Thursday, May 12
Fargo, N.D.
12 p.m.
North Dakota State
vs
South Dakota
Photo by: Kim Hill
NDSU Opens With USD-SDSU Winner in Summit League Softball Tournament at Noon Thursday
5/10/2016 3:44:00 PM | Softball
2016 Summit League Softball Championship Page
2016 Summit League Softball Championship Bracket.pdf
NDSU Softball Release.pdf (5-10-16)
North Dakota State (35-13) earned the No. 1 seed and is scheduled to play either South Dakota (14-36) or South Dakota State (23-33) at noon, Thursday, May 12, in the Summit League Championship opener at the Ellig Sports Complex ... The Bison are making their eighth straight tournament appearance and have compiled a 23-5 record including six championships ... NDSU has won 11 in a row and 17 of its last 18 games ... The Bison are 9-1 at home ... NDSU won its fifth straight Summit League regular season title and the program's sixth overall ... The Bison went 17-0 in league play and became the first team since DePaul in 1999 to go unbeaten ... NDSU has won 27 regular season league games in a row, dating back to a 4-2 loss to South Dakota (G2, 4-3-15) ... Including last season's league tournament, the Bison have won 30 in a row vs. Summit League opponents.
Summit League Softball Championship Schedule
Wednesday, May 11
G1: (4) South Dakota (14-36) vs. (5) South Dakota State (23-33) – 3 p.m.
G2: (3) Western Illinois (16-31) vs. (6) IUPUI (17-32) – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 12
G3: (1) BISON (35-13) vs. G1 Winner – Noon
G4: (2) Omaha (29-27) vs. G2 Winner – 2:30 p.m.
G5: G3 Loser vs. G4 Loser – 5 p.m.
Friday, May 13
G6: G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner – 1 p.m.
G7: G5 Winner vs. G6 Loser – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
G8: G6 Winner vs. G7 Winner – 1 p.m.
*G9: G8 Winner vs. G8 Loser – 3:30 p.m.
*If necessary
NOTE: Games 1 & 2 will be single elimination with the remainder of the tournament being double elimination.
Quickly Around the Horn
North Dakota State was 51st in the NCAA RPI rankings on May 9 ... NDSU received votes for the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 on May 10 ... The Bison reached 30 wins for the 10th straight season ... NDSU senior second baseman Cheyenne Garcia ranks in the top 25 among NCAA active career leaders, 4th in doubles (59), 12th runs scored and 23rd at bats (668) ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland is 24th in batting average (.377) ... Garcia is the all-time Summit League leader with 190 runs scored ... NDSU has several players listed in the top 30 in the NCAA statistics (May 9) -- Cheyenne Garcia is 14th in doubles (0.38 avg.), Jackie Stifter is 16th in times hit by pitch (0.36 avg.), Jacquelyn Sertic is 18th in wins (22) and 25th in shutouts (6), and Logan Moreland is 27th in batting average (.433) and 28th in stolen bases (0.65 avg.) ... Overall, the Bison are 13th in fielding (.973) and stolen bases (2.15 avg.), 24th in won-loss percentage (.729), 28th in scoring (6.21 avg.), 29th in doubles (1.58 avg.) and 30th in batting average (.320) ... North Dakota State sophomore right-hander Jacquelyn Sertic threw her first career no-hitter in the five-inning 18-0 win over DePaul (3-6-16) ... Sertic faced 16 batters with four strikeouts and one walk ... It was the 30th no-hitter in program history ... Sertic struck out a career-high 14 batters in the 7-2 win at SDSU (4-15-16) and 14-2 win at IUPUI (4-2-16), four games overall with double-figure strikeouts ... First baseman Jackie Stifter has been hit by pitch 15 times this season, which shattered the school's single-season record of 10 set by Jenina Ortega in 2014 ... Stifter became the career leader at NDSU in times hit by pitch with 25, breaking the old mark of 24 set by Lynnae Foshag from 2004-07 ... The last grand slam for NDSU was hit by utility player Zoe Stavrou, who connected in the 8-2 second game win at SDSU (4-15-16) ... It was the fourth grand slam this season for NDSU, as Maritza Lopez-Portillo has connected against Hawai'i (3-12-16) and Kent State (2-27-16), and Alyssa Reina did it vs. IPFW (4-9-16) ... Shortstop Logan Moreland leads North Dakota State with a .433 batting average and carries a 23-game hitting streak ... Former All-American shortstop and Bison Athletic Hall of Famer Nikki Gregg (1997-00) set the record at 27 games (April 2-28, 2000) ... Moreland has 22 multi-hit games ... Moreland hit a home run in four straight games (Iowa State G2, IUPUI G1, IUPUI G2, IUPUI G3) ... With two home runs vs. IPFW on April 10, Moreland tied the school single-game record for the third time in her career ... That record has been achieved 22 times by 13 athletes ... Moreland has 14 multi-RBI games this season ... NDSU has 12 players with one or more RBI this season including Alyssa Reina and Moreland with a team-high 45 ... Fourteen Bison have scored one or more runs this season led by Moreland with 48 ... The Bison are 1-2 in extra innings this season and 43-30 in extra innings under head coach Darren Mueller since 2002 ... North Dakota State is 56-50 in extra innings overall ... Collectively, the Bison are batting .320 with a 2.73 earned run average and are fielding at .973 ... NDSU opponents are batting .231 with a 5.33 ERA and are fielding at .959 ... The Bison are averaging 6.21 runs scored per game, while opponents are averaging 3.02 ... The big inning is the fourth for NDSU with 57 runs scored.
