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Five Mustangs Named NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes
Mustangs Win School-Record 43 Games in 2007
Mustangs Place Four On All-Region Team
Six Mustangs Tabbed To All-GPAC First-Team
Baumert Receives Weekly Award For The Third Time
Jurrens Earns GPAC And Region Honors
Baumert Repeats As GPAC And Region III Pitcher Of The Week
Baumert Is GPAC And Region Pitcher Of The Week
 Whitney McElrath, a junior designated player from Moville, Iowa, has been named to the second-team of the 2007 NAIA All-America softball selections.
McElrath, an honorable mention All-American last year, becomes the first softball player in Morningside history to receive elite-team NAIA All-America honors.
She collected 63 hits in 169 at-bats this past season for a .373 batting average with 12 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, 46 runs scored, 23 base on balls, and two stolen bases. Her 11 home runs were the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and helped the Mustangs set a new team single-season record with 46 home runs. Her 46 runs scored was the fourth highest single-season total in Morningside history.
Aside from her hitting exploits, McElrath also compiled a 21-9 pitching record with one save and a 2.23 earned run average. She completed 24 of her 28 starts with eight shutouts. McElrath allowed 160 hits in 179 innings pitched with 31 walks and 104 strikeouts. She held the opposition to a .236 batting average.
Click here for the complete 2007 NAIA All-America Softball Team.
 Jenna Jurrens, Alisha Krieg, Stephanie Loeschen, Ashley Schiebur, and Megan Tuttle have been named 2007 Daktronics-NAIA Softball All-America Scholar-Athletes.
Jurrens, a senior second baseman from George, Iowa, has a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in biology.
She was the Mustangs’ leading hitter this past season with 67 hits in 163 at-bats for a .411 batting average. Aside from leading the Mustangs in hitting, Jurrens also topped the team with 17 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, a school-record 68 RBIs, and a .767 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage. She also ranked among the team’s leaders with 38 runs scored, 22 base on balls and nine stolen bases.
Krieg, a junior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa, has a 3.84 cumulative GPA with a major in psychology counseling.
She hit .339 with 11 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 40 RBIs, 42 runs scored, 15 base on balls, and four stolen bases.
Loeschen, a junior first baseman from Ocheyedan, Iowa, has a 3.76 cumulative GPA with a major in nursing.
She batted .250 with one double, one home run, six RBIs, seven runs scored, and six base on balls.
Schiebur, a junior infielder from Wymore, Neb., has a 3.50 cumulative GPA with a major in biology.
She is a three-year member of the Mustangs’ softball team.
Tuttle, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, has a 3.82 cumulative GPA with a major in biology.
She batted .261 with five doubles, one home run, 14 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 19 base on balls, and 10 stolen bases. Tuttle was the Mustangs’ leader with 15 sacrifices.
Daktronics-NAIA Softball All-America Scholar-Athletes must be of at least junior status and have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher.
Click here for the complete list of 2007 Softball Daktronics-NAIA All-America Scholar-Athletes.
Morningside College enjoyed a record breaking season during the 2007 softball campaign.
The Mustangs posted a 43-13 record to set a school record for victories in a season as well as single-season winning percentage at .768. Morningside’s 43 triumphs broke the former school mark of 42 wins in a season set in 1994 and 2006 and its .768 victory rate topped the former single-season record of .737 they set last year.
Morningside also established new single-season team records with 46 home runs and 163 base on balls to break its former single-season standards of 40 home runs in 1994 and 147 base on balls in 1994.
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Jenna Jurrens |
Kendra Klein |
On an individual basis, the Mustangs received record breaking efforts from Jenna Jurrens, Kendra Klein, and Kelly Baumert.
Jurrens, a senior second baseman from George, Iowa, topped the Mustangs with 68 RBIs to shatter the previous Morningside single-season standard of 53 RBIs by Mindi Prince in 1996 and by J.J. Benson in 2003. Aside from leading the Mustangs in RBIs, Jurrens was also their leading hitter with a team-high 67 hits in 163 at-bats for a .411 batting average to go along with team highs of 17 doubles, four triples, and 11 home runs. Jurrens also paced the team with a .767 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage. Her 11 home runs was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and her .411 batting average ranked fifth among the Mustangs’ all-time bests.
Klein, a sophomore third baseman from Remsen, Iowa, topped the Mustangs with a school-record 31 base on balls to break the previous Morningside single-season standard of 29 walks by Jurrens in 2004. Klein was the Mustangs’ third leading hitter with a .344 batting average to go along with 14 doubles, eight home runs, and 41 RBIs.
