Softball

Emma Remy, a junior pitcher from Urbandale, Iowa, has been named to the third team of the 2013 Capital One College Division Academic All-America Softball Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Remy has a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in political science and business administration.

Remy had a 13-5 record and led the Mustangs with a 2.31 earned run average this past season to help lead the team to a 31-16 record and a fifth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championship tournament. She completed 15 of her 20 starts, pitched two shutouts, and allowed 121 hits to go along with 28 walks and 60 strikeouts in 124 innings pitched.

Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.

Click here for the complete 2013 Capital One College Division Academic All-America Softball Team.

Morningside was eliminated from the NAIA Softball National Championship after it dropped a 9-4 verdict against Central Methodist on Tuesday in Claremore, Okla.

It was the Mustangs’ second loss in the double-elimination Opening Round site tourney after they had suffered a 17-2 setback against sixth-ranked Williams Baptist on Monday.

Morningside, which made its fifth consecutive appearance in the NAIA national tourney, finished the campaign with a record of 31-16.

Central Methodist pulled away early when it led 7-0 after two innings. The Eagles capitalized on a Morningside error to take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Mustang starting pitcher Jordan Johnson retired the first two Central Methodist batters of the inning and appeared on her way to a one-two-three inning before Michele Rupard reached base on an error.

The two-out error opened the floodgates for the Eagles. Lauren Geringer walked to move Rupard to second base, from where she scored on a RBI single by Jacqui Cappuccilli. After Courtney Dennis walked to load the bases, Megan Robbins delivered the big blow when she cleared the bases with a three-run double.

The Eagles scored three more runs in the second inning to go up 7-0. Central Methodist had five hits in the inning, including a two-run triple by Rupard.

Morningside worked its way back in the game with a four-run fourth inning to close within 7-4. The Mustangs had four of their eight hits in the inning, starting with a leadoff single by Kati Steffen. Kirsten Dargy followed with a single to center field to extend her hitting streak to 12 games and advance pinch-runner Kelsey Tobin to second base. Michelle Brockamp followed with the Mustangs’ third straight hit when she singled to load the bases.

The Mustangs foiled Central Methodist pitcher Aubrey Utley’s shutout bid when Jacey Tomhave bounced into a fielder’s choice that drove in Tobin. After Shelby Feldt walked to reload the bases, Taylor Daas delivered the Mustangs’ biggest hit of the game with a three-run double to pull the Mustangs within 7-4.

Central Methodist padded its lead to 9-4 when Rupard drove in two more runs with a sixth inning double.

Morningside finished with eight hits against Utley, who walked three and struck out two while improving her record to 18-5.

Daas had two of the Mustangs’ hits with a double, single, and three RBIs. The Mustangs’ other hits were singles by Steffen, Dargy, Brockamp, Johnson, Kristina Neumann, and Mackenzie Neely.

Rupard swung the big bat in the Central Methodist lineup with a triple, double, and four RBIs.

Morningside suffered a 17-2 loss against sixth-ranked Williams Baptist in Mondays’ first round of the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round site in Claremore, Okla.

The Mustangs will try to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament when they face Central Methodist in a loser’s bracket contest on Tuesday at noon.

Williams Baptist pounded out 17 hits in the abbreviated five-inning contest and put the Mustangs away early after it scored five runs in the first inning and three more in the top of the second to open an 8-0 lead. Williams Baptist added one run in the third inning, seven in the fourth, and one in the fifth.

Shelby Anderson went three-for-four with a home run, her 14th of the season, and five RBIs. Lauren Sweeten was three-for-five with a double and four RBIs, while Callie Brooks had two hits, including a home run, and two RBIs.

All three of Morningside’s hits were extra base blows as Kati Steffen slugged her seventh home run of the season, while Jordan Johnson and Kirsten Dargy each had doubles. Dargy's second inning double extended her hitting streak to 11 games.

Morningside scored in the second inning when Dargy doubled and scored on a two-out error and in the fourth when Steffen blasted her home run.

Winning pitcher Karisa Hendrix walked one and struck out seven to raise her record to 22-4. She entered the game second in the nation by limiting opposing hitters to a .131 batting average and was fourth nationally in earned run average at 0.79.

Williams Baptist improved its record to 41-6, while Morningside slipped to 31-15.

Morningside College placed four players on the 2013 All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball First Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.

