Softball | 2/20/2020 9:54:00 AM
STORM LAKE, Iowa (February 21, 2020) - The Buena University softball team has been eagerly awaiting for the day to come as it gets to finally kick-off its 2020 campaign this weekend with a non-conference doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran College inside the Mankato Dome up in Mankato, Minn.
THE MATCH-UP
Saturday, February 22 |
Buena Vista (0-0) vs.
Bethany Lutheran (1-3) | 7 p.m. (DH) | Mankato, Minn. (Mankato Dome)
SCOUTING the VIKINGS
Bethany Lutheran opened its 2020 season last weekend by taking on St. Olaf inside the Mankato Dome. The team dropped a 10-0 (5 inn.) decision in the opener before bouncing back for a 6-1 triumph in the finale of the doubleheader. It was in action again on Thursday, February 20, with a twinbill against Saint Benedict, dropping both games in five innings by scores of 10-2 and 9-1. Eden Ambrose and Haylee Sobrero have combined for 11 hits in 19 at-bats to begin the year and lead the Vikings offensively. Sobrero, who led the team a season ago with a .408 average, has also hit the team's only homerun through four games while Tara George has notched two of their four extra-base hits. As a team, Bethany Lutheran is hitting .259. Kassidy Cunningham is 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA inside the circle in the early going while tossing a pair of complete-games. George has started the other two contests and pitched 5.2 innings.
The Vikings return a strong nucleus of players from last year's squad that won a school-record 27 games overall, including the regular season Upper Midwest Athletic Conference title.
2019 SEASON IN REVIEW
The Beavers finished 19-17 overall and 5-11 in conference play. Five of those 11 league setbacks, however, were decided by two runs or less. It ended the year on a high note with a 7-3 victory over Simpson College at home despite missing out on the A-R-C Tournament by one game. The team ranked right in the middle of the conference pack with a .297 overall average but dipped slightly to a .276 mark in conference play. Brooke Linderman was named Second Team All-Conference following the year after hitting .324 in league play and starting all 14 games.
Carlee Guyett ranked third on the team overall with a .319 average while leading the way in total hits (38).
Michaela Mason was third in hits (34), second in home runs (4) and first in runs scored (28), sacrifice hits (6) and stolen bases (8). She also had three outfield assists. As a team, BVU connected on 18 home runs for the year and scored 159 total runs while goinig 40-of-48 in stolen base opportunities.
Inside the circle, freshman
Peyton Gross led the way with 11 wins in 19 appearances while posting a 2.86 ERA in just over 80 innings of work. She also struck out a team-high 74 batters while issuing only 30 free passes. Fellow freshman
Ashtyn Miller, along with senior
Marissa Promes, posted four wins on the year with Promes pitching a team-high 99.2 innings. As a staff, BVU had an ERA of 3.92, struck out 160 total batters and issued only 90 walks, with opponents posting an average of .287.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2020
A veteran group returns to the field this season with the addition of only five new faces to the roster. The team has three seniors and a trio of juniors that will help lead the way all season with seven sophomores returning to the line-up and adding experience and depth throughout. Five of the team's top seven hitters in 2019 are back, including Mason, Guyett and Linderman, who combined for 36 percent of the team's hits and RBI a season ago. Gross and Miller are back inside the circle and look to build off their strong freshman campaigns. Opponents hit just .239 off of Gross which was the fifth-lowest average among all A-R-C pitchers.
COACHING MILESTONE
BVU head coach,
Mandie Nocita, will begin her sixth season at the helm and has a chance to reach 100 career victories on the opening weekend. She enters the season with a career 98-85-1 overall record.
AROUND THE A-R-C
Buena Vista finished eighth in the preseason coaches poll. Central College was tabbed as the coaches pick to repeat as league champions, followed by Wartburg in second and Luther in third.
2020 SCHEDULE
Following this weekend's season opening doubleheader inside the Mankato Dome, the Beavers will head to Decatur, Ill., next weekend for a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 29 against Calvin College before facing Millikin University in a pair of games on Sunday, March 1. After six games the following weekend in Rosemont, Ill., the team heads south to Tucson, Ariz., for its annual spring trip where it will play 10 games in six days. It will then get about 10 days off before opening American Rivers Conference play by hosting Central College on March 28. The Beavers also play host to Dubuque, Luther and Coe in conference play this season while also facing Dordt University in a non-conference home doubleheader.