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Kelly Baumert |
Baumert, a freshman pitcher from Omaha, Neb., was the top winner on the Mustangs’ pitching staff with a 22-4 pitching record for a .846 winning percentage to top the former Morningside victory rate of .833 by Mindi Prince in 1995. Her 22 victories was the fourth highest single-season total in Morningside history. Baumert also topped the Mustangs’ pitching staff with 28 game starts, 12 shutouts, and 140 strikeouts.
Whitney McElrath, a junior pitcher-designated hitter from Moville, Iowa, led the Mustangs’ pitchers with 33 appearances, 28 starts, 24 complete games, and 179 innings pitched. Offensively she slugged 11 home runs to share the team lead with Jurrens and was the team leader with 46 runs scored. Her 11 home runs was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and her 46 runs scored ranked fourth in the Mustangs’ annals.
Julia Husk, a senior catcher from Littleton, Colo., was the Mustangs’ toughest player to strike out with only three strikeouts in 113 at-bats. She finished the season with a streak of 74 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout.
Megan Tuttle, a junior outfielder from Sioux City, led the Mustangs with 10 stolen bases and 15 sacrifices.
Aside from its school-record 43 victories, Morningside won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season championship with a 19-5 league record and was the runner-up at the NAIA Region III Championships.
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Kelly Baumert |
Julia Husk |
Morningside College placed four players on the 2007 NAIA All-Region III Softball Team.
The Mustangs’ all-region selections are Kelly Baumert, a freshman pitcher from Omaha, Neb.; Julia Husk, a senior catcher from Littleton, Colo.; Jenna Jurrens, a senior second baseman from George, Iowa; and Whitney McElrath, a junior designated player from Moville, Iowa.
Baumert was the top winner on the Mustangs’ pitching staff with a 22-4 record and a team leading 1.39 earned run average and one save. Baumert allowed 139 hits to go along with 34 base on balls and a team-high 140 strikeouts in 176.1 innings pitched. She had 12 shutouts and completed 22 of her 28 starts.
Husk batted .292 with nine doubles, three home runs, 15 RBIs, and eight sacrifices. Husk was the Mustangs’ toughest player to strike out and fanned only three times in 113 at-bats all season. Husk did not strike out in her final 74 at-bats of the season.
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Jenna Jurrens |
Whitney McElrath |
Jurrens was the Mustangs’ leading hitter with a .411 batting average as well as the team leader with 17 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and a school-record 68 RBIs. She also led the team with a .767 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage.
McElrath hit .373 with 12 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs, and 45 RBIs. McElrath was the Mustangs’ co-leader with her 11 home runs and was the team leader with 46 runs scored. Aside from her hitting exploits, McElrath also had a 21-9 pitching record with a 2.23 earned run average and one save.
Morningside posted a 43-13 record to set school records for victories in a season and winning percentage at .768. The Mustangs were regular season Great Plains Athletic Conference champions and were the runner-up at the NAIA Region III Championships.
Click here for the complete 2007 NAIA All-Region III Team.
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Kelly Baumert |
Morningside College had six players named to the first-team of the 2007 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.
Leading the list is Kelly Baumert, a freshman pitcher from Omaha, Neb., who was named the 2007 Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Pitcher of the Year.
Baumert is joined on the All-GPAC first-team by Julia Husk, a senior catcher from Littleton, Colo.; Jenna Jurrens, a senior second baseman from George, Iowa; Kendra Klein, a sophomore third baseman from Remsen, Iowa; Alisha Krieg, a junior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa; and Whitney McElrath, a junior designated player from Moville, Iowa.
In addition, Morningside head coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann was named the 2007 Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Coach of the Year after she guided the Mustangs to the
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Jessica Jones-Sitzmann |
league’s regular season championship with a 19-5 record. Jones-Sitzmann, in her ninth season at Morningside, has a 287-200 career record at Morningside, including a 40-11 mark this season. She is the winningest softball coach in Morningside history.
Morningside is the No. 2 seed for this week’s NAIA Region III Championships to be held Wednesday through Friday at Dickinson, N.D.
Baumert has a 20-4 record with a 1.31 earned run average and one save. Twelve of her 20 triumphs have come by shutout. Baumert, who was the GPAC Pitcher of the Week three times during the regular season, has allowed 125 hits to go along with 30 base on balls and 136 strikeouts in 166 innings pitched. She has completed 22 of her 26 starts.