The Mustangs’ first-team all-conference selections are Taylor Daas, a sophomore shortstop from New Brighton, Minn.; Kirsten Dargy, a senior designated player from Omaha, Neb.; Jordan Johnson, a junior pitcher from Sioux City; and Mackenzie Neely, a senior catcher from Roland, Iowa. Their exploits have helped lead Morningside to a 31-14 record, the GPAC Softball Championship tournament title, and a fifth straight appearance in the upcoming NAIA Softball National Championship tournament.

Dargy and Neely are both repeat selections from last year’s All-GPAC First Team. Neely was named to the All-GPAC First Team for the fourth year in a row.

Daas is the Mustangs’ leading hitter with 56 hits in 132 at-bats for a .424 batting average. She has been the Mustangs’ leading hitter since day one of the season when she went eight-for-nine with three home runs in their opening doubleheader against Southwestern Christian University. Daas also leads the team with a .519 on-base percentage and is their co-leader with 25 base on balls. She has nine doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 28 RBIs.

Dargy has a .291 batting average and leads the Mustangs with 12 doubles and 35 runs scored. She has six home runs and 29 RBIs. Dargy recently slugged the 37th home run of her Morningside career to tie a school record first set by Mindi Prince from 1994-97. Dargy will enter the NAIA national tournament riding a 10-game hitting streak.

Johnson, who moved up from last year’s All-GPAC Second Team, is the top winner on the Mustangs’ pitching staff with a 16-7 record with six shutouts and a 2.18 earned run average. She has a team-high 25 appearances, 23 starts, and 19 complete games. Johnson has allowed 132 hits to go along with 42 walks and a team-high 114 strikeouts in a team-high 147.2 innings pitched.

Neely is the Mustangs’ top power hitter and run producer with a team-high 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. She also leads the team with a .677 slugging percentage and is their co-leader with 25 base on balls. Neely has a .387 batting average with six doubles.

In addition to their four first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Michelle Brockamp, Shelby Feldt, Emma Remy, and Kati Steffen on the All-GPAC Second Team.

Brockamp, a junior second baseman from Sioux City, has a .316 batting average with eight doubles, one triple, four home runs, and 24 RBIs.

Feldt, a senior outfielder from Monroe, Iowa, has a .349 batting average with three doubles, one home run, 16 RBIs, and a team-high 13 stolen bases. Feldt also paced the Mustangs with eight sacrifice hits. Feldt was the Mustangs’ best contact hitter with only six strikeouts in 126 at-bats.

Remy, a junior pitcher from Urbandale, Iowa, has a 13-5 record and leads the Mustangs with a 2.12 earned run average in 23 appearances. She has completed 15 of her 20 starts with two shutouts. Remy has allowed 114 hits with 26 walks and 58 strikeouts in 119 innings pitched.

Steffen, a junior first baseman from Moville, Iowa, has a .331 batting average with 11 doubles, six home runs, and 38 RBIs.

Morningside will face sixth-ranked Williams Baptist College at 5 p.m. on Monday, May 13, in a NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round tournament in Claremore, Okla.

Click here for the complete 2013 All-GPAC Softball Team.

Morningside won its fourth consecutive GPAC Softball Championship post-season tournament title when it clubbed GPAC regular season champion Hastings by scores of 19-8 in five innings and 10-1 in six innings on Sunday at the SYA Riverside Complex.

Both Morningside (31-14) and Hastings (29-12) will advance to the NAIA Softball National Championship tournament on the basis of their GPAC titles. The NAIA Softball National Championship opening round will be held May 13-15 at a site yet to be determined.

The Mustangs’ 19-8 triumph in the opener forced a second championship game in the double elimination tourney after the Broncos had defeated Morningside 3-0 in Friday’s winner’s bracket final. Sunday’s championship games were no contest as the Mustangs blasted six home runs in the two contests, including a grand slam in each game.

The Mustangs scored 19 runs on 10 hits in the first championship game, including home runs by Michelle Brockamp, Shelby Feldt, and Kirsten Dargy. The home run by Dargy, a grand slam in the fourth inning, was the 37th homer of her career to tie a school record previously set by Mindi Prince from 1994-97.

Hastings pitchers did much of the damage to themselves by walking 10 batters and hitting another.

Dargy went two-for-three with a double, home run, and six RBIs to pace the Mustangs’ offensive attack. Brockamp and Feldt each contributed a home run, single, and three RBIs. Taylor Daas also had two hits, including a double, while Mackenzie Neely and Jacey Tomhave each had doubles.

