Softball

The Mustangs’ individual record breakers were Kelly Baumert, a senior pitcher from Omaha, Neb.; and Morgan Swanson, a sophomore pitcher from Story City, Iowa.

Baumert finished her career with a won-lost record of 92-30 for a career winning percentage of .754 to break Morningside’s former victory rate record of .736 by Jeree Carlson from 1993-96. Baumert’s 92 career victories tied a Morningside record previously set by Whitney McElrath from 2005-08.

Baumert led the Mustangs in victories this season with a 22-7 record and also topped the team with 184.1 innings pitched and 200 strikeouts for the fifth highest single-season total in Morningside history. Baumert had 22 complete games in 29 starts, allowed only 161 hits in her 184.1 innings, and had a 2.01 earned run average.

Swanson had a 17-2 record to set a new Morningside single-season record with a .895 winning percentage. She broke the former Morningside winning percentage record of .846 by Baumert in 2007. Swanson also led the Mustangs with a 1.68 earned run average. She completed 16 of her 21 starts and had 100 strikeouts and allowed only 118 hits in 133.1 innings pitched.

Morningside slugged a school-record 52 home runs this season to break its previous single-season standard of 46 home runs in 2007.


Kirsten Dargy	Mackenzie Neely

Kirsten Dargy, a freshman from LaVista, Neb., was the Mustangs’ top home run threat with 12 roundtrippers for the second highest single-season home run total in Morningside history. Dargy was the Mustangs’ co-leader with 10 sacrifices.

The Mustangs’ leading hitter was Mackenzie Neely, a freshman catcher from Roland, Iowa, who collected a team-high 55 hits in 142 at-bats for a .387 batting average to go along with a team-high 12 doubles and 40 RBIs. Neely also topped the Mustangs with a .620 slugging percentage and a .450 on-base percentage.

Kylie Helmink, a junior second baseman from Fairbury, Neb., hit .333 and led the Mustangs with 23 base on balls, 14 stolen bases in as many attempts, 10 sacrifices, and 42 runs scored.

The Mustangs’ toughest player to strike out was Alyx Peery, a senior catcher from Seward, Neb., who fanned only eight times in 92 at-bats. Peery batted .315 for the season.

Erin Bohlmann, a junior outfielder from Denison, Iowa; Allison Von Ehwegen, a sophomore outfielder from Milford, Iowa; Emily Wassom, a sophomore shortstop from Spencer, Iowa; and Helmink all shared the team lead with two triples.

Bohlmann and Von Ehwegen each hit over .300 with batting marks of .322 and .313, respectively. Kayla Clarey, a junior first baseman from Le Mars, Iowa, also hit over .300 with a .305 average.

Morningside posted a 40-9 record and was the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season and post-season tournament champion en route to its second consecutive appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championships. The Mustangs have posted four 40-win seasons in the last five years.

Neely Named To All-America First-Team

Mackenzie Neely, a freshman designated player from Roland, Iowa, has been named to the first-team of the 2010 NAIA Softball All-America selections.

Neely was the leading hitter for this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season and post-season tournament champions, who finished the season with a 40-9 record and made their second straight appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championships in Decatur, Ala.

Neely collected a team-high 55 hits in 142 at-bats for a .387 batting average to go along with team-high totals of 12 doubles and 40 RBIs. She was also the team leader with a .620 slugging percentage and a .450 on-base percentage and ranked fifth on the team with seven home runs.

She hit .423 (22-for-52) with runners in scoring position, .667 (10-for-15) with runners on third base and less than two outs, and .514 (18-for-35) when leading off an inning. Neely had a .451 batting average in regular season GPAC competition to help the Mustangs win the league’s regular season title with a 21-3 record for a four-game margin over runner-up Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Neely hit safely in 35 of her 48 games, including 15 multiple-hit performances.

Click here for the complete 2010 NAIA All-America Softball Team.

Von Ehwegen Twins Named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes


Allison Von Ehwegen	Amanda Von Ehwegen

Morningside College’s Allison and Amanda Von Ehwegen, twin sisters from Milford, Iowa, have been named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the sport of softball.

