Rochester, MN-
With the conclusion of the 2018 Minnesota College Athletic Conference Softball season, several individuals have been recognized by their peers for their strong contributions to the success of their teams.
In a weather-affected season, the MCAC has recognized the top 18 individuals, based on All-Division voting by the Conference head coaches. In addition to great performances on the field, a handful of head coaches also were tabbed for either Divisional or Regional coaching honors.
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NJCAA Region XIIIB Coach-of-the-Year Kyle Erickson Itasca Community College
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MCAC Northern Division Coach-of-the-Year Ray Austin Central Lakes College |
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MCAC Southern Division Coach-of-the-Year Greg Thorstad St. Cloud Technical & Community College |
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| 2018 MCAC Softball | All-State Team |
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ASHLEY POOL Pitcher / First Base St. Cloud Technical & Community College
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Ashley Pool contributed significantly to SCTCC success both as a pitcher and at first base. Pool was the Cyclone's ace over the course of the 2018 season. racking up 12 wins and pitching a total of 113.0 innings. The freshman was named Conference Pitcher of the Week three times this season. At the plate, Pool had nine home runs and collected 47 RBI's for the Southern Division champions.
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LINDSAY SWANSON Pitcher Anoka-Ramsey Community College Sophomore Mounds View, Minnesota |
Lindsey Swanson was a dominant force for the Golden Rams over the 2018 season.
Offensively, Swanson hit for a .481 batting average, belted 11 round-trippers and drove in 63 RBI's on 62 hits. In the pitching circle, Swanson won 15 games for Anoka-Ramsey with a 2.81 ERA.
A sophomore from Mounds View, Swanson drew the unique distinction of earning National Player and Pitcher-of-the-Week through a commanding set of outings between April 6 - 12.
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Talyn McClaflin Infielder Itasca Community College Freshman Big Lake, Minnesota |
Talyn McClaflin, a freshman infielder from Big Lake, Minnesota emerged as one of the top hitters in all of NJCAA softball in 2018. McClaflin finished the MCAC regular season with a league-best .669 batting average, 11 home runs and 71 RBI's. McClaflin earned NJCAA National Player-of-the-Week honors in early May for the Vikings and helped lead ICC to the 2018 NJCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota.
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Andrea Wagoner Pitcher / Utility Central Lakes College Sophomore Colona, Illinois |
Whether pitching or batting, Andrea Wagoner was one of the best in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference in 2018. As a pitcher, Wagoner led the MCAC with a 2.55 earned run average and held opposing batters to a .257 batting average. On offense, Wagoner was second in the Conference in RBI's with 64, and led the league in home runs with 17. Wagoner is a sophomore from Colona, Illinois and helped lead the Raiders to an unbeaten run of 8-0 in MCAC Divisional action.
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Chelsea Schroeder Shortstop St. Cloud Technical & Community College Freshman Cold Spring, Minnesota |
A standout shortstop, Chelsea Schroeder lead St. Cloud Technical & Community College in on-base percentage (.528) and was tops in the MCAC in stolen bases (32). Schroeder also drove in 28 runs and scored 44 runs herself for the MCAC Southern Division regular season champion Cyclone squad. Schroeder, from Cold Spring, Minnesota, provided the SCTCC offense a boost at the play, connecting for two home runs and a .397 batting average in 2018.
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Lisa Kossan Shortstop Central Lakes College Freshman Staples, Minnesota |
Central Lakes College rolled through the MCAC Northern Division to an perfect 8-0 record, and Lisa Kossan was a major factor in their success. Kossan, a freshman from Staples, Minnesota, hit for a .556 average, collected 84 total bases cracked 16 doubles over the course of the regular season. Kossan helped lead the Raiders to the top seed and hosting rights to the NJCAA Region XIIIB tournament.
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Aby Kienholz First Base Ridgewater College Freshman Willmar, Minnesota |
Ridgewater College freshman Aby Kienholz had a phenomenal freshman year at first base for the Warriors, completing the 2018 season with zero fielding errors. Kienholtz also led her team in hitting with a batting average of .458 this past spring. The Willmar High School product was a key contributor to returning the Warriors to the post-season, as Ridgewater College qualified for the 2018 NJCAA Region XIIIA softball post-season tournament.
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Kayla Christopherson Infield Itasca Community College Sophomore Zimmerman, Minnesota |
Itasca Community College standout Kayla Christopherson was second overall in the MCAC in batting average (.573) for the 2018 season and was tops in runs scored (58). Christopherson, a sophomore from Zimmerman, Minnesota, belted five home runs and three triples this spring. Her on-base percentage of .648 was third in the Conference. Christopherson's offensive production helped lead the Vikings to the 2018 NJCAA Division III Softball National Championships in Rochester, Minnesota.
