Head Coach, Years at School, Overall Record at School:
Steve King, 8 years, 84 -143
Top returning players for the Spartans:
Tarryn Justesen, Valley City ND, P; Sydney Imsande, New York Mills, C/1B; Cailey Bryant, Jordan, C, UT; Sam Lupkes, Wheaton, 1B; Lindsey Dierks, Chokio, SS/CF
(Tarryn Justesen, Valley City ND, Pitcher)
Top new players for the Spartans
Macky Warne, Park Rapids, 3B/P; Taylor Kugler, Fergus Falls, 2B; Tina Rice, Henning, CF/SS
(Sydney Imsande, New York Mills, C/1B)
Coach King on the M State pitching staff in 2018:
"We return Tarryn Justesen, who was All State 1st Team and 1st Team Southern Division. 16-6 record with 167 K's in 144 innings and a 2.87 ERA"
Coach King on the M State offense in 2018:
"We return 1st Team Southern Division player Sydney Imsande, who hit .367 and led the team with 26 RBI. Look for Cailey Bryant and Lindsey Dierks to provide speed at the top of the lineup. Sam Lupkes should provide some power in the middle of the lineup"
Coach King on the 2018 M State Spartan Softball season:
"Hopefully we have great weather this spring so we can play the games as scheduled."
(Action photos courtesy of Fergus Falls Journal, Zach Stich)
About Softball in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference:
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference boasts a strong tradition in fastpitch softball; multiple decades of intercollegiate NJCAA competition has allowed student-athletes in the MCAC to pursue careers at four-year college programs and compete for National Championships.
Currently, MCAC Softball teams compete in a two-division alignment. Northern Division teams include Hibbing Community College, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College, Rainy River Community College, Central Lakes College, Northland Community & Technical College and Vermilion Community College. The Southern Division is home to St. Cloud Technical & Community College, Ridgewater College, M State Fergus Falls, Anoka-Ramsey CC, Minnesota West CTC, Riverland Community College and Rochester Community & Technical College.
At the conclusion of the 2018 spring season, MCAC Division Champions and Divisional runner-up, as well as third and fourth-place finishing teams, will advance to the 2018 NJCAA Division III Region XIIIA and B Tournaments. The Region XIII A & B Tournaments will be hosted by the regular season champion. Winners of the 2018 NJCAA Region XIII A & B tournaments will advance to the 2018 NJCAA Division III National Tournament, held in Rochester, Minnesota on May 17-19.
Softball in the MCAC features athletes from over Minnesota and many surrounding states. Our campus environments include the opportunity to attend college and compete in a variety of Minnesota State System colleges, from the urban hubs of the Twin Cities, Rochester, and St. Cloud, and the picturesque college towns ranging from Thief River Falls to Ely, Worthington to Brainerd. Learn more at: http://www.minnstate.edu/
Who is M State? We are the fifth-largest college in the Minnesota State system and the largest in Greater Minnesota, serving more than 8,000 students each year. But don't be fooled by our size. At M State you'll find the best of both worlds: big-college resources and a small- college feel on our four welcoming campuses and in our many online courses and programs.
Gopher Sport, based in Owatonna, is an industry leader in Physical Education, sports and fitness equipment. Gopher Sport is dedicated to providing programs and departments with the products to improve fitness, develop skills, create fun and reach a high standard of learning and living. Gopher Sport has diligently served teachers, coaches and athletic directors around the world for over 65 years.
About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs.