Softball Saturday at Superior postponed to Monday, Gustavus here Sunday

Superior Live Stats | Superior Live Video | Gustavus Live Stats

THIS WEEK'S GAMES:  There were changes in the Blue Devils (13-21, 5-9 WIAC) schedule. Stout was scheduled to travel to UW-Superior (15-13, 1-9 WIAC) Saturday, April 25, but due to impending inclement weather in the Superior area, that game has been postponed to Monday, April 27 at 2 p.m.Stout will be home to host non-conference foe, Gustavus Adolphus (25-13,15-5 MIAC), Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m.

UW-STOUT: The Blue Devils are coming off a 2014 campaign that featured 27 wins, which were the most since the 2004 season. The 2015 roster includes two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen - and is led by junior Tori Workman who claimed WIAC Pitcher of the Year recognition a year ago. She set the school single-season strikeout record with her final pitch of the season and led the conference with a 1.63 earned run average, 160 strikeouts and 176.1 innings pitched. Head coach Chris Stainer, the WIAC coach of the year last season, recently earned her 300th career victory. In a preseason poll, the Blue Devils were picked to finish second in the WIAC.

After starting the conference season off on several sour notes, the Blue Devils had turned things around, but things soured up again when Stout lost a pair of games at UW-River Falls Wednesday. The Blue Devils are looking to earn a berth to the WIAC tournament next week, and a pair of wins over the Yellowjackets will go a long ways in that quest.  Tori Workman (9-12) leads the Blue Devils from the circle and while her batting average has been edging downward slightly, she is still getting the job done at the dish. Workman has tossed a conference-best 137.1 innings so far this season, starting 20 games and making 29 appearances with an ERA of 3.01 and a conference-leading 125 strikeouts. She has notched three saves, tying the school record set by Megan Donley in 2005.  And Workman could have more opportunities for saves. Abbey Ball, who was the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual Athlete of the Week after earning wins over UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh last week, has been stepping up. Ball has so far appeared in 10 games, and has started four, working 26.2 innings with an ERA of 2.89. When Workman is not pitching, she can be found in centerfield. At the plate, Workman is hitting .284 (31-109) with a team-best 20 runs batted in, tallying 11 doubles - second in the league - two triples and two home runs. Liz Seipel  leads the team in stolen bases with seven. Taylor Workman is hitting .317 (32-101) with six doubles and three home runs, along with 18 RBI. Rachel Thomas is hitting .313 (26-83) and Sara Griesbach is hitting .289 (24-83) with 14 RBI.  Among starters, Nicole Rogers is hitting .267 (23-86). Rogers plays centerfield when Workman is pitching and slides over to right field when Workman is not throwing.   | 2015 Statistics

BLUE DEVILS LAST TIME OUT: Stout lost both games at UW-River Falls Wednesday, losing the first, 2-1, and the second, 12-9. The Blue Devils swept UW-Stevens Point, 6-2, 2-1, April 18 and split with UW-Oshkosh, losing 5-4, and winning 3-2, April 18. | Stevens Point Game Story and Stats | Oshkosh Game Story and Stats

UW-RIVER FALLS: UW-River Falls has seven starting position players back from last year's club that finished 10-2 in one-run games.  The 2015 campaign will mark the final season for head coach Faye Perkins who enters the year with 456 victories – the second-highest total in conference history – in her 21 years in charge of the Falcons.  Senior Abbie Morris established a school single-season record with 13 home runs in 2014, and led the WIAC with a .827 slugging percentage.

Katie Thompson is hitting .376 (38-101) with 23 RBI and seven RBI. Kaitlyn Lepine is hitting .356 (31-87) with a team high 25 RBI. Abbie Morris is hitting .350 (36-103) and is leading the WIAC in doubles with 14. She has 23 RBI   Morris and Brooke Laurtizen split time in the circle, with Lauritzen making 26 appearances and Morris 27. Both have made 15 starts and both have .500 win-loss records, with Lauritzen at 7-7 and Morris 8-8. Lauritzen has an ERA of 3.37, Morris at 3.70. Both have 72 striketouts. Morris has two saves, Lauritzen one. | 2015 Statistics

FALCONS LAST TIME OUT: Hannah Zurn smacked her first career home run on a cold day at Ramer Field as the UW-River Falls Falcons dropped two key WIAC games, 10-6, 11-2, against UW-Stevens Point Monday. The Falcons had 11 hits and the Pointers had 11 in a offensive battle. Abbie Morris connected on two doubles in the game and now has a team high 14 doubles on the season while hitting a .350. She hit her first one in the first inning bringing in Aiyana Ledwein. Morris was then brought home when Brooke Lauritizen singled up the middle to put UWRF up 2-0  | Game Story and Statistics