Sertic, Stifter, Moreland, Reina, Leddy Receive Summit League Weekly Honors
North Dakota State freshman KK Leddy was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on May 9 ... Sophomore pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on May 2 ... Redshirt junior catcher Alyssa Reina was named Summit League and College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week on April 25 ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland was named SL and College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week on April 11 ... First baseman Jackie Stifter was named SL Player of the Week on Feb. 29 ... It was the first weekly SL honor for Stifter and Leddy, Reina and Moreland have been named twice, while Sertic has earned her six SL awards this season ... Sertic has been named College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week twice.
Garcia, Lopez-Portillo, Moreland, Reina, Stifter Take Aim at NDSU Career Charts
On the NDSU career charts, senior second baseman Cheyenne Garcia is 4th in doubles (59) and sacrifice flies (8), 5th in runs scored (190), sixth in runs batted in (158) and total bases (385), 7th in slugging (.568), stolen bases (70), triples (9), home runs (27) and double plays turned (26), 8th in hit by pitch (9) and 10th in hits (227) ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland is 6th in stolen bases (72), 7th in batting (.378), on-base percentage (.437) and home runs (27), 8th in slugging (.557), runs scored (168) and hit by pitch (9), 9th in hits (243), total bases (358) and double plays turned (25) ... Senior first baseman Jackie Stifter is 1st in hit by pitch (25) and 7th in sacrifice flies (6) ... Senior left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo is 3rd in hit by pitch (16), 4th in sacrifice flies (8) and 10th in home runs (24) ... Junior catcher Alyssa Reina is 6th in slugging (.605), home runs (29), fielding (.992) and runners thrown out (30), 7th in putouts (983) and 8th in fielding chances (1061).
Sertic espnW National Player of the Week on March 9
Memo to all future espnW national players of the week: The trip to Hawaii is not included ... Sorry ... The timing of North Dakota State pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic's ongoing stay in Honolulu is purely coincidental, her team long ago scheduled to travel this week to a tournament in Hawaii while making the most of spring break, but she certainly earned some kind of reward ... Sertic and the Bison travel across the Pacific Ocean to play six games this week, two each against Baylor, California and Hawaii ... They have their work cut out for them against teams like that, but events of the past week suggest those teams don't have it so easy, either ... A program that made a habit of playing beyond its weight class since moving to Division I a little more than a decade ago, North Dakota State was at it again as it followed the pitcher's lead in a tournament hosted by Alabama ... In her first start in Tuscaloosa, Sertic allowed four hits, one walk and two earned runs in eight innings to beat DePaul ... She topped that a day later when she allowed four hits and one earned run in a win over second-ranked Alabama on its field. She wasn't done. Sertic then threw a five-inning no-hitter as the Bison surged to an 18-0 win over DePaul to wrap up their stay ... That's an extra-inning complete game, the biggest upset of the season and her first career no-hitter ... Eight hits and three earned runs allowed in 20 innings across three starts ... All in barely 48 hours ... It adds up to the player of the week.
