You start looking at some of the numbers, and it’s easy to see why the Bethany Lutheran softball team won the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season championship and is hosting the conference tournament this week.
“I knew we’d have a good team, but honestly, we’ve been better than I thought we’d be,” coach Dan Nessler said. “A lot of kids have stepped up and had really good years.”
The Vikings earned the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage by winning the regular-season conference title, with 20 straight UMAC victories before losing the finale Sunday to Wisconsin-Superior.
The Vikings (28-12) will host Crown at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The opening game is set for 1 p.m., with second-seeded Wisconsin-Superior playing Northwestern. The tournament continues through Saturday, with the championship game scheduled for noon.
For the Vikings, everything starts with sophomore pitcher Kayla Senne, who ranks third in Division III with 23 complete games, fifth with eight shutouts, third with 232 strikeouts and third with 23 wins.
“She has been dynamite,” Nessler said. “She’s a little more mature, a little stronger. She gives you a chance to win every time she goes out there.”
The offense has been pretty good, too, averaging 7.1 runs with a team batting average of .365.
Leadoff hitter Katelyn Halbach is batting .444, scored 50 runs and is 25 for 26 on stolen bases. Emily Doyle is batting .420 with 50 RBIs, which ranks ninth in Division III, with Kaija Mork next at 44 RBIs.
But Nessler said the season turned around when the team started playing defense.
“We weren’t very good defensively early on,” he said. “We’re pretty good now.”
Bethany (22-9) was slated to host the UMAC baseball tournament at ISG Field anyway, but the Vikings are the No. 1 seed after going 18-3 in league games. Bethany faces Minnesota Morris at 7 p.m. Thursday. No. 2-seed Wisconsin-Superior plays Crown at 4 p.m.
“We’ve only lost four games since we came back from our spring trip, Bethany coach Ryan Kragh said. “We’ve played a tough schedule, but we’ve played a lot of home games, which has helped. Having our facility is a big advantage.”
Kragh said he’s leaned heavily on his senior leadership group: Hunter Pearce, Liam Peterson, Matt Verdugo and Ben Hopper.
Aidan Russell is batting .397 with a team-high four home runs and 36 RBIs, while Hopper is batting .357 with 30 RBIs. Peterson has 26 RBIs.
The Vikings are batting .340 as a team and averaging nearly 10 runs per game.
The main three pitchers have been Gavin Jacobsen, Connor Merton and Brody Curtiss, though Kragh hasn’t decided on a starter for Thursday’s game. Jackson Huiras has emerged in the bullpen, with two saves, a 2.62 earned-run average and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings.
“The biggest thing we’ve talked about to take care of what’s in front of you,” Kragh said. “Our team leadership has been so good. We’ve had some adversity, but the team has found a way to stick together and get the job done. That’s important because this is going to be a very tough tournament.”
Northern Sun
Minnesota State opens the Northern Sun Intercollegiate baseball tournament on Wednesday with a game against Winona State at 6 p.m. at Mandan, North Dakota.
The Mavericks (35-13), who are seeded second, split a doubleheader with the Warriors on April 26 at Bowyer Field.
MIAC
Gustavus is the No. 1 seed for the MIAC baseball tournament, which will be played at Collegeville. The Gusties will face Bethel at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the opener.
The tournament continues Friday and Saturday, with the championship game scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Collegeville.
The Gustavus softball team, which is seeded fourth, will host St. Catherine’s in a first-round game in the MIAC tournament at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
The winner will play at No. 1 seed Bethel at 11 a.m. Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday at Bethel.