ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Minot State softball program opens its 2021 campaign at the PC Dome Invitational on Friday, Feb. 12 against Briar Cliff at 2 p.m.
Head Softball Coach
Nat Wagner, senior outfielder
Isis Cabral, and senior catcher/third baseman
Haley Hernandez joined us to preview the 2021 season and give us a look inside how the Beavers softball team has been preparing for the campaign.
Watch the video preview above by clicking the play icon in the image above or click
here.
GAME NOTES
The Minot State softball team started its season 10-6 with a four-game winning streak prior to the cancellation of the remainder of the 2020 season. The Beavers bring back a wealth of talent and experience looking to compete for an NSIC Championship. MSU opens its 2021 slate of games with four NAIA opponents getting underway tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Briar Cliff continuing with Morningside and Jamestown, and finishing the Classic against the host Presentation College.
SENIOR LEADER
Isis Cabral recorded a team-high .900 slugging percentage with nine doubles alongside a .526 on-base percentage. She recorded a season-high four hits on Feb. 28, 2020, against Mayville State and drove in a season-high five RBI in that same game. Cabral was named NSIC Player of the Week on Mar. 2, 2020, after hitting .692 with nine hits in 13 at-bats, while driving in 10 runs. During that week the Beavers went 4-0 at the Air-Supported Dome Invite.
IN THE CIRCLE
The Beavers were led in the circle by
Roxanne Ines who posted a team-best ERA of 2.47 over 17.0 innings pitched. Ines recorded seven strikeouts despite not recording a decision in 13 appearances with four starts.
Zoya Robbins led the team with six wins a season ago after appearing in 12 games with 10 starts and tossing a team-high 40.2 innings, alongside a team-high 27 strikeouts.
Junior
Trinity Valentine out of Central Arizona Community College will add to the depth of the rotation for the Beavers entering the 2021 season. Valentine posted a 22-12 career-record with one save while tossing 242.1 career-innings with 159 strikeouts over 47 appearances, making 38 starts while at Central Arizona.
KEY RETURNERS
Lauryn DeGuzman was on a tear at the plate, hitting .462 (24x52) over 16 games played last season with 12 stolen bases, five doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 11 RBI prior to the cancellation of the remainder of the season. The speedster who stole a team-leading 15 bases in 16 games,
Kiera Shwaluk is back in the lineup after hitting .346 (18x52) with 11 walks and six RBI last season.
Maggie Mercer,
Jamie Odlum, and
Julia Suchan are part of the returning batting lineup that hit over .300 during an abbreviated campaign in 2020.
QUOTE FROM THE COACH
"I am excited about how hard our kids have worked this year and how well they are living out our cultural standards. This group returns a lot of speed and athleticism up and down the line-up. We will feature a fast and aggressive brand of softball both on offense and defense. Offensively, we expect to put a lot of balls in play and to put pressure on defenses. On defense, we cover a lot of ground and close gaps quickly. I also expect our pitching to take a big step forward. As for any young team, it will be important that we learn from each outing and continue to adjust and learn." -- Head Coach
Nat Wagner
About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.