Garcia Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
North Dakota State second baseman Cheyenne Garcia was one of 30 softball candidates for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award ... Garcia, a senior from Vista, Calif. (Rancho Buena Vista H.S.), was named the 2015 Summit League Player of the Year ... She has taken an active role in her hometown and campus community including volunteering at Rosewood on Broadway Nursing Home and Special Olympic Hockey locally, and Adopt A Child program at Christmas with her family.
NDSU Preseason Favorite in Summit League Coaches Poll
The North Dakota State softball team has been selected 2016's preseason favorite in The Summit League among a vote of the league's head coaches. The Bison received five-of-seven first-place votes for 35 points in the poll ... NDSU has won five straight regular season league titles along with claiming six of the past seven tournament championships.
Seven Bison Named to College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Summit League Softball Teams
North Dakota State placed seven players on the College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Summit League team led by Player of the Year choice in second baseman Cheyenne Garcia, shortstop Logan Moreland, catcher Alyssa Reina and left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo ... Second team selections were pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic and first baseman Jackie Stifter, while pitcher KK Leddy was selected Freshman of the Year ... The Bison were also ranked No. 44 in the College Sports Madness.com Preseason Softball Rankings.
The Mueller/Trachsel File
Head coaches for North Dakota State are Darren Mueller (15th season, 22nd overall) and Jamie Trachsel (6th season, 14th overall) ... Mueller has compiled a 538-280 record (.658) including 161-34 (.826) vs. Summit League competition (including tournament) ... Trachsel has compiled a 217-107 record (.670) including a 115-23 (.833) vs. Summit League competition including tournament ... Mueller recorded win No. 500 vs. IUPUI (5-9-15) in the Summit League tournament ... Trachsel earned win No. 200 at Iowa State (3-26-16) ... The Bison have had 10 straight 30-plus win seasons and reached 40 wins for the first time since 2004 last season ... North Dakota State has won six Summit League tournament championships (2009-10-11-12, 2014-15) to advance to NCAA regional play ... The Bison won the NCAA Norman Regional in 2009 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional at Arizona State ... NDSU has won six Summit League regular season crowns (2008, 2012-13-14-15-16) ... Rounding out the Bison staff are pitching coach Brynne Dordel and graduate assistant manager Kendall Grimm ... Mueller became the program's all-time winningest coach with the 4-1 victory at Western Illinois (4-16-11) ... The NDSU coaching staff earned the 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Summit League Coaching Staff of the Year honors ... The NDSU staff earned 2009 and 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year award ... Mueller was named the 2006 and 2007 Division I Independent Coach of the Year.
Former Bison Krista Menke Off to 2-0 Start in Italy
Former North Dakota State University all-region performer Krista Menke is 2-0 with 18 strikeouts for the ASD Thunders Castellana of the Italian League ... League play is scheduled to run from April through July (September playoffs pending) ... Menke, a 5-foot-11 righthander from Friend, Neb., played for DSS Haarlem in the Netherlands last summer. Menke compiled a 1-4 record and 2.49 earned run average for DSS Haarlem with 50 strikeouts and six walks in 39.1 innings pitched. She is the third NDSU softball player to compete professionally overseas, and joins former all-region pitcher and teammate Whitney Johnson (Netherlands) and former All-American catcher Shelly Rhein (Italy).
Ex-NDSU Shortstop Nicole Rivera Member of Gold Medal USA Women's Baseball Pan Am Team
Former North Dakota State University softball shortstop Nicole Rivera was a member of the gold medal winning USA Women's Baseball team at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games held July 10-26 ... Rivera, who started 225 career games for the Bison from 2008-11, was a two-time all-Summit League performer for North Dakota State including first team honors in 2010 ... The Lakeside, Calif. native was a valuable member of three Summit League tournament championship teams including the 2009 unit that went on to win the NCAA Norman Regional and advance to the NCAA Tempe Super Regional.