Allison Von Ehwegen, a sophomore outfielder, has a 3.55 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in general science teaching.

Amanda Von Ehwegen, a sophomore pitcher, has a 3.75 cumulative GPA with a major in mathematics teaching.

Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

Click here for the complete list of 2010 Daktronics-NAIA Softball Scholar-Athletes.

Baumert Ties Mustang Victory Record In National Tourney Triumph


Kelly Baumert	Alisha Wheat

Kelly Baumert tied the Morningside College record for career pitching victories when she pitched a three-hit shutout in the Mustangs’ 4-0 victory against Indiana University Southeast in Monday’s pool play finale at the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championships in Decatur, Ala.

It was the 92nd victory of Baumert’s career to tie a Morningside record previously set by 2008 graduate Whitney McElrath. Baumert finished her career with a record of 92-30, including a 22-7 mark this year. Baumert’s .754 career winning percentage is the highest victory rate in Morningside history.

Baumert walked one and struck out seven while twirling her ninth shutout this season and the 38th of her career.

Baumert was in command the entire way. After she allowed a single by Heather Shepherd and a walk to Allie Alford in the first inning, Baumert proceeded to retire 14 batters in a row before Shana Andres and Shepherd had back-to-back singles with one out in the sixth. The runners eventually reached second and third, where they were left stranded when Alford flew out to shallow center field for the third out.

Morningside, which dropped its first two pool play games by identical 5-1 scores against third-ranked Lubbock Christian University and 15th-ranked Bethel College, finished the season with a record of 40-9. The Mustangs posted their fourth 40-win season in the last five years.

Morningside chased Grenadier starter Kelsey Everett with three runs in the top of the second inning. The Mustangs did all of their damage with two outs and nobody on base. Kylie Tirado started the rally with a two-out double. Alyx Peery followed with a walk to set the stage for Alisha Wheat, who delivered a two-run double to put the Mustangs in front. Kylie Helmink followed that hit with a RBI single to drive in Wheat and force the Grenadiers to relieve Everett in favor of Kayla Duke.

Duke struck out the first batter she faced to extinguish the rally and start a stretch where she struck out five Mustangs in a row. Duke eventually struck out six of the first 10 batters she faced before she surrendered her first hit when Erin Bohlmann singled with one out in the fifth.

The Mustangs finally solved Duke for a run in the top of the sixth inning when Tirado singled, was sacrificed to second by Peery, and came home on a two-out single by Helmink.

Everett took the loss after she allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in just 1.2 innings. Duke finished up with an impressive 5.1-inning relief stint where she allowed only one run on two hits with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Helmink had two of the Mustangs’ five hits with a pair of RBI singles. The Mustangs’ other hits were doubles by Tirado and Wheat and a single by Bohlmann.

Box Score

Lubbock Christian 6th Inning Rally Foils Mustang Upset Bid


Kirstey Dargy	Kelly Baumert

Third-ranked Lubbock Christian University erupted for five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to foil a Morningside upset bid when it defeated the Mustangs 5-1 in Saturday morning’s pool play action at the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championships in Decatur, Ala.

The Lady Chaparrals, who entered the game with an impressive team batting average of .409, were stymied by Morningside’s Kelly Baumert through the first five innings when they had only one hit. Lubbock Christian entered the bottom of the sixth down 1-0 after the Mustangs’ Kirsten Dargy had blasted a solo home run in the top half of the inning.

Lubbock Christian’s bats came to life in the sixth inning when it had five of its six hits, including a two-run double by Priscilla FaGaines that put the Lady Chaps up 2-1. Clarissa Maldonado and Amanda Parsons each had RBI doubles and Loren Phelps supplied a run scoring single later in the inning.

Lady Chap ace Alyssa Gutierrez twirled a two-hitter with one walk and nine strikeouts to improve her record to 38-3. Aside from Dargy’s sixth inning home run, the only other hit she allowed was a third inning infield single by Erin Bohlmann.

