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Klein A Second-Team All-American
Four Mustangs Named Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes
McElrath Becomes All-Time Victory Leader During 2008 Campaign
Mustangs Place Three On NAIA All-Region III Team
Krieg Named To Academic All-District Team
Klein And Baumert Are GPAC Player And Pitcher Of The Year
Morningside Reigns At GPAC Tourney
Baumert Repeats As GPAC Pitcher Of The Week
Baumert Is GPAC Pitcher Of The Week
Mustangs Sweep Weekly Softball Awards
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Kendra Klein |
Kendra Klein, a junior third baseman from Remsen, Iowa, has been named to the second-team of the 2008 NAIA All-America Softball Team.
Klein was the Mustangs’ top run producer this season with 43 runs scored and a team-high 54 RBIs for the second highest single-season RBI total in Morningside history. Klein, the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year, hit .386 with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and a team-high 25 base on balls. Her 25 walks was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history. She also topped the Mustangs with a .484 on-base percentage.
Klein, a three-year starter, has batted .358 with 36 doubles, four triples, 23 home runs, and 140 RBIs during her Morningside career.
In addition to Klein, the Mustangs’ Kelly Baumert and Alisha Krieg were both named to the NAIA All-America honorable mention list.
Baumert, the 2008 GPAC Pitcher of the Year, posted a 24-6 record with seven shutouts, one save, and a 1.56 earned run average. Baumert completed 28 of her 29 starts and allowed 155 hits and 50 base on balls while striking out 194 batters in 197 innings pitched. She limited the opposition to a .211 batting average. Baumert’s .800 winning percentage was the third highest single-season victory rate in Morningside history. Her 24 victories and 1.56 ERA both ranked fourth in the Mustangs’ record book and her 194 strikeouts was the fifth highest single-season total in the Mustangs’ annals.
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Kelly Baumert |
Alisha Krieg |
Baumert has a 46-10 record with a 1.48 earned run average over her two-year Morningside career.
Krieg was the Mustangs’ leading hitter with a team-high 67 hits in 157 at-bats for a .427 batting average for the third highest single-season batting mark in Morningside history. She had four doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and 34 runs scored. Krieg led the Mustangs with her nine home runs and was the team’s best contact hitter with only eight strikeouts in 157 at-bats.
Krieg, a four-year starter, hit .341 with 28 doubles, seven triples, 18 home runs, and 135 RBIs during her Morningside career.
Click here for the complete 2008 NAIA All-America Softball Team.
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Alisha Krieg |
Steph Loeschen |
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Emily Peterson |
Megan Tuttle |
Alisha Krieg, Steph Loeschen, Emily Peterson, and Megan Tuttle have been named 2008 Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athletes in the sport of softball.
Krieg, a senior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa, has a 3.84 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in psychology counseling. Krieg led the Mustangs in hitting with a .427 batting average to go along with four doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 41 RBIs.
Loeschen, a senior first baseman from Ocheyedan, Iowa, has a 3.74 cumulative GPA with a major in nursing. Loeschen batted .329 with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, and 27 RBIs.
Peterson, a junior pitcher from Red Oak, Iowa, has a 3.63 cumulative GPA with a major in physics teaching.
Tuttle, a senior outfielder from Sioux City, has a 3.80 cumulative GPA with a major in biology. Tuttle batted .309 and led the Mustangs with 14 doubles, 16 stolen bases, and 46 runs scored. She also had one triple, four home runs, and 30 RBIs.
Student-athletes must be of at least junior status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics/NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Click here for the complete list of Daktronics/NAIA Softball Scholar-Athletes.
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Whitney McElrath |
Whitney McElrath, a senior pitcher from Moville, Iowa, became the all-time winningest pitcher in Morningside College history during the 2008 softball campaign.
McElrath posted a 16-6 record this season to finish her career with a won-lost record of 92-42 to break the previous Morningside record of 89 career victories held by 1996 graduate Jeree Carlson.
While McElrath set the a Morningside career pitching mark, the Mustangs’ Kelly Baumert, a sophomore pitcher from Omaha, Neb., had several performances that ranked among the best single-season efforts in school history. Baumert led the Mustangs in virtually every pitching category this season by fashioning a 24-6 record with one save and a 1.56 earned run average. She led the Mustangs with 29 starts, 28 complete games, and seven shutouts. Baumert allowed only 155 hits while limiting the opposition to a .211 batting average and had team highs of 194 strikeouts in 197 innings pitched. Baumert’s .800 winning percentage was the third highest single-season victory rate in Morningside history, while her 24 victories and 1.56 ERA both ranked fourth and her 194 strikeouts fifth in the Mustangs’ record book.