Against the Nationally-Ranked
North Dakota State has won nine of its last 28 meetings with nationally-ranked opponents ... With the dramatic 1-0 win in 11 innings over 9th/10th-ranked Oklahoma at the 2009 NCAA Norman Regional, North Dakota State softball recorded its first win over a nationally-ranked team since beginning the transition to Division I in 2005 ... NDSU is currently 10-56 overall ... By year,
2005 (0-5) -- Lost at #21 Iowa 2-0, Lost at #25 Nebraska 7-0, Lost at #25 Nebraska 8-0, Lost at #20 Missouri 9-1, Lost at #20 Missouri 8-0;
2006 (0-5) -- Lost at #10 Oklahoma 9-0, Lost at #10 Oklahoma 7-2, Lost at #24 North Carolina 5-1, Lost at #6 Cal 10-1, Lost at #16 Nebraska 8-0;
2007 (0-1) -- Lost to #25 Oregon 6-1;
2008 (0-1) -- Lost at #9 Stanford 7-0;
2009 (1-5) -- Lost at #11 Arizona 10-0, Lost at #11 Arizona 9-2, Lost at #11 Arizona 12-0, Won at #9/10 Oklahoma 1-0 (11), Lost at #9/10 Arizona State, 3-0, Lost at #9/10 Arizona State 11-0;
2010 (0-4) -- Lost vs. #6 Arizona 6-0, Lost at #21 Texas A&M 4-0, Lost at #21 Texas A&M 5-2, Lost at #1 Washington, 3-0;
2011 (0-10) -- Lost at #1/2 UCLA 7-0, Lost at #1/2 UCLA 15-2 (5), Lost at #2/4 Georgia 14-4 (5), Lost at #16/17 Stanford 12-0 (5), Lost vs. #24 Kentucky 5-4 (8), Lost at #2/3 Florida 18-0 (5), Lost at #2/3 Florida (9-0), Lost at #13/17 Missouri 4-3, Lost at #13/17 Missouri 11-2 (5), Lost at #1 Arizona State 10-1 (5);
2012 (1-6) -- Lost at #2 Alabama 9-4, Lost at #2 Alabama 3-2, Lost at #5 Arizona State 10-2 (5), Lost at #21 Texas A&M 6-0, Lost at #15 Baylor 1-0 (8), Lost at #15 Arizona 11-0 (5), Won vs. #13 Hawai'i 9-7;
2013 (2-5) — Lost vs. #1 Alabama 10-0 (5), Lost at #10 LSU 9-0 (5), Lost at #23 Georgia 4-1, Won at #23 Georgia 3-0, Lost at #12 UCLA 7-1, Won at #20 Nebraska 13-0, Lost at #20 Nebraska 11-0 (5);
2014 (2-6)— Lost at #12 Florida State 4-1, Lost at #12 Florida State 9-0 (5), Lost at #12 Florida State 5-0, Won at #22 Stanford 4-0, Lost at #18 Missouri 11-2 (5), Won vs. #21 Auburn 5-2, Lost at #14 Minnesota 4-1, Lost vs. #21 Auburn 1-0;
2015 (3-5) -- Won 6-5 vs. #17 Washington, lost at #11 Tennessee 14-3 (5), #10/12 lost 8-0 (5) at Minnesota, Won 5-4 at #10/12 Minnesota, Won 7-3 at #21 South Alabama, Lost 7-6 (8) at #21 South Alabama; Lost at #1 Oregon 4-3; Lost at #1 Oregon 6-1.
2016 (1-3) -- Lost at #2 Alabama 15-2 (5); Won at #2 Alabama 2-1; Lost vs. #22 Baylor 4-2; Lost vs. #22 Baylor 8-5.
Garcia, Menke, NDSU Coaching Staff Earn 2015 Summit League Honors, Eight Bison Named to All-League Teams
North Dakota State second baseman Cheyenne Garcia was named Summit League Player of the Year, Krista Menke earned her second Pitcher of the Year award, and NDSU head coaches Darren Mueller and Jamie Trachsel, assistant Brynne Dordel and graduate assistant manager Kendall Grimm were named Coaching Staff of the Year ... Joining Garcia and Menke on the all-league first team were center fielder Alex Sobrero, third baseman Amanda Grable and left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo ... Named the all-league second team were catcher Alyssa Reina, first baseman Jackie Stifter and shortstop Logan Moreland.
NDSU Wins Sixth Summit League Tournament in 2015
North Dakota State won its second straight Summit League Tournament and sixth over past seven seasons on May 8-9, 2015, at the Ellig Sports Complex ... NDSU defeated South Dakota State 16-0 on May 8, and edged IUPUI 3-2 and pounded South Dakota 13-3 in five innings in the championship game on May 9 ... The Bison had five players named to the all-tournament team led by MVP pitcher Krista Menke, who earned the top honor for the second time in her career ... Menke compiled a 3-0 record with a 2.33 earned run average, striking out 23 and walking four over 15 innings pitched ... Joining Menke were first baseman Jackie Stifter, second baseman Cheyenne Garcia, shortstop Logan Moreland and catcher Alyssa Reina.