Dargy also supplied all of the Mustangs’ offense in their pool play opener when she hit a solo home run in Thursday’s 5-1 loss against Bethel University. She has 12 home runs for the season to put her two shy of the school-record 14 roundtrippers hit by Mindi Prince in 1996.

Baumert, 21-7, breezed through the potent Lubbock Christian lineup through five innings, yielding only a bunt single to Kayla Van Dieren to lead off the fourth. Baumert finished with a six-hitter with one walk and six strikeouts.

Lubbock Christian, the NAIA National Champion in 2008, climbed to 54-6 on the season. Morningside, 39-9, will wrap up pool play with a game against Indiana University Southeast on Monday at 11:30 a.m.

Box Score

Eighth Inning Grand Slam Sinks Mustangs

Kirsten Dargy

Kaitlyn Dubois hit a grand slam with two outs in the top of the eighth inning to lead 15th ranked Bethel College to a 5-1 victory against Morningside in Thursday’s opening round of pool play at the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championships in Decatur, Ala.

The loss snapped a 15-game winning streak for the Mustangs, 39-8, who will face No. 3 Lubbock Christian University on Saturday at 9 a.m.

The Mustangs were one out away from getting out of their eighth inning jam when Dubois hit her home run. The Pilots had loaded the bases with no outs after a leadoff double by Sarah Rassi, a walk to Katie Boocher, and a single by Brittney Fisher. Morningside ace Kelly Baumert almost pitcher he way out of the jam when she got Mandy Cripe to popup to shortstop Emily Wassom and struck out pinch-hitter Melissa Gunderson before Dubois connected for her eighth home run of the season.

Morningside had taken a 1-0 lead when Kirsten Dargy slugged a solo home run with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Mustangs’ first hit of the game against Pilot starter Kelli Zache.

Bethel tied the score in the top of the sixth when Tara Blair had a bunt single, went to second on a bunt single by Holly Weaver, was sacrificed to third by Rassi, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Fisher.

Zache, 20-3, limited the Mustangs to three hits over the first six innings in a non-decision. Zach struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter. Rachel Zirille walked one, struck out three, and didn’t give up a hit in a two-inning relief stint to get the win and improve to 12-1.

Baumert, 21-6, allowed 11 hits, walked three, and struck out seven.

Dubois had three of the Pilots’ 11 hits.

Aside from Dargy’s home run, the Mustangs’ other hits were a fifth inning double by Kylie Tirado and a sixth inning single by Erin Bohlmann.

Box Score

Mustangs Place Six On All-GPAC First-Team

Jessica Jones-Sitzmann

Just like it dominated the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) during the regular season and the post-season, Morningside College claimed six of the 18 first-team spots on the 2010 All-GPAC Softball Team selected by the league’s head coaches.

Morningside’s Kelly Baumert, Erin Bohlmann, Kayla Clarey, Kylie Helmink, Mackenzie Neely, and Alyx Peery were all named to the All-GPAC first-team and the Mustangs’ Jessica Jones-Sitzmann was named the 2010 GPAC Coach of the Year.

Jones-Sitzmann is in her 12th season at Morningside, where she is the winningest softball coach in school history with a record of 403-242. This season she guided the Mustangs to GPAC regular season and post-season tournament championships and to a second consecutive berth in the NAIA Softball National Championships, slated for May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala. The Mustangs will take a 39-7 record and a 15-game winning streak into the national tourney. Jones-Sitzmann also receive GPAC Coach of the Year honors in 2007 and 2009 after she led the Mustangs to the league’s regular season titles and she also guided Morningside to a GPAC post-season tournament championship in 2008.

Baumert, a senior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., was named to the All-GPAC first-team for the fourth time in her career. She has a 21-5 record with a 1.84 earned run average and has completed 19 of her 24 starts, including eight shutouts. Baumert has 40 walks and 180 strikeouts in 163.1 innings pitched and has limited the opposition to 141 hits and a .227 batting average. She has six shutouts in her last 13 starts.