Morningside broke the first championship game open early when it sent 11 batters to the plate in a six-run first inning. The Mustangs capitalized on the wildness of Hastings starter McKenzie Welchert in their big first inning. After Taylor Daas led off the inning with a double to deep left field, Welchert walked Kristina Neumann and Mackenzie Neely to load the bases. Welchert then issued her third walk in a four batter stretch when Kati Steffen walked to force in a run. That set the stage for Dargy and Brockamp, who delivered the big hits of the inning. First Dargy stroked a double into the left-center gap to drive in two runs and then Brockamp blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence to put the Mustangs up 6-0.

The Mustangs stretched their lead to 9-0 in the third inning when Feldt blasted a three-run homer to center field. Feldt’s blast, the first of her Morningside career, came after Brockamp had singled and Jacey Tomhave had walked earlier in the inning.

Katie Gyll relieved Welchert in the top of the fourth inning and didn’t fare any better. Gyll walked Neely, Dargy, and Brockamp to load the bases and Tomhave cleared the bases with a double to increase the Mustangs’ lead to 12-1. Morningside loaded the bases again after an infield single by Feldt and a walk to Neumann. Gyll walked Johnson to force in another run and then Neely slugged a two-run double down the left field line to make it 15-1. The Mustangs loaded the bases again after a walk to Steffen and Dargy cleared the bases with her record tying grand slam to make it 19-1.

Emma Remy scattered 10 hits in the five-inning contest to get the victory. She walked one and struck out two. Only three of the Broncos’ eight runs were earned.

Steffen broke up a scoreless pitcher’s duel in the top of the fourth inning of the second game when she connected for a solo home run off Hastings ace Taylor Erlenbusch to lead off the fourth inning. The Mustangs scored three more runs before the inning was over to open a 4-0 lead. After Steffen’s home run, Dargy blooped a single down the first base line. Tomhave advanced Dargy to second with a groundball single up the middle and both runners scored on a two-out single by Daas. Neumann followed Daas’ hit with a RBI triple to right field to cap the inning’s scoring.

The Mustangs made it 5-0 when Neely blasted a home run over the center field fence to lead off the fifth inning.

After Johnson walked Haley Burge with one out in the first inning, Johnson set down 13 Bronco batters in a row before Kelsey Hoehler reached on an error with two outs in the fifth inning. Johnson lost her shutout and bid for a no-hitter one batter later when Jessica Finnegan hit a triple to right field.

The Mustangs broke the game open with five more runs in the sixth to open a 10-1 lead. Morningside had three straight hits to start the sixth inning when singles by Tomhave, Feldt, and Daas loaded the bases. The Mustangs scored one out later when a walk to Johnson forced in a run, but the big blow came two batters later when Steffen unloaded a grand slam home run.

Morningside shelled Hastings ace Taylor Erlenbusch with 12 hits to hand her only her second defeat against 17 victories. Erlenbusch, who had pitched a seven-hit shutout against Morningside on Friday, walked two and struck out seven.

Johnson twirled a two-hitter with one walk and seven strikeouts to raise her record to 16-7.

Steffen swung the big bat in the Mustangs’ offensive attack with two home runs, a single, and five RBIs. Tomhave and Daas each had two hits, while Neely had a home run and Neumann had a triple.

Morningside will play for the GPAC Softball Championship title when it faces regular season league champion Hastings in Sunday’s tournament championship game to wrap up the double-elimination tourney at the SYA Riverside Complex.

The Mustangs (29-14) will have to defeat Hastings (29-10) twice since the Broncos blanked the Mustangs 3-0 in Friday’s winner’s bracket final of the double-elimination tourney. Morningside is already assured of a fifth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championship tournament because Hastings has already secured one of the GPAC’s two automatic qualifying berths on the basis of its regular season league title.

Morningside clinched its national tournament berth with a 5-2 triumph against Midland in Friday’s loser’s bracket final.

Morningside took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning against Midland when Taylor Daas led off with a walk and scored on a one-out triple by Jordan Johnson.

The Mustangs added two more runs in the third inning to go up 3-0. Daas started the action again when she led off with a double to the gap in right-center. Walks to Kristina Neumann and Mackenzie Neely loaded the bases to set the stage for Kirsten Dargy, who delivered a two-out single to center field to plate Daas and Neumann.

Morningside pitcher Emma Remy set down the Warriors’ first 11 batters of the game before Nicole Andrews singled with two outs in the fourth inning. Remy cruised through the first four innings and was working on a one-hit shutout before Sarah Leimser led off the fifth with a bad hop single that struck Remy in the face and forced her to leave the game. With Remy out, the Warrior bats came to life when singles by Emily Kmiecik and Kortney Wallick loaded the bases and Kayla Ritzdorf delivered a two-out, two-run single to make it a one run game at 3-2.

