CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball program will officially open up the 2017 season this weekend as they head to the 2017 Presentation College Indoor Tournament. UMC will face Valley City State University and Northern State University Feb. 11 at 4 and 6 p.m. They will then take on University of Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan University Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Minnesota Crookston showed improvement on the 2017 season as they finished with an 11-39 mark (5-25 NSIC). UMC had seven more wins overall and five more conference wins then they had posted during the 2016 season. The Golden Eagles will have to replace seven seniors. The biggest void will be the bats of Alexis Khoshaba and Allison Foley. The two both hit over .330 on the season with a combined 11 home runs and 61 RBI's on the year. In the circle, UMC returns all but 2.2 innings from the staff as they return four players who started games last year. In the field, the Golden Eagles return five starters from the 2016 season.

UMC is led at the plate by Gabriel Antolak, who will split time at catcher and third base. Antolak hit .331 last season with three home runs, 24 runs scored and 21 RBI's. In the circle, UMC looks to Bailey Braatz, who was 5-19 with a 6.45 ERA in 118.1 innings pitched during her junior season.

Valley City State posted a 40-13 mark last season. They are led by their pitching as Morgan Nailey and Ashley Metcalf both return. Nailey was 22-7 with a 2.80 ERA, while Metcalf was 6-3 with a 3.00 ERA. At the plate, the Vikings have to replace a lot of production. Cassie Pautz leads the way with a .345 batting average with 20 runs scored. Nailey hit .339 with six home runs and 47 RBI's.

Northern State finished the season with a 25-32 mark. The Wolves are led in the circle by Missy Elkins and Jamie Fisher. Elkins was 13-17 with a 2.87 ERA last season, while Fisher was 10-13 with a 2.91 ERA. At the plate, they lose a good amount of production. Their leader at the plate is senior Rachel Albright, who hit .258 with two home runs and 24 RBI's.

Jamestown went 34-15 last season. The Jimmies are led by Brittany Rheault and Hanna Dunnigan in the circle. Rheault was 14-8 with a 2.96 ERA last season, while Dunnigan posted a 14-6 mark with a 3.43 ERA. Dunnigan is also one of the leaders at the plate. She hit .321 last season with four home runs and 27 RBI's.
Dakota Wesleyan went 33-22 last season. The Tigers are led by Sierra Haage, who hit .343 last season with six home runs and 33 RBI's. In the circle, Haage was 15-7 with a 2.49 ERA in 149.0 innings pitched.

Catchers
Jr. C 6 Gabriel Antolak, 6-0, Zimmerman, Minn.
Fr. C 29 Samantha Proctor, 5-8, Champlin, Minn.
So. C 23 Maycee Trujillo, 5-0, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Antolak returns as the leader behind the dish for UMC softball. The junior started 49 games between catcher and third base for UMC. She hit .331 with 34 runs scored, three home runs and 21 RBI's. She will be backed up by freshman Samantha Proctor, a native of Champlin, Minn. Trujillo will also see some time at catcher.

First Base
So. 1B 26 Maggie Morales, 5-7, Tucson, Ariz.
Fr. 1B 3 Rocky Bjorge, 5-7, Prior Lake, Minn.
Sr. 1B 4 Samantha LeMay, 5-6, Belle Plaine, Minn.
Fr. 1B 11 Paige Pitlick, 5-7, Jordan, Minn.

Morales and Bjorge will share the starting first base duties. Morales will also play in the outfield for UMC. She hit .222 in 28 games for UMC last season, while Bjorge is in her first season with the Golden Eagles.

Second Base
Fr. 2B 46 Hailey Fitzpatrick, 5-5, Becker, Minn.
Jr. 2B 7 Victoria Bayliss, 5-1, West Bloomfield, Mich.
So. 2B 13 Sam Rarick, 5-3, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Fitzpatrick, a freshman from Becker, Minn., comes in as the starter at second base. Bayliss, who hit .307 last season in 49 starts, and Rarick, who played in 16 games and hit .263, will also see time at second base.

Third Base
So. 3B 23 Maycee Trujillo, 5-0, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Jr. 3B 6 Gabriel Antolak, 6-0, Zimmerman, Minn.
So. 3B 13 Sam Rarick, 5-3, East Grand Forks, Minn.

Trujillo comes in as the starter at third base after hitting .222 in 31 starts as a freshman. Antolak will also see time at third base, when she isn't catching. Rarick will also see some time at the position.

Short Shop
Jr. SS 12 Jenna Boardman, 5-4, Genoa, Wis.
Fr. SS 46 Hailey Fitzpatrick, 5-5, Becker, Minn.
Jr. SS 6 Gabriel Antolak, 6-0, Zimmerman, Minn.

Boardman, a junior college transfer from Ellsworth Community College, comes in as the starter at short stop. Fitzpatrick and Antolak could also see time at short stop.

Outfield
Sr. OF 22 Jozie Garner, 5-4, Eureka, Kan.
Jr. OF 7 Victoria Bayliss, 5-1, West Bloomfield, Mich.
Jr. OF 25 Khailyn Neumayer, 5-8, Morgan Hill, Calif.
So. OF 26 Maggie Morales, 5-7, Tucson, Ariz.
So. OF 10 Morgan Duda, 5-5, Clinton Township, Mich.
So. OF 1 Lexie Santoyo, 5-3, Kansas City, Mo.
Jr. OF 9 Kate Howell, 5-8, Badger, Minn.

Garner, Bayliss, Neumayer, Morales and Duda will split time between the three outfield positions. Garner started 44 games last season. She hit .300 and had 16 stolen bases last season. Bayliss will play here and at second base in her third season at UMC. Neumayer joins the Golden Eagles after transferring from West Valley College. Morales will split time between the outfield and first base. Duda will see more time as a sophomore after having three pinch-hit home runs as a freshman. She hit .250 in 20 games on the season. Lexie Santoyo and Kate Howell will be defensive replacements late in the game in the outfield.

Pitchers
Sr. RHP 17 Bailey Braatz, 5-9, Buffalo, Minn.
So. RHP 8 Mikayla Jones, 5-3, Huxley, Iowa
Jr. RHP 15 Kassidy Klaphake, 5-5, Cold Spring, Minn.
Fr. RHP 11 Paige Pitlick, 5-7, Jordan, Minn.
Jr. RHP 99 Heather Cunningham, 5-8, Jacksonville, Fla.
Sr. RHP 2 Sammy Knudson, 5-6, Fergus Falls, Minn.

Minnesota Crookston will use four main pitchers on the season. Braatz returns for her fourth year after going 5-19 last season with a 6.45 ERA in 118.1 innings pitched. She had 49 strikeouts with eight complete games. Jones had a strong first season last year. She was 3-12 in 84.0 innings pitched and looks to continue to improve. UMC adds newcomers Kassidy Klaphake, a transfer from St. Cloud Tech Community College, and Paige Pitlick, a native of Jordan, Minn. Heather Cunningham and Sammy Knudson will be bullpen pitchers and spot starters. Cunningham started 11 games last season with a 3-7 mark, while Knudson appeared in 16.1 innings as a junior.

Coaching Staff
Don Stopa enters his third season at UMC as he continues to build the softball program for the Golden Eagles. His assistant coach for 2017 is Elizabeth Fox, who was a dual sport athlete at Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., playing as a second baseman and catcher.