2016 Summit League Softball Championship Bracket.pdf
NDSU Softball Release.pdf (5-10-16)
North Dakota State (35-13) earned the No. 1 seed and is scheduled to play either South Dakota (14-36) or South Dakota State (23-33) at noon, Thursday, May 12, in the Summit League Championship opener at the Ellig Sports Complex ... The Bison are making their eighth straight tournament appearance and have compiled a 23-5 record including six championships ... NDSU has won 11 in a row and 17 of its last 18 games ... The Bison are 9-1 at home ... NDSU won its fifth straight Summit League regular season title and the program's sixth overall ... The Bison went 17-0 in league play and became the first team since DePaul in 1999 to go unbeaten ... NDSU has won 27 regular season league games in a row, dating back to a 4-2 loss to South Dakota (G2, 4-3-15) ... Including last season's league tournament, the Bison have won 30 in a row vs. Summit League opponents.
Summit League Softball Championship Schedule
Wednesday, May 11
G1: (4) South Dakota (14-36) vs. (5) South Dakota State (23-33) – 3 p.m.
G2: (3) Western Illinois (16-31) vs. (6) IUPUI (17-32) – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 12
G3: (1) BISON (35-13) vs. G1 Winner – Noon
G4: (2) Omaha (29-27) vs. G2 Winner – 2:30 p.m.
G5: G3 Loser vs. G4 Loser – 5 p.m.
Friday, May 13
G6: G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner – 1 p.m.
G7: G5 Winner vs. G6 Loser – 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
G8: G6 Winner vs. G7 Winner – 1 p.m.
*G9: G8 Winner vs. G8 Loser – 3:30 p.m.
*If necessary
NOTE: Games 1 & 2 will be single elimination with the remainder of the tournament being double elimination.
Quickly Around the Horn
North Dakota State was 51st in the NCAA RPI rankings on May 9 ... NDSU received votes for the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 on May 10 ... The Bison reached 30 wins for the 10th straight season ... NDSU senior second baseman Cheyenne Garcia ranks in the top 25 among NCAA active career leaders, 4th in doubles (59), 12th runs scored and 23rd at bats (668) ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland is 24th in batting average (.377) ... Garcia is the all-time Summit League leader with 190 runs scored ... NDSU has several players listed in the top 30 in the NCAA statistics (May 9) -- Cheyenne Garcia is 14th in doubles (0.38 avg.), Jackie Stifter is 16th in times hit by pitch (0.36 avg.), Jacquelyn Sertic is 18th in wins (22) and 25th in shutouts (6), and Logan Moreland is 27th in batting average (.433) and 28th in stolen bases (0.65 avg.) ... Overall, the Bison are 13th in fielding (.973) and stolen bases (2.15 avg.), 24th in won-loss percentage (.729), 28th in scoring (6.21 avg.), 29th in doubles (1.58 avg.) and 30th in batting average (.320) ... North Dakota State sophomore right-hander Jacquelyn Sertic threw her first career no-hitter in the five-inning 18-0 win over DePaul (3-6-16) ... Sertic faced 16 batters with four strikeouts and one walk ... It was the 30th no-hitter in program history ... Sertic struck out a career-high 14 batters in the 7-2 win at SDSU (4-15-16) and 14-2 win at IUPUI (4-2-16), four games overall with double-figure strikeouts ... First baseman Jackie Stifter has been hit by pitch 15 times this season, which shattered the school's single-season record of 10 set by Jenina Ortega in 2014 ... Stifter became the career leader at NDSU in times hit by pitch with 25, breaking the old mark of 24 set by Lynnae Foshag from 2004-07 ... The last grand slam for NDSU was hit by utility player Zoe Stavrou, who connected in the 8-2 second game win at SDSU (4-15-16) ... It was the fourth grand slam this season for NDSU, as Maritza Lopez-Portillo has connected against Hawai'i (3-12-16) and Kent State (2-27-16), and Alyssa Reina did it vs. IPFW (4-9-16) ... Shortstop Logan Moreland leads North Dakota State with a .433 batting average and carries a 23-game hitting streak ... Former All-American shortstop and Bison Athletic Hall of Famer Nikki Gregg (1997-00) set the record at 27 games (April 2-28, 2000) ... Moreland has 22 multi-hit games ... Moreland hit a home run in four straight games (Iowa State G2, IUPUI G1, IUPUI G2, IUPUI G3) ... With two home runs vs. IPFW on April 10, Moreland tied the school single-game record for the third time in her career ... That record has been achieved 22 times by 13 athletes ... Moreland has 14 multi-RBI games this season ... NDSU has 12 players with one or more RBI this season including Alyssa Reina and Moreland with a team-high 45 ... Fourteen Bison have scored one or more runs this season led by Moreland with 48 ... The Bison are 1-2 in extra innings this season and 43-30 in extra innings under head coach Darren Mueller since 2002 ... North Dakota State is 56-50 in extra innings overall ... Collectively, the Bison are batting .320 with a 2.73 earned run average and are fielding at .973 ... NDSU opponents are batting .231 with a 5.33 ERA and are fielding at .959 ... The Bison are averaging 6.21 runs scored per game, while opponents are averaging 3.02 ... The big inning is the fourth for NDSU with 57 runs scored.