The Mustangs could breathe easier after they stretched their lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the sixth. Dargy led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Jacey Tomhave, and came home on a two-out single by Shelby Feldt. Neumann then blooped a single in front of the Warriors’ center fielder that plated Feldt with the second run of the inning.

Midland tried to rally in the top of the seventh when it loaded the bases after two were out before Johnson struck out Jennie Sayker to end the game and notch her first save of the season.

Remy allowed one run on two hits, struck out three, and didn’t walk a batter in four innings to get the win. Johnson allowed one run on four hits with one walk and one strikeout over the last three innings.

Dargy had two of the Mustangs’ six hits against Midland’s Sammy Hislop, who walked six and struck out eight. The Mustangs’ other hits were a triple by Johnson, a double by Daas, and a single by Feldt.

Morningside lost Friday’s winner’s bracket final when Hastings’ ace Taylor Erlenbusch pitched a seven-hit shutout. Erlenbusch, who led the GPAC in earned run average during the regular season, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter to improve her record to 17-1.

Johnson blanked Hastings through five innings before the Broncos scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI double by Erlenbusch and a two-run single by Candice Connolly.

Johnson allowed seven hits, struck out five, and didn’t walk a batter.

Daas, Neumann, and Johnson all had two singles to account for six of the Mustangs’ seven hits. The other hit was a single by Dargy, who has hit safely in each of the last eight games.

Morningside advanced to the winner’s bracket final of the 2013 GPAC Softball Championship with a pair of victories during Thursday’s opening day of the three-day tourney.

The Mustangs, who are gunning for their fourth consecutive GPAC post-season tournament title, opened the day with a 13-1 five-inning triumph against Dakota Wesleyan followed by a 4-3 win against Northwestern. Morningside will take a 28-13 record into Friday’s winner’s bracket final against Hastings (28-10) slated for 4 p.m. at the SYA Riverside Complex.

Morningside pounded out 16 hits in the win against Dakota Wesleyan. Winning pitcher Jordan Johnson helped her own cause by going three-for-four at the plate with two doubles and four RBIs. Taylor Daas was three-for-three with a double, while Mackenzie Neely had two hits, including a home run, Michelle Brockamp had a triple and single, and Shelby Feldt had a pair of singles.

Morningside took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Daas led off the inning with a walk and came around to score one out later on a double by Johnson, which set up a two-run home run by Mackenzie Neely.

The Mustangs had another three run inning in the third and then broke the game open with a 13-run.

Morningside had five hits in the third inning, including RBI singles by Johnson, Kirsten Dargy, and Jacey Tomhave.

The Mustangs had six hits during their six-run fourth inning fireworks. Johnson had the biggest hit with a two-run double, while Daas, Brockamp, and Neely all had RBI singles.

Johnson, the winning pitcher, allowed one unearned run on three hits in her five-inning outing. She walked one and struck out six.

Morningside fell behind 3-1 against Northwestern before a RBI triple by Johnson and a two-run home run by Neely in the bottom of the third put the Mustangs ahead to stay.

Johnson got the pitching win for her second triumph of the day. Johnson scattered six hits, struck out four, and didn’t walk a batter to get her second win of the day.

Northwestern’s Keely Bracelin held the Mustangs to only four hits, including a home run and single by Neely.

Emma Remy, a junior pitcher from Urbandale, Iowa, has been named to the Capital One College Division Academic All-District 5 Softball Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Remy’s name will be placed on the ballot for the 2013 Capital One College Division Academic All-America Softball Team.

Remy has a 4.00 grade point average (GPA) with majors in political science and business administration.

She has an 11-5 record and leads the Mustangs with a 2.04 earned run average, two shutouts, and one save. Remy has allowed 102 hits in 110 innings to go along with 25 walks and 53 strikeouts.

Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.

Jordan Johnson, a junior from Sioux City, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week for April 22-28.

Johnson, who received the award for the second time in the last three weeks, had a 3-0 record with a 0.67 earned run average in four appearances. She allowed 13 hits and struck out 14 batters in 21 innings. Johnson twirled a five-hit shutout in a 2-0 victory against Briar Cliff University on April 24 and came back two days later to pitch an abbreviated six-inning no-hitter in a 10-0 win against Mount Marty College. Johnson finished the regular season with a 13-6 record and a 2.32 earned run average.

Morningside head softball coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann won the 500th game of her Mustang coaching career when Morningside blanked Briar Cliff University 2-0 in the first game of Wednesday’s GPAC doubleheader at the Jensen Softball Complex.

