The Winona State University softball team is expected to have another solid season.
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference coaches tabbed WSU to finish second in the NSIC behind Southwest Minnesota State.
Last year, WSU (43-21, 16-2) finished in a tie in NSIC play behind the Mustangs.
However, WSU ended its season on a sour note, losing to Nebraska-Omaha and Missouri Western State in the NCAA Division II North Central Region tournament.
The Warriors bring back a good portion of last year’s squad, plus a few new additions.
WSU returns a solid pitching staff — a strength of last year’s team.
“I really like our pitching staff,” WSU coach Greg Jones said. “We just know that all of our kids are going to throw for us, and we just need to know who and on what day.”
The Warriors’ ace this year is senior Kristen Fossell.
Fossell, WSU’s No. 2 starter last year, allowed just 134 hits in 150.2 innings, finished with 143 strikeouts, and posted a 2.23 ERA over 23 starts and 28 appearances last season.
She ranked fourth in the NSIC in strikeouts-to-innings-pitched ratio.
Fossell’s supporting cast in the rotation is also solid this year, featuring junior Chelsey Ewing and incoming freshmen Stacey Struzynski and Courtney Strang.
The strength of WSU’s pitching was key last year, since the offense only averaged 4.6 runs per game.
This season, the Warriors will have to deal with losing arguably their best offensive player from a year ago, left fielder Lindsay Rosicky, who graduated last year.
Rosicky led the team in at-bats, runs, hits and average (.371).
“We’re doing it a couple different ways,” Jones said, referring to replacing Rosicky. “We’ve put together the best offense we can, and we just hope everyone can produce and has the potential to do so.”
The Warriors (10-6) have been able to solve some of the offensive issues this season, averaging 5.8 runs per game and picking up two victories in their home-opening doubleheader against Viterbo (Wis.) by 12-1 scores.
Viterbo jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but WSU answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame and four more in the second — two coming from a two-run double by Chelsea Rosenow.
In the third inning, Rosenow had another two-run double, Megan Paulson recorded an RBI double, and Amanda Wilhelm added a two-run single.
Fossell allowed just one hit and struck out seven of the 16 batters she faced over the five-inning complete-game victory.
Rosenow went 2-for-3 with two runs and four RBIs.
The second game was a bizarre case of déjà vu, as WSU again won 12-1.
Again, Viterbo jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but WSU answered with six runs in the bottom of the first before tacking on three more in the second on an RBI double from Callie Givens and a two-run double by Katie Maultra.
Givens went 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI.
“It was nice to hit the ball as hard as we did,” Jones said. “We had 13 extra-base hits in that game.”
It was more than enough support for Strang.
The freshman allowed just one run on two hits and struck out nine over the five-inning complete-game win.
WSU played Augustana (S.D.) on Monday, but this issue of the Winonan went to press before the results could be compiled.
WSU will host Minnesota-Duluth in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. today, and will host a round-robin tournament Saturday and Sunday.
The Warriors will play UW-Parkside and Lewis (Ill.) on Saturday and then rematch with Parkside and play St. Cloud State on Sunday.