Baumert has a 91-28 record with 37 shutouts, a 1.64 earned run average, and 749 strikeouts during her Morningside career and has moved within one win of the school-record 92 career pitching victories established by Whitney McElrath from 2005-08. Baumert’s .765 career winning percentage is the highest victory rate in Morningside history.

Bohlmann, a junior outfielder from Denison, Iowa, is one of the Mustangs’ top run producers with 38 RBIs and 33 runs scored to rank second on the team in both categories. She has a .326 batting average with seven doubles, two triples, and eight home runs.

Clarey, a junior first baseman from Le Mars, Iowa, has a .325 batting average with five doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 35 RBIs, 16 base on balls, and 27 runs scored. Clarey ranks second on the team with her nine home runs. Eight of Clarey’s nine home runs and 26 of her 35 RBIs came in the Mustangs’ 24 GPAC regular season contests, in which she crushed opposing pitching at a .435 batting clip with a .870 slugging percentage.

Helmink, a junior second baseman from Fairbury, Neb., is the Mustangs’ team leader with 47 runs scored, 22 base on balls, 10 sacrifices, and 14 stolen bases in as many attempts. She has a .343 batting average with four doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 22 RBIs. Helmink has made only two errors all season and has a .990 fielding percentage.

Neely, a freshman designated player from Roland, Iowa, is the Mustangs’ team leader with a .414 batting average, 12 doubles, 40 RBIs, a .662 slugging percentage, and a .477 on-base percentage. She also ranks among the team leaders with seven home runs and 17 base on balls. Neely had a hefty .451 batting average in regular season GPAC competition.

Peery, a senior catcher from Seward, Neb., has a .337 batting average with six doubles, 13 RBIs, and seven sacrifices. Peery is the Mustangs’ best contact hitter with only seven strikeouts in 86 at-bats. She has not committed an error in 242 chances this season.

In addition to their six first-team selections, the Mustangs also placed Morgan Swanson, a sophomore pitcher from Story City, Iowa, on the All-GPAC second-team.
Swanson, who has a 17-2 record and a 1.68 earned run average, is on pace to set a Morningside single-season record for winning percentage with her victory rate of .895. Swanson has allowed 118 hits, walked 25, and struck out 100 batters in 133.1 innings. She has two shutouts and 16 complete games in 21 starts.

Click here for the complete 2010 All-GPAC Softball Team

Mustangs Add GPAC Tourney Championship To Regular Season Title


KylieHelmink	Erin Bohlmann

Morningside added the GPAC Softball Tournament championship to its GPAC regular season title after it blasted Midland Lutheran 13-2 in five innings in Saturday’s tourney championship game in Hastings, Neb.

The Mustangs went 4-0 at the GPAC tourney to stretch their winning streak to 15 games. Morningside will take a 39-7 record to the NAIA Softball National Championships slated for May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala.

Morningside drubbed Midland Lutheran behind an impressive power hitting display that saw the Mustangs blast six home runs, including two by Kyle Helmink, who drove in five runs with a two-run homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the third. Erin Bohlmann, Mackenzie Neely, Emily Wassom, and Kayla Clarey also homered for the Mustangs.

Clarey connected for the Mustangs’ first home run of the game with a three-run shot in the bottom of the first inning that put them up 4-1.

The Mustangs scored three more runs in each of the next three innings to turn the game into a romp.

Bohlmann had three hits, including a home run and double, while Neely had three hits, including a home run, and three RBIs, to pace an 11-hit attack. Helmink had two home runs and five RBIs.

Morgan Swanson relieved Mustang starter Kelly Baumert to start the third inning and allowed one run on four hits over 2.2 innings to get the win. Baumert allowed one run on four hits and struck out two batters in 2.1 innings. Neither pitcher walked a batter.

Morningside advanced to the GPAC title game with a 6-4 victory against Hastings College in Friday’s winner’s bracket final.

The Mustangs will take a 38-7 record and a 14-game winning streak into Saturday’s title game against Midland Lutheran at noon. Morningside is already assured of a berth in the upcoming NAIA Softball National Championships as the GPAC’s regular season champion.