Sertic, Stifter, Moreland, Reina, Leddy Receive Summit League Weekly Honors
North Dakota State freshman KK Leddy was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on May 9 ... Sophomore pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on May 2 ... Redshirt junior catcher Alyssa Reina was named Summit League and College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week on April 25 ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland was named SL and College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week on April 11 ... First baseman Jackie Stifter was named SL Player of the Week on Feb. 29 ... It was the first weekly SL honor for Stifter and Leddy, Reina and Moreland have been named twice, while Sertic has earned her six SL awards this season ... Sertic has been named College Sports Madness.com SL Player of the Week twice.
Garcia, Lopez-Portillo, Moreland, Reina, Stifter Take Aim at NDSU Career Charts
On the NDSU career charts, senior second baseman Cheyenne Garcia is 4th in doubles (59) and sacrifice flies (8), 5th in runs scored (190), sixth in runs batted in (158) and total bases (385), 7th in slugging (.568), stolen bases (70), triples (9), home runs (27) and double plays turned (26), 8th in hit by pitch (9) and 10th in hits (227) ... Senior shortstop Logan Moreland is 6th in stolen bases (72), 7th in batting (.378), on-base percentage (.437) and home runs (27), 8th in slugging (.557), runs scored (168) and hit by pitch (9), 9th in hits (243), total bases (358) and double plays turned (25) ... Senior first baseman Jackie Stifter is 1st in hit by pitch (25) and 7th in sacrifice flies (6) ... Senior left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo is 3rd in hit by pitch (16), 4th in sacrifice flies (8) and 10th in home runs (24) ... Junior catcher Alyssa Reina is 6th in slugging (.605), home runs (29), fielding (.992) and runners thrown out (30), 7th in putouts (983) and 8th in fielding chances (1061).
Sertic espnW National Player of the Week on March 9
Memo to all future espnW national players of the week: The trip to Hawaii is not included ... Sorry ... The timing of North Dakota State pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic's ongoing stay in Honolulu is purely coincidental, her team long ago scheduled to travel this week to a tournament in Hawaii while making the most of spring break, but she certainly earned some kind of reward ... Sertic and the Bison travel across the Pacific Ocean to play six games this week, two each against Baylor, California and Hawaii ... They have their work cut out for them against teams like that, but events of the past week suggest those teams don't have it so easy, either ... A program that made a habit of playing beyond its weight class since moving to Division I a little more than a decade ago, North Dakota State was at it again as it followed the pitcher's lead in a tournament hosted by Alabama ... In her first start in Tuscaloosa, Sertic allowed four hits, one walk and two earned runs in eight innings to beat DePaul ... She topped that a day later when she allowed four hits and one earned run in a win over second-ranked Alabama on its field. She wasn't done. Sertic then threw a five-inning no-hitter as the Bison surged to an 18-0 win over DePaul to wrap up their stay ... That's an extra-inning complete game, the biggest upset of the season and her first career no-hitter ... Eight hits and three earned runs allowed in 20 innings across three starts ... All in barely 48 hours ... It adds up to the player of the week.
Garcia Candidate for Senior CLASS Award
North Dakota State second baseman Cheyenne Garcia was one of 30 softball candidates for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award ... Garcia, a senior from Vista, Calif. (Rancho Buena Vista H.S.), was named the 2015 Summit League Player of the Year ... She has taken an active role in her hometown and campus community including volunteering at Rosewood on Broadway Nursing Home and Special Olympic Hockey locally, and Adopt A Child program at Christmas with her family.