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Breanna Stang Infield Anoka-Ramsey Community College Freshman St. Nicholas, Minnesota |
Golden Ram Breanna Stang was a consistent contributor all season for Anoka-Ramsey Community College, who advanced to the 2018 NJCAA Region XIIIA tournament. Batting third in the ARCC lineup, Stang had a .447 batting average with an impressive 55 hits and 13 doubles in 2018. Stang also had 11 stolen bases to go with 38 RBI's as a key offensive contributor for the Golden Rams and head coach David Alto.
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Teizha Kaluna Infield/Pitcher Northland Community & Technical College Freshman Kailua Kona, Haiwaii |
Northland Community & Technical College freshman Teizha Kaluna was right at home in both the batter's box and the pitching circle for the Pioneers in 2018. At the plate, Kaluna hit for a .551 average and led the MCAC in on-base percentage at .703. She only struck-out six times the entire spring and hit four home runs. As a pitcher, Kaluna pitched 58.1 innings, including a key late-season complete game performance in a 17-5 win over Hibbing Community College which locked up a playoff berth for NCTC. |
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Katelyn Waytashek Infield / Outfield Central Lakes College Sophomore Piertz, Minnesota |
Raider sophomore Katelyn Waytashek had a huge turnaround season in 2018, one in which she hit for a .370 average, belted nine home runs and two triples while driving in 35 runs. The Piertz, Minnesota, product was a key factor in the MCAC Northern Division title earned by Central Lakes College and head coach Ray Austin. CLC's success was driven by Waytashek's versatility and ability to play multiple roles and add offense at the plate.
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Sam Lupkes First Base Minnesota State-Fergus Falls Sophomore Wheaton, Minnesota |
Minnesota State-Fergus Falls sophomore Sam Lupkes put together a great 2018 spring softball season for the Spartans. Lupkes hit for a .491 batting average, cracked three home runs and drove in 26 RBI's. The Wheaton, Minnesota sophomore also collected three doubles along the way, providing clutch hitting for the M State squad.
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Anna Peters Pitcher / Utility Itasca Community College Freshman Big Lake, Minnesota |
Anna Peters pitched 108 total innings for Itasca Community College and racked up 10 wins and a pair of saves for the Vikings. A freshman from Big Lake, Minnesota, Peters had a 3.82 ERA and struck out 147 opposition batters in 22 total appearances. Strong at the plate as well, Peters had a .388 batting average, knocked in 22 RBIs and belted a home run.
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Outfield Anoka-Ramsey Community College Freshman Stillwater, Minnesota |
Cleopatra Nystrom excelled as the lead-off batter for Anoka-Ramsey over the course of the spring season. Nystrom provided her ARCC team a .438 batting average, setting the table by collecting 60 hits, scored 48 runs and swiped 31 stolen bases. Nystrom hit for power as well, with 10 doubles, three triples and three home runs in 2018 for ARCC.
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Kylie Ahl Catcher Rochester Community & Technical College Freshman Blue Earth, Minnesota |
Kylie Ahl, a freshman from Blue Earth Minnesota, led Rochester Community & Technical College in batting average and grand slams during the 2018 Yellowjacket softball season. Ahl was a solid catcher for RCTC this past spring, gunning down several would-be base stealers in MCAC action.
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Regan Jastram Pitcher / Infield St. Cloud Technical & Community College Freshman Fargo, North Dakota |
Contributing both as a pitcher and position player for St. Cloud Technical & Community College, Regan Jastram turned in a consistent offensive production for SCTCC in 2018. Jastram belted six home runs, knocked in 38 RBI's and scored 28 runs for the Division-winning Cyclones. Jastram, from West Fargo, North Dakota, lead the team in batting average at a .463 clip.
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Alex Saxhaugh Infield/Outfield Mesabi Range College Freshman Virgina, Minnesota |
Alex Saxhaug, a leader for Mesabi Range College softball this season, hit for a .463 average and collected a .516 on-base percentage for the Norse. With runners in scoring position Saxhaug - a freshman from Virginia, Minnesota, was even more effective, hitting .522 in those clutch situations. Saxhaug lined up at both first and second base throughout the year for Mesabi Range College.
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Stacie Lokken OF/C Hibbing Community College Freshman Hibbing, Minnesota
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Stacie Lokken was the top player for a young Hibbing Community College squad this year, and led the Cardinals in most statistical categories. A two-sport standout, Lokken also represented Hibbing on the basketball court. Lokken is a freshman from Hibbing, Minnesota. |
Cleopatra Nystrom
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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.