Morningside posted a wire-to-wire victory against Hastings after it plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles by Neely and Wassom to take a 2-0 lead.

The Mustangs made it 3-0 in the second inning on a solo home run by Helmink and stretched their lead to 5-0 with two more runs in the fifth on RBI singles by Neely and Kirsten Dargy.

Baumert, who pitched 13 scoreless innings in Thursday’s tournament action, blanked the Broncos through the first five innings to extend her streak to 18 consecutive scoreless innings before Hastings’ Ashlee Lueders connected for a two-run home run with two outs in the sixth inning.

Baumert finished with a five-hitter with no walks and three strikeouts for her 21st win of the season. Baumert raised her career record to 91-28 to move within one triumph of Whitney McElrath’s school-record total of 92 career victories.

Morningside peppered Hastings ace Stacey Paladino with 12 hits, including two each from Helmink, Dargy, Neely, and Wassom. Helmink’s third inning home run was the Mustangs’ only extra base blow.

On Thursday the Mustangs blanked Concordia University 7-0 and edged Midland Lutheran 3-2 to move on to Friday’s winner’s bracket final.


Jessica Jones-Sitzmann	Kelly Baumert

The Mustangs’ opening round win against Concordia was the 400th victory of head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann’s Morningside coaching career.

Baumert twirled a five-hit shutout, didn’t walk a batter, and zipped the ball past the Bulldog hitters for 13 strikeouts in the win against Concordia.

The Mustangs got most of their offensive production from the top of the order. Leadoff batter Helmink had three hits, stole two bases, and scored two runs; No. 2 hitter Dargy had three hits, including a double, and two RBIs; and No. 3 hitter Bohlmann had one hit and three RBIs.

Morningside scored all the runs it would need when Bohlmann delivered a two-run single in the third inning.

The Mustangs capped their scoring with three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth. Clarey had a RBI single in the fifth, while Dargy provided the big blow in the sixth with a two-run single.

Morningside came back from a 2-0 first inning deficit to defeat Midland Lutheran. The Mustangs tied the score at 2-2 on a two-run home run by Bohlmann in the third inning and scored the eventual winning run on a solo homer by Wassom in the sixth.

Aside from the two home runs, the Mustangs’ only other hits against Midland Lutheran’s Kelly Sladek, the 2009 GPAC Pitcher of the Year, were a double by Mackenzie Neely and a single by Dargy.

Baumert relieved Swanson after the first inning and blanked the Warriors the rest of the way on three hits to finish the day with 13 shutout innings. She walked three and struck out three.

Concordia Box

Midland Lutheran Box

Hastings Box

Championship Game Box

Bohlmann Is GPAC Player Of The Week

Erin Bohlmann, a junior outfielder from Denison, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Player of the Week.

Bohlmann had seven hits in 12 at-bats for a .583 batting average last week to help lead the Mustangs to doubleheader sweeps of the University of Sioux Falls and Nebraska Wesleyan University to wrap up the GPAC’s regular season championship. She had two doubles, one home run, seven RBIs, and four runs scored.

Bohlmann fell behind 0-2 in the count before she delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to drive in the winning run in a 2-1 victory against Sioux Falls and broke a 2-2 tie with a three-run home run in the sixth inning of a 6-2 victory against Nebraska Wesleyan that clinched the Mustangs’ GPAC title.

She is hitting .316 with six home runs and 32 RBIs for the season.

Morningside finished the regular season with a 35-7 record and will take an 11-game winning streak and the No. 1 seed into this week’s GPAC Softball Championship slated for May 6-8 in Hastings, Neb. The GPAC regular season championship earned the Mustangs a berth in the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championships scheduled for May 20-26 in Decatur, Ala.

Baumert Named GPAC Pitcher Of The Week

Kelly Baumert, a senior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week.