LAST YEAR WHEN THEY MET: Tori Workman went the distance in both games as the Blue Devils came away with a pair of victories against the Falcons of UW-River Falls. In her 14 innings pitched on the day, Workman gave up 0 runs. In game one, Workman tied Jenni Bostrom (2001) and Kristy Hoffman (2007-10) for the school record for most strikeouts in a single game, fanning 12 Falcons on the way to a 3-0 victory. Workman scattered four hits and didn't allow any walks. | Game Story and Statistics


UW-SUPERIOR:  UW-Superior graduated four of its top-six hitter from a year ago.  Senior Kristen Haider leads the returnees, after ranking fourth in the WIAC with a .423 batting average and .475 on-base percentage during the 2014 campaign.  Head coach Roger Plachta is 20 wins away from reaching 300 in his career.  If the Yellowjackets can play at home at Liebarert Field this season, it will mark their first home game since 2012. | 2015 Statistics

YELLOWJACKETS LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets lost at UW-Eau Claire, 6-3,5-2, Wednesday,  . | Game Story and Statistics

LAST YEAR WHEN THEY MET: UW-Stout didn't make it easy on themselves, but the Blue Devils managed to sweep UW-Superior, 5-4, 6-0, on a very cool and damp Sunday afternoon at Alumni Field last season.  | Game Story and Statistics


GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS: Before the Gusties come to Menomonie on Sunday, they are scheduled to host Hamline University, Saturday, April 25. The Gusties are assured of at least third place in the MIAC, but a sweep over Hamline would give them a second place finish. If Bethel University were to drop both games to Carleton College Saturday and the Gusties sweep Hamline, Gustavus would become MIAC champions. Kailey Morgan, Shelby Nosan, Carly Klass, Paige Breneman, Jenna Wilis, Hannah Heacox and Breanne Rentschler were all hitting over .300. Klass, Nosan and Morgan lead the team in RBI. Klass has seven home runs and Morgan six. Beneman has stolen 10 bases. The Gusties are not afraid to play small ball. Gustavus has laid down 58 sacrifice bunts compared to 18 for their opponents.  | 2015 Statistics

GUSTIES LAST TIME OUT: The Gusties split a conference series with Bethel University last Saturday, swept Augsburg College, Wednesday and will host Hamline Saturday. | Game Story and Stats

LAST TIME STOUT AND GUSTAVUS MET: The teams have not met since March 22, 1997, when the Blue Devils won a 5-4 decision at the Simpson College Tournament. The teams were scheduled to meet a few years back in Menomonie, but the game was rained out after three innings and the game was never finished.  | Game Story and Stats


BLUE DEVILS LAST SEASON: The Blue Devils are coming off a 2014 campaign that featured 27 wins, which were the most since the 2004 season. The 2015 roster includes two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and seven freshmen - and is led by junior Tori Workman who claimed WIAC Pitcher of the Year recognition a year ago. She set the school single-season strikeout record with her final pitch of the season and led the conference with a 1.63 earned run average, 160 strikeouts and 176.1 innings pitched. Head coach Chris Stainer, the WIAC coach of the year last season, recently earned her 300th career victory | 2014 Statistics

AWARDS AND HONORS: Abbey Ball was the UW-Stout/Northwestern Mutual Athlete of the Week after picking up wins over UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh...Tori Workman was the WIAC pitcher of the week after her first six games this season. Last season, Workman was the WIAC Pitcher of the Year and an all-region pick. Lynzi Knudtson was a WIAC honorable mention selection

2015 TEAM CAPTAINS: Team captains for the 2015 season are seniors Lynzi Knudtson and Taylor Workman and juniors Tori Workman and Nicole Rogers.

COACHES: Blue Devil coach Chris Stainer (306-390, overall; 288-365 at UW-Stout) is in her 17th season at Stout and her 18th season overall. UW-Superior: Roger Plachta is in his 15th season as the head coach of the Yellowjackets. UW-River Falls: Faye Perkins is in her final year as the head coach of the Falcons. Gustavus Adolphus: Jeff Annis is in his 10th year as head softball coach for the Gusties.

ON DECK: The Blue Devils wrap up the regular season when they host Hamline University, Tuesday, April 28 at 4 p.m. The conference touranment is schedule for May 1-3 at the top seeded team, a site yet to be determined.