Husk has a career-high .312 batting average with 30 hits in 96 at-bats. Husk has struck out only three times all season and has not fanned in her last 57 at-bats. She has nine doubles, three home runs, 13 RBIs, and 15 runs scored.
Jurrens is the Mustangs’ leading hitter with 60 hits in 145 at-bats for a .414 batting average along with a school-record 57 RBIs. She has slugged 14 doubles, four triples, and 10 home runs en route to a .772 slugging percentage.
Klein has a .358 batting average with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 39 RBIs, and 40 runs scored. She leads the team with 28 base on balls to put her just one walk shy of Jurrens’ school record of 29 base on balls in 2004.
Krieg has a .344 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 37 RBIs, and 38 runs scored. She has been the Mustangs’ leadoff hitter for most of the season.
McElrath is the top home run hitter for a Morningside team that has slugged a school-record 43 round trippers this season. She has 11 home runs to go along with a .382 batting average, 11 doubles, one triple, 43 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. McElrath also has a 20-7 pitching record with a 2.31 earned run average. She has allowed 133 hits to go with 26 base on balls and 96 strikeouts in 154.1 innings pitched. McElrath has seven shutouts and 21 complete games in 25 starts.
Jurrens and McElrath are both repeat first-team selections from last year.
Click here for the complete 2007 All-GPAC Softball Team.
 Kelly Baumert, a freshman from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and NAIA Region III Softball Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season for her performances during the week of April 16-22.
Baumert went 3-0 with a microscopic 0.33 earned run average last week to help the Mustangs go 5-1 for the week. She allowed only 12 hits with one walk and 19 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched.
She pitched a three-hit shutout with no walks and two strikeouts in an 8-0 win against Dakota Wesleyan University on April 16 and twirled a five-hit shutout with no walks and six strikeouts in a 5-0 triumph against NCAA Division II University of South Dakota on April 18. Baumert matched her season’s high with 11 strikeouts when she allowed one run on four hits in a 3-1 eight-inning triumph against Concordia University on April 20.
Baumert, who has nine shutouts in her last 14 starts, is 17-3 with a 1.42 earned run average and 112 strikeouts this season. She has allowed only 104 hits in 138 innings pitched.
 Jenna Jurrens, a senior second baseman from George, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and NAIA Region III Softball Player of the Week.
Jurrens batted .560 last week to lead the Mustangs to seven victories in eight games. She had 14 hits in 25 at-bats, including three doubles, two triples, and two home runs. Jurrens had 12 RBIs to raise her seasons’ total to raise her season’s total to 51 to put her just two shy of Morningside’s single-season record of 53 RBIs by Mindi Prince in 1996 and J.J. Benson in 2003.
Morningside will take a 30-7 record into a 3:30 p.m. non-conference doubleheader against the University of South Dakota on Wednesday.
 Kelly Baumert, a freshman pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC and NAIA Region III Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row.
Baumert went 3-0 with a 1.08 earned run average during the weekend of March 30-April 1 to help the Mustangs go 5-0 at their own Morningside Invitational. She allowed nine hits with four walks and 18 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched.
She pitched a two-hit shutout withh no walks and five strikeouts in ann abbreviated 11-0 four-inning triumph against NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Crookston and also pitched a shutout when she scattered four hits and struck out 11 batters in a 9-0 five-inning victory against NCAA II University of Minnesota-Morris. The 11 striketouts were the most strikeouts by a Morningside pitcher this season.
Baumert has won each of her last seven decisions, including five by shutout, to raise her season's record to 11-1 with a 1.49 earned run average. She has a 0.93 ERA over her last eight starts.
 Kelly Baumert, a freshman pitcher from Omaha, Neb., is this week’s Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and NAIA Region III Softball Pitcher of the Week.
Baumert pitched three shutouts last week to improve her season’s record to 8-1 and lower her earned run average to 1.57.
She twirled a two-hit shutout with no walks and eight strikeouts in the Mustangs’ 1-0 victory against Black Hills State University on March 19. Baumert blanked Northwestern College on five hits with no walks and one strikeout in a 3-0 Morningside triumph on March 20. She pitched a five-hit shutout with one walk and six strikeouts in an abbreviated 10-0 five-inning triumph against Mount Marty College on March 23.
Morningside will take a 17-5 record into a GPAC doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan University on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. while making its debut in the new Elizabeth and Irving Jensen Softball Complex.
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