Baumert had a 2-0 record and did not allow an earned run last week to help the Mustangs post a perfect 4-0 record for the week. She pitched a three-hit shutout with one walk and eight strikeouts in a 5-0 victory against Briar Cliff University. Baumert allowed only five hits to go along with three walks and seven strikeouts in a 2-1 victory against Midland Lutheran College. Baumert retired all three batters she faced in a one-inning relief stint in a 9-4 win against Midland Lutheran.

Baumert has a 15-5 record with a 1.99 earned run average this season and has pitched five shutouts in her last eight starts. She has struck out 143 batters in 123.1 innings pitched.

She has an 85-28 record with a 1.66 earned run average during her Morningside career. Her .752 career winning percentage is the highest victory rate in Morningside history.

Baumert Receives Weekly GPAC Honor

Kelly Baumert, a senior pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week.

Baumert had a 3-0 record with a 0.41 earned run average last week to help the Mustangs go 6-0 for the week. She struck out 26 batters and allowed only one run in 17 innings.

Baumert pitched a six-hitter with three walks and 11 strikeouts in a 4-1 victory against Concordia University on April 7 to help Morningside overtake the Bulldogs for first place in the GPAC standings. Baumert finished the week with a pair of abbreviated five-inning shutouts. She scattered five hits, walked two, and struck out seven in an 8-0 win against Dana College on April 9 and twirled a one-hitter with one walk and eight strikeouts in a 15-0 victory against Mount Marty College on April 11.

She has a 10-4 record with four shutouts and a 2.16 earned run average so far this season. Baumert has blown the ball past the opposition for 109 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched.

Baumert has an 80-27 record with 33 shutouts and a 1.66 earned run average during her Morningside career.

Mustangs Announce Two Recruits

Morningside College head softball coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann has announced the names of two high school recruits who will join the Mustangs for the 2011 season.

The recruits are infielders Michelle Brockamp of Sioux City and Kiley Eckenrod of Rock Rapids, Iowa. Brockamp is a senior at Sioux City Bishop Heelan Catholic High School. Eckenrod is a senior at Central Lyon High School and plays softball for George-Little Rock/Central Lyon.

Brockamp batted .241 with 10 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 35 RBIs, and 25 runs scored last season for Bishop Heelan’s Class 3A state tournament team. She was the Crusaders’ co-leader in home runs and RBIs and ranked second on the team in doubles.

Eckenrod was George-Little Rock/Central Lyon’s top hitter last summer with a team-high 39 hits in 91 at-bats for a .429 batting average. She also led the team with 35 runs scored, 20 base on balls, and a .536 on-base percentage. Eckenrod had nine doubles, one triple, 20 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases.

The recruits will join a Morningside softball team that currently tops the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) standings with a 5-1 league record. The Mustangs were the 2009 GPAC regular season champions en route to their first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1982.

Swanson Is GPAC Pitcher Of The Week

Morgan Swanson, a sophomore from Story City, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week.

Swanson had a 5-0 record with a 0.72 earned run average last week. She allowed 27 hits to go along with five walks and 31 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched. Swanson had a streak of 25 consecutive scoreless innings end when she gave up a run in the fifth inning of a 5-2 triumph against College of Saint Mary on March 26 at the Morningside Invitational.

She pitched two shutouts last week. Swanson blanked College of Saint Mary on four hits and struck out eight batters in an abbreviated 8-0 five-inning triumph on March 23. Swanson twirled another shutout the next day when she pitched a six-hitter with a season’s high 10 strikeouts in a 6-0 victory against Northwestern College.

Morningside has own 11 of its last 13 games and will take a 14-4 record into a doubleheader against Doane College on Thursday in Crete, Neb.

All-State Pitcher Emma Remy To Join Mustangs

All-state softball pitcher Emma Remy of West Des Moines Valley High School will enroll at Morningside College next fall and compete for the Mustangs announced Morningside softball head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann.

Remy earned first-team Class 4A all-state laurels last summer after she pitched West Des Moines Valley to a third place finish at Iowa’s Class 4A state tournament. Remy had an 18-2 record and allowed only nine earned runs all season for a microscopic earned run average of 0.53. She allowed only 49 hits in 119 innings and held the opposition to a paltry .120 batting average. Remy blew the ball past opposing hitters for 159 strikeouts and walked only 16 batters all season.