NDSU Preseason Favorite in Summit League Coaches Poll
The North Dakota State softball team has been selected 2016's preseason favorite in The Summit League among a vote of the league's head coaches. The Bison received five-of-seven first-place votes for 35 points in the poll ... NDSU has won five straight regular season league titles along with claiming six of the past seven tournament championships.
Seven Bison Named to College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Summit League Softball Teams
North Dakota State placed seven players on the College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Summit League team led by Player of the Year choice in second baseman Cheyenne Garcia, shortstop Logan Moreland, catcher Alyssa Reina and left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo ... Second team selections were pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic and first baseman Jackie Stifter, while pitcher KK Leddy was selected Freshman of the Year ... The Bison were also ranked No. 44 in the College Sports Madness.com Preseason Softball Rankings.
The Mueller/Trachsel File
Head coaches for North Dakota State are Darren Mueller (15th season, 22nd overall) and Jamie Trachsel (6th season, 14th overall) ... Mueller has compiled a 538-280 record (.658) including 161-34 (.826) vs. Summit League competition (including tournament) ... Trachsel has compiled a 217-107 record (.670) including a 115-23 (.833) vs. Summit League competition including tournament ... Mueller recorded win No. 500 vs. IUPUI (5-9-15) in the Summit League tournament ... Trachsel earned win No. 200 at Iowa State (3-26-16) ... The Bison have had 10 straight 30-plus win seasons and reached 40 wins for the first time since 2004 last season ... North Dakota State has won six Summit League tournament championships (2009-10-11-12, 2014-15) to advance to NCAA regional play ... The Bison won the NCAA Norman Regional in 2009 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regional at Arizona State ... NDSU has won six Summit League regular season crowns (2008, 2012-13-14-15-16) ... Rounding out the Bison staff are pitching coach Brynne Dordel and graduate assistant manager Kendall Grimm ... Mueller became the program's all-time winningest coach with the 4-1 victory at Western Illinois (4-16-11) ... The NDSU coaching staff earned the 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 Summit League Coaching Staff of the Year honors ... The NDSU staff earned 2009 and 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year award ... Mueller was named the 2006 and 2007 Division I Independent Coach of the Year.
Former Bison Krista Menke Off to 2-0 Start in Italy
Former North Dakota State University all-region performer Krista Menke is 2-0 with 18 strikeouts for the ASD Thunders Castellana of the Italian League ... League play is scheduled to run from April through July (September playoffs pending) ... Menke, a 5-foot-11 righthander from Friend, Neb., played for DSS Haarlem in the Netherlands last summer. Menke compiled a 1-4 record and 2.49 earned run average for DSS Haarlem with 50 strikeouts and six walks in 39.1 innings pitched. She is the third NDSU softball player to compete professionally overseas, and joins former all-region pitcher and teammate Whitney Johnson (Netherlands) and former All-American catcher Shelly Rhein (Italy).
Ex-NDSU Shortstop Nicole Rivera Member of Gold Medal USA Women's Baseball Pan Am Team
Former North Dakota State University softball shortstop Nicole Rivera was a member of the gold medal winning USA Women's Baseball team at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games held July 10-26 ... Rivera, who started 225 career games for the Bison from 2008-11, was a two-time all-Summit League performer for North Dakota State including first team honors in 2010 ... The Lakeside, Calif. native was a valuable member of three Summit League tournament championship teams including the 2009 unit that went on to win the NCAA Norman Regional and advance to the NCAA Tempe Super Regional.
