Rochester, Mn-
As the Minnesota College Athletic Conference softball regular season heads towards the month of May, many coaches and athletes are bracing to endure one last cold and wet weekend of play in April.
Weather-permitting, the next few days will be an impactful time period, with several double-headers scheduled in both the Northern and Southern Divisions.
In the MCAC South, two squads - Anoka Ramsey and M-State Fergus Falls - are battling for the second spot with identical 10-4 records, while St. Cloud Technical and Community College enjoys a bit of breathing room on the strength of their 13 - 1 divisional mark. In the North, Itasca Community College, Mesabi Range College and Rainy River Community College all own above-.500 records and seek to find some momentum on chilly playing fields over the next several days.
Individually, softball in the MCAC is represented well by student-athletes making waves at the national level. Currently in the NJCAA Division III pitching ranks, Quincy Gross (Anoka Ramsey), Tarryn Justesen (M-State FF) and Shania Kinghorn (SCTCC) sit second, third and fifth respectively, in the country in total strikeouts. Gross also holds down the national number two spot in saves, while Mandi McNeil's 15 wins for Itasca Community College puts her fourth overall in the country in that category.
At the plate, Rainy River's Cassie Tomczak is hitting an eye-opening .575, good for 4th in the country. Chloe Callahan of St. Cloud Technical and Community College has racked up 53 RBI's on the year so far while Kamia Arbizo has 46 runs batted in for the RRCC Voyageurs, totals which place both in the Top 5 overall.
For a peek at the NJCAA national statistical leaders in both team and individual categories, be sure to visit: www.njcaa.org/sball/index
As the weather is likely to impact the MCAC weekend softball schedule, be sure to click here for up-to-date schedule and scores.
Story courtesy of MCAC Sports