Gustavus vs. Bethel
Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: 1 p.m. | 3 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gustie Softball Field
Live Coverage: Stats | Video
Gustavus vs. Hamline
Date: Saturday, April 2
Time: 1 p.m. | 3 p.m.
Location: St. Peter, Minn. | Gustie Softball Field
Live Coverage: Stats | Video
ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team is set to open its conference schedule for home opening weekend at Gustie Softball Field, hosting doubleheaders against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opponents Bethel University and Hamline University.
Last Time Out: The Gusties most recently went 7-3 during their spring trip in Kissimmee, Fla. at the Central Florida Spring Games March 9-13.
The Series: Saturday’s games against Bethel mark the 64th and 65th all-time meetings between the Gustavus and Bethel softball programs, with the Gusties holding a 45-18 winning record. Last season, the two teams split a doubleheader in Arden Hills, Minn.
Sunday’s meetings with Hamline will be the 63rd and 64th between the two teams. Gustavus holds a 44-18 all-time record against the Pipers. The Gusties and the Pipers split a doubleheader in St. Paul, Minn. last season prior to matching up in a MIAC playoff elimination game in which Hamline prevailed by a score of 5-3.
Scouting Bethel: The Royals have begun their season with a 4-8 overall record. Bethel most recently posted a 4-6 record during its spring trip in Florida, finishing on a four-game losing streak. As a team, the Royals own a .233 batting average and rank fourth in the MIAC with five home runs.
Wendy Roberts leads the Bethel offense with a .371 batting average and 13 base hits. Jana Roste leads the team with six RBI while posting a .306 batting average with 11 hits, including four doubles and two home runs. Anna Nichols leads the Royals on the rubber, having seven complete games in 57.2 innings pitched.
Scouting Hamline: The Pipers own a 5-7 overall record, most recently completing a six-day spring trip in Arizona. As a team, Hamline has scored 45 runs and has a .295 batting average.
Aubree Douglas ranks among the top-five hitters in the MIAC with a .484 batting average. She leads the Pipers with eight RBI, four doubles and 15 base hits. Sarah DeMars and Casey Anderson have accumulated 67 innings pitched, each appearing in nine games on the rubber.
Gustavus Notes
- The Gusties begin MIAC play ranked second in the conference with a .750 winning percentage and a 12-4 overall record.
- Gustavus posted an eight-game win streak March 3-11.
- The Gusties last played March 13 in a non-conference doubleheader in Florida, sweeping with a 8-3 win over SUNY-Cortland along with a 2-1 win over Washington College.
- Hannah Heacox (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.) leads the Gusties with a .393 batting average and has eight doubles, one home run, 10 runs batted in, and 17 runs scored.
- Heacox and Jena Willis (Sr., Kalispell, Mt.) have combined to lead Gustavus in the circle. Heacox has pitched 58.1 innings, compiling a 6-3 record with a 2.04 earned run average, 63 strikeouts, and a league-leading three shutouts. Willis has posted a 1.47 ERA in 43 innings pitched, owning 6-1 record along with two shutouts.
- Aly Freeman (Fy., Omaha, Neb.) ranks second on the team with a .386 batting average, 17 hits, 11 RBI, and five doubles.