She pitched a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts to lead West Des Moines Valley to a 6-0 victory against Waterloo West in the opening round of last year’s state tournament.

Remy earned honorable mention all-state honors as a sophomore when she had an 8-1 record with a 0.83 earned run average. Remy allowed 27 hits and had 58 strikeouts and 10 walks in 42 innings pitched.

Remy will join a Morningside team that posted a 34-21 record last season and won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season championships en route to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1982.

Two Bishop Heelan All-Staters To Join Mustangs

Sioux City Bishop Heelan Catholic High School seniors Jordan Johnson and Kelsey Tobin will enroll at Morningside College next fall and continue their athletic careers with the Mustangs.

Both athletes will play for the Mustangs’ softball team. Johnson will also compete for Morningside’s volleyball team.

Johnson and Tobin helped lead the Crusaders to an undefeated regular season and to a fifth place finish at the Class 3A state tournament last summer.

Johnson earned first-team Class 3A all-state honors last summer as a utility player, while Tobin was a second-team Class 3A all-state outfielder.

Johnson fashioned a 33-1 pitching record with a 0.63 earned run average. She held the opposition to a paltry .135 batting average by allowing only 104 hits in 220 innings pitched. Johnson struck out 273 batters and walked 41. She was Heelan’s leading hitter with a .427 batting average with a school-record 19 doubles, eight triples, three home runs, and 35 RBIs. Johnson struck out only five times in 131 at-bats.

Tobin hit .377 last season with 10 doubles, eight triples, one home run, and 30 RBIs. She was the Crusaders’ co-leader with 10 stolen bases.

Johnson was a third-team all-state pitcher as a sophomore when she posted a 21-15 record with a 0.98 earned run average. She allowed only 140 hits and had 254 strikeouts and 76 walks in 228 innings pitched. She batted .297 with nine doubles, two triples, and 18 RBIs.

Tobin batted .267 with six doubles, one triples, and 13 RBIs as a sophomore.

Johnson went 21-14 with a 1.00 earned run average as a freshman to earn honorable mention all-state honors.

Johnson had 230 digs for an average of 2.0 per game this past season for a Crusader volleyball team that was Iowa’s Class 3A runner-up.

Mustangs Tabbed To Win 2010 GPAC Title

Morningside has been tabbed the favorite by the GPAC head coaches to win the 2010 GPAC softball championships.

The Mustangs, who won last year’s GPAC regular season title en route to their first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1982, received eight of the 13 first place votes in the coaches’ pre-season poll.

Morningside returns five starters and its top two pitchers, including two-time GPAC Pitcher of the Year Kelly Baumert, from a team that finished 34-21 last season.

Click here for the 2010 GPAC Softball Pre-Season Coaches’ Poll.

All-Stater Kati Steffen To Join Mustangs

Kati Steffen, a first baseman-pitcher from Moville, Iowa, will attend Morningside College next fall and compete for the Mustangs’ softball team announced Morningside College softball head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann.

Steffen is currently a senior at Woodbury Central High School, where she helped lead the Wildcats to a fifth place finish at last summer’s Class 1A State Tournament. She earned all-tournament honors at the state tournament after she had six hits, including a home run, in nine state tournament at-bats for a .667 batting average.

Steffen earned third-team Class 1A all-state honors last season when she ranked among the top prep hitters in Iowa with 66 hits in 131 at-bats for a .504 batting average. She slugged 22 doubles, one triple, and four home runs and was Woodbury Central’s co-leader with 45 RBIs. Steffen had a 5-2 pitching record with two saves and a 1.90 earned run average in 11 appearances. She struck out 36 batters in 40.1 innings pitched.

Steffen hit .440 with 19 doubles, two home runs, and 37 RBIs and had a 3-2 pitching record with two saves and a 1.83 earned run average as a sophomore.

Morningside posted a 34-21 record during the 2009 season and won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season championship en route to its first NAIA National Tournament appearance since 1982.