Gustavus Adolphus College softball players Julie Mahre (Jr., White Bear Lake, Minn.), Joyce DeWitz (Sr., Good Thunder, Minn./Maple River), Rachael Click (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo), and Emily Klein (So., Red Wing, Minn.) were named recently to the All-Midwest Region Team as released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Mahre was a first-team selection, DeWitz and Click were named to the second team, and Klein was tabbed for the third team.
Julie Mahre, an at-large selection to the first team after being named to the second team in 2005 and the third team last season, started 40 games at second base, leading the team in batting average (.442), hits (53) and home runs (11). Mahre’s 11 home runs broke the single-season school record of eight set by Audrey Lenoch in 2004. In MIAC play, Mahre led the league in runs scored (27), finished second in hits (31) and total bases (49), third in batting average (.484), on-base percentage (.542), and home runs (4), and fourth in slugging percentage (.766).
Joyce DeWitz, selected to the second team at pitcher for the second consecutive year after making the third team in 2005, led the Gusties in the circle, posting a 20-7 record with 18 complete games in 29 appearances. She posted a 1.86 earned run average and struck out 154 in 165 2/3 innings of work overall. In league play, DeWitz tied for second among MIAC with 89 strikeouts and 13 wins while posting a 1.51 ERA in 83 2/3 innings. DeWitz finished her career in possession of nearly every Gustavus career pitching record including appearances (106), starts (89), innings pitched (535 2/3), wins (61), and strikeouts (537). DeWitz also holds single-season records in appearances (34 in 2005), starts (31 in 2005), innings pitched (195 1/3 in 2005), wins (21 in 2006), and strikeouts (196 in 2005).
Rachael Click, named to the second team at shortstop, started all 42 games at shortstop for the Gusties this past season. She led the MIAC in batting average (.516), slugging percentage (.906), on-base percentage (.568), hits (33), and RBI (30). Click hit .440 overall, knocked out team-highs in triples (4) and RBI (46) and tied for the team lead in both runs (42) and doubles (8). She finished second in hits (51) and home runs (9).
Emily Klein, selected at-large to the third team, hit .359 starting all 42 games in centerfield for Gustavus. On the year, Klein posted 37 hits with 32 RBI, five doubles, and three home runs. She also drew a team-high 18 walks. Klein stole 23 bases on the year to tie the record set by Heather Thorson in 1990. Klein also tied the record for stolen base attempts in a season with 36.
Mahre, DeWitz, and Click were each named All-MIAC earlier this month, while Klein was an honorable mention All-MIAC selection.
Gustavus finished 32-10 overall, setting a school record for wins en route to a second place finish in the MIAC (20-2) and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Gusties set the single-season wins record with a win over UW-Stevens Point in the NCAA Tournament to break the previous record of 31 wins set last year. The Gusties also set single season school records for runs scored with 268 (old record was 262), home runs with 37 (old record was 19), hits with 356 (old record was 340), and runs batted in with 217 (old record was 211).