from Augustana in 1986.
ON DECK: The Bulldogs will head to the NSIC Tournament which starts Wednesday, May 2 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The top 10 teams in the conference will compete for the tournament crown and an automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.