The Mustangs’ leading hitter this season was Alisha Krieg, a senior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa, who collected a team-high 67 hits in 157 at-bats for a .427 batting average with four doubles, one triple, nine home runs, and 41 RBIs. Her .427 batting average was the third highest single-season batting mark in Morningside history. Aside from leading the Mustangs in hitting, Krieg also topped the team with her nine home runs and was the team’s best contact hitter with only eight strikeouts in 157 at-bats.
Kendra Klein, a junior third baseman from Remsen, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ top run producer with 43 runs scored and a team-high 54 RBIs for the second highest single-season RBI total in Morningside history. Klein, who also topped the Mustangs with a .484 on-base percentage and 25 base on balls, hit .386 with 11 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs. Her 25 walks was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history.
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Megan Tuttle |
Megan Tuttle, a senior outfielder from Sioux City, had the best season of her career by batting .309 with team highs of 14 doubles, 46 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases. Her 16 stolen bases was the third highest single-season total in Morningside history and her 46 runs scored was the fourth highest single-season mark in the Mustangs’ annals.
Amanda Martines, a freshman outfielder-second baseman from Omaha, Neb., and Kylie Helmink, a freshman second baseman from Fairbury, Neb., were the Mustangs’ co-leaders with three triples. Martines, who cracked the Mustangs’ starting lineup during the second half of the season, hit .366 with nine doubles, three triples, and two home runs to lead the Mustangs with a .662 slugging percentage.
Jerra Steffen, a junior shortstop from Moville, Iowa, led the Mustangs with 12 sacrifices to compliment a .301 batting average.
Morningside posted a 40-12 record in 2008 for its school-record sixth consecutive 30-win season, including 40-victory campaigns each of the last three years. The Mustangs won the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament to qualify for the NAIA Region III Tournament for their fifth straight regional tourney appearance.
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Kelly Baumert |
Kendra Klein |
Alisha Krieg |
Kelly Baumert, Kendra Klein, and Alisha Krieg were all named to the 2008 NAIA All-Region III Softball Team.
Baumert, the 2008 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Co-Pitcher of the Year, had a 24-6 record with a 1.56 earned run average this past season. She allowed 155 hits to go along with 50 base on balls and 194 strikeouts in 197 innings pitched. Baumert completed 28 of her 29 starts to go along with seven shutouts and one save. She limited the opposition to a .211 batting average.
Klein, the 2008 GPAC Player of the Year, was the Mustangs’ leading run producer this season with her combination of 54 RBIs and 43 runs scored. Her 54 RBIs was the second highest single-season total in Morningside history. Klein batted .386 with 11 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, and 25 base on balls. She had a .641 slugging percentage and a .484 on-base percentage.
Krieg was the Mustangs’ leading hitter with 67 hits in 157 at-bats for a .427 batting average with four doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 41 RBIs, 34 runs scored, and six stolen bases. Krieg topped the Mustangs with her nine home runs and was the team’s best contact hitter with only eight strikeouts in 157 at-bats. She had a .637 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage.
Morningside posted a 40-12 record for its third consecutive 40-win season, won the GPAC’s post-season tournament title, and was the NAIA Region III runner-up this past season.
Click here for the complete 2008 NAIA All-Region III Softball Team.
 Alisha Krieg, a senior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa, has been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII College Division Softball Second-Team.
Krieg has a 3.84 cumulative grade point average and is majoring in psychology counseling.
She is the Mustangs’ leading hitter this season with a .429 batting average to go along with four doubles, one triple, a team-high nine home runs, 40 RBIs, 33 runs scored, and six stolen bases. She has struck out only eight times in 154 at-bats.
Student-athletes must be of at least sophomore status and have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in order to be eligible for ESPN The Magazine All-Academic honors.
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Kendra Klein |
Kelly Baumert |
Kendra Klein, a junior third baseman from Remsen, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year and Kelly Baumert, a sophomore pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Co-Pitcher of the Year to headline the Mustangs’ selections on the 2008 All-GPAC Softball Team as selected by the leagues’ head coaches.
They are joined on the All-GPAC first-team by Alisha Krieg, a senior outfielder from Kingsley, Iowa.
Baumert, Klein, and Krieg are all repeat first-team selections from last year. Baumert, who shared this season’s GPAC Pitcher of the Year award with Northwestern College’s Lexy Determan, was also the 2007 GPAC Pitcher of the Year. This year’s GPAC Co-Pitchers of the Year could oppose each other on Wednesday when Morningside and Northwestern meet in the first round of the NAIA Region III Tournament in Sioux City.
Baumert has a 21-4 record with a 1.64 earned run average and one save and has limited the opposition to a .211 batting average. Baumert has allowed only 128 hits and has walked 47 batters in 162 innings pitched. She has blown the ball past opposing hitters for 166 strikeouts to average over a strikeout per inning. Baumert has completed all 24 of her starts, including seven shutouts.