Against the Nationally-Ranked
North Dakota State has won nine of its last 28 meetings with nationally-ranked opponents ... With the dramatic 1-0 win in 11 innings over 9th/10th-ranked Oklahoma at the 2009 NCAA Norman Regional, North Dakota State softball recorded its first win over a nationally-ranked team since beginning the transition to Division I in 2005 ... NDSU is currently 10-56 overall ... By year,
2005 (0-5) -- Lost at #21 Iowa 2-0, Lost at #25 Nebraska 7-0, Lost at #25 Nebraska 8-0, Lost at #20 Missouri 9-1, Lost at #20 Missouri 8-0;
2006 (0-5) -- Lost at #10 Oklahoma 9-0, Lost at #10 Oklahoma 7-2, Lost at #24 North Carolina 5-1, Lost at #6 Cal 10-1, Lost at #16 Nebraska 8-0;
2007 (0-1) -- Lost to #25 Oregon 6-1;
2008 (0-1) -- Lost at #9 Stanford 7-0;
2009 (1-5) -- Lost at #11 Arizona 10-0, Lost at #11 Arizona 9-2, Lost at #11 Arizona 12-0, Won at #9/10 Oklahoma 1-0 (11), Lost at #9/10 Arizona State, 3-0, Lost at #9/10 Arizona State 11-0;
2010 (0-4) -- Lost vs. #6 Arizona 6-0, Lost at #21 Texas A&M 4-0, Lost at #21 Texas A&M 5-2, Lost at #1 Washington, 3-0;
2011 (0-10) -- Lost at #1/2 UCLA 7-0, Lost at #1/2 UCLA 15-2 (5), Lost at #2/4 Georgia 14-4 (5), Lost at #16/17 Stanford 12-0 (5), Lost vs. #24 Kentucky 5-4 (8), Lost at #2/3 Florida 18-0 (5), Lost at #2/3 Florida (9-0), Lost at #13/17 Missouri 4-3, Lost at #13/17 Missouri 11-2 (5), Lost at #1 Arizona State 10-1 (5);
2012 (1-6) -- Lost at #2 Alabama 9-4, Lost at #2 Alabama 3-2, Lost at #5 Arizona State 10-2 (5), Lost at #21 Texas A&M 6-0, Lost at #15 Baylor 1-0 (8), Lost at #15 Arizona 11-0 (5), Won vs. #13 Hawai'i 9-7;
2013 (2-5) — Lost vs. #1 Alabama 10-0 (5), Lost at #10 LSU 9-0 (5), Lost at #23 Georgia 4-1, Won at #23 Georgia 3-0, Lost at #12 UCLA 7-1, Won at #20 Nebraska 13-0, Lost at #20 Nebraska 11-0 (5);
2014 (2-6)— Lost at #12 Florida State 4-1, Lost at #12 Florida State 9-0 (5), Lost at #12 Florida State 5-0, Won at #22 Stanford 4-0, Lost at #18 Missouri 11-2 (5), Won vs. #21 Auburn 5-2, Lost at #14 Minnesota 4-1, Lost vs. #21 Auburn 1-0;
2015 (3-5) -- Won 6-5 vs. #17 Washington, lost at #11 Tennessee 14-3 (5), #10/12 lost 8-0 (5) at Minnesota, Won 5-4 at #10/12 Minnesota, Won 7-3 at #21 South Alabama, Lost 7-6 (8) at #21 South Alabama; Lost at #1 Oregon 4-3; Lost at #1 Oregon 6-1.
2016 (1-3) -- Lost at #2 Alabama 15-2 (5); Won at #2 Alabama 2-1; Lost vs. #22 Baylor 4-2; Lost vs. #22 Baylor 8-5.
Garcia, Menke, NDSU Coaching Staff Earn 2015 Summit League Honors, Eight Bison Named to All-League Teams
North Dakota State second baseman Cheyenne Garcia was named Summit League Player of the Year, Krista Menke earned her second Pitcher of the Year award, and NDSU head coaches Darren Mueller and Jamie Trachsel, assistant Brynne Dordel and graduate assistant manager Kendall Grimm were named Coaching Staff of the Year ... Joining Garcia and Menke on the all-league first team were center fielder Alex Sobrero, third baseman Amanda Grable and left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo ... Named the all-league second team were catcher Alyssa Reina, first baseman Jackie Stifter and shortstop Logan Moreland.
NDSU Wins Sixth Summit League Tournament in 2015
North Dakota State won its second straight Summit League Tournament and sixth over past seven seasons on May 8-9, 2015, at the Ellig Sports Complex ... NDSU defeated South Dakota State 16-0 on May 8, and edged IUPUI 3-2 and pounded South Dakota 13-3 in five innings in the championship game on May 9 ... The Bison had five players named to the all-tournament team led by MVP pitcher Krista Menke, who earned the top honor for the second time in her career ... Menke compiled a 3-0 record with a 2.33 earned run average, striking out 23 and walking four over 15 innings pitched ... Joining Menke were first baseman Jackie Stifter, second baseman Cheyenne Garcia, shortstop Logan Moreland and catcher Alyssa Reina.
Players Mentioned
2B
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
LF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
1B
/ SoftballWednesday, November 12
Saturday, April 26
Monday, April 14
Saturday, April 12