Klein is the top run producer in the Mustangs’ lineup with 40 runs scored and a team-high 51 RBIs for the third highest single-season RBI total in Morningside history. She has collected 56 hits in 141 at-bats for a .397 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. Klein leads the Mustangs with a .485 on-base percentage and is the team’s co-leader with 20 base on balls.
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Alisha Krieg |
Megan Tuttle |
Krieg is the Mustangs’ leading hitter with 64 hits in 143 at-bats for a .448 batting average with four doubles, one triple, and a team-high eight home runs. She has 38 RBIs and has struck out only seven times all season. Krieg will enter the NAIA Region III Tournament on a hitting tear after hitting safely in 15 of the Mustangs’ last 16 games. She has hit .528 with six home runs and 20 RBIs over the last 16 contests.
In addition to their three first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Megan Tuttle, a senior outfielder from Sioux City, on the All-GPAC second-team. Tuttle is batting .319 with 13 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 30 RBIs, and 42 runs scored. She leads the Mustangs with her 42 runs and 13 doubles and is also the Mustangs’ leader with 15 stolen bases.
The Mustangs’ Whitney McElrath, a senior pitcher from Moville, Iowa, was named to the All-GPAC honorable mention list. McElrath has a 16-6 record with a 2.18 earned run average and four shutouts. She has allowed 144 hits and walked only 22 batters in 154 innings pitched. McElrath has struck out 117 batters and completed 21 of her 23 starts. Offensively she is batting .270 with nine doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 30 RBIs.
Morningside will enter this week’s NAIA Region III Tournament fresh off of winning last week’s GPAC Tournament in Hastings, Neb. The Mustangs will take a 37-10 record into the tournament.
Click here for the complete 2008 All-GPAC Softball Team.
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Amanda Martines |
Whitney McElrath |
Morningside is the 2008 GPAC Softball Tournament champion after it drubbed Doane College 11-3 in five innings in Saturday morning’s championship game in Hastings, Neb.
The victory earned the Mustangs, 37-10, an automatic berth in next week’s NAIA Region III Tournament.
The Mustangs had seven hits and capitalized on seven Tiger errors to turn the GPAC title game into a rout.
Four Tiger errors paved the way to a four-run Morningside first inning. Doane closed within 4-3 on a three-run home run by Steph Mosley in the top of the third inning, but the Mustangs answered with a three-run home run by Amanda Martines in the bottom of the inning and were never threatened again.
Martines was the big hitter in the Mustangs’ lineup with a home run, double, and six RBIs. She had a two-run double for the big hit in a four-run fifth inning when the Mustangs finished off the Tigers by the eight-run rule.
Whitney McElrath provided the big hit in the Mustangs’ four-run first inning when she cleared the bases with a three-run double.
McElrath finished with a double and single and Alisha Kreig also had two hits with a pair of singles.
Winning pitcher Kelly Baumert scattered seven hits in the five-inning contest. She struck out two and didn’t walk a batter.
Box Score
Kelly Baumert, a sophomore pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week for the second week in a row.
Baumert had a 3-0 record with a 1.00 earned run average last week to extend her winning streak to 12 consecutive decisions. She had 23 strikeouts in 21 innings last week.
She has a 15-1 record with a 1.27 ERA for the season.
 Kelly Baumert, a sophomore pitcher from Omaha, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week.
Baumert had a 4-0 record with a 0.52 earned run average last week in wins against Dana College, Dakota Wesleyan University, Dakota State University, and Bellevue University. She allowed only 15 hits and struck out 28 batters in 27 innings.
She pitched a four-hit shutout with four walks and nine strikeouts in a 7-0 win against Dakota Wesleyan and pitched a three-hit shutout with one walk and six strikeouts in a 2-0 triumph against Bellevue.
Baumert has allowed only one unearned run over her last three starts and has allowed two earned runs or less in each of her last seven starts.
She has won each of her last nine decisions to improve her season’s record to 11-1. Baumert has a 1.38 earned run average and has struck out 83 batters and allowed only 49 hits in 71 innings this season.
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Steph Loeschen |
Whitney McElrath |
Steph Loeschen, a senior first baseman from Ocheyedan, Iowa; and Whitney McElrath, a senior pitcher from Moville, Iowa; have been named the NAIA Region III and Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week.
Loeschen collected 14 hits in 29 at-bats for a .483 batting average to lead the Mustangs to a 7-2 record last week at the Tucson Invitational. She slugged four doubles and a home run on her way to 13 RBIs. Loeschen’s home run was a grand slam to tie the score in the seventh inning of the Mustangs’ 10-8 triumph in eight innings against the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
McElrath had a 3-1 pitching record with a 2.03 earned run average. She struck out 28 batters in 31 innings. Her best performance came in a 9-0 win against Cardinal Stritch University when she twirled a one-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts.
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