Briar Cliff bounced back to win the nightcap 3-1 to put Jones-Sitzmann’s career record at 500-287 in 14 plus seasons as the Mustangs’ head coach.

Wednesday’s split left the Mustangs with a record of 22-11 and put them at 11-3 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) standings to remain in a first place tie with Hastings (10-2).

Jordan Johnson pitched a five-hit shutout in the opener. Johnson walked two and struck out five while winning for the seventh time in her last eight decisions to improve her season’s record to 11-5.

Aside from getting the pitching win, Johnson also figured in the game’s first run in the fourth inning when she reached third base on a dropped fly ball by the right fielder and scored on a single by Mackenzie Neely.

The Mustangs added an insurance run in the sixth inning when Taylor Daas walked and scored on a two-out RBI single by Neely.

Neely, a two-time NAIA All-American, had two of the Mustangs’ three hits against Charger pitcher Elizabeth Bye with her fourth and sixth inning RBI singles. Daas had the Mustangs’ other hit with a leadoff double in the first inning.

Bye walked two and struck out three.

The Mustangs also had only three hits in the nightcap against Charger pitcher Jennifer Belluscio, but still had several scoring opportunities thanks to six walks Belluscio issued.

Morningside left eight runners on base in the nightcap, but Belluscio worked her way out of first and second inning jams and kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when Shelby Feldt singled and scored on a Johnson sacrifice fly to right field that the wind knocked down and kept in the park. The wind knocked down another potential home run later in the inning when Kati Steffen flew out to left field with two runners on base.

Briar Cliff had only six hits against Morningside pitcher Emma Remy, but three of them came in the third inning when the Chargers scored the first two runs of the game. The big hit was a RBI single by Laura Sosa that drove in the game’s first run.

The Chargers had their other three hits in the fourth inning when Belluscio led off with a single, advanced to third on a double by Celena Vasquez, and scored on a two-out single by Sosa.

Remy allowed six hits with two walks and three strikeouts while going the distance.

Morningside’s three hits were singles by Johnson, Feldt, and Kirsten Dargy.

Jordan Johnson, a junior from Sioux City, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Pitcher of the Week for April 8-14.

Johnson pitched two shutouts and allowed only five hits in 12 innings in victories against College of Saint Mary and Concordia University. She pitched a three-hitter with two walks and eight strikeouts in an abbreviated 8-0 five-inning victory against College of Saint Mary on April 8 and twirled a two-hit shutout with one walk and four strikeouts in a 5-0 triumph against Concordia on April 14.

Johnson has a 9-4 record with four shutouts and a 2.81 earned run average so far this season.

Kati Steffen, a junior first baseman from Moville, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Softball Player of the Week for March 11 to 17.

Steffen hit .533 with six RBIs to help lead the Mustangs to a 4-1 record at last weekend’s Sterling College Tournament in Sterling, Kan. She collected eight hits in 15 at-bats, including three doubles.

Steffen went two-for-three with a double and four RBI’s in a 15-0 victory against Sterling in five innings and went two-for-three with two doubles and a RBI in an 11-4 triumph against Tabor College. Steffen also had a multi-hit performance with a pair of singles in a 4-0 victory against Kansas Wesleyan University.

Morningside improved its record to 7-5 after the four wins in the Sterling tourney. The Mustangs will open the GPAC portion of their schedule on Monday, March 25, with a 5 p.m. doubleheader against Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Mustangs Announce Nine Recruits

Morningside head softball coach Jessica Jones-Sitzmann announced the names of nine recruits who will enroll at Morningside this fall and join the Mustangs for the 2014 season.

Keisha Eickholt, an infielder from Sioux City. Eickholt is a senior at Sioux City North High School, where she collected 45 hits in 123 at-bats for a .366 batting average with 14 doubles, three home runs, and 28 RBIs last season. She struck out only five times in 123 at-bats.

Brennan Ensz, a catcher from Hartford, S.D. Ensz is a senior at West Central High School. Ensz had 19 hits in 44 at-bats for a .432 batting average with four doubles, one triple, and 16 RBIs for West Central’s 2012 fall team.

Morgan Fogelman, an outfielder from Elkhorn, Neb. Fogelman is a senior at Elkhorn High School, where she earned honorable mention Class B all-state honors from the Omaha World-Herald this past season. She hit five home runs in the post-season to help lead Elkhorn to a runner-up finish at the 2012 state tournament.

Elin Landgren, a catcher from Des Moines, Iowa. Landgren is a senior at Carlisle High School, where she collected 34 hits in 105 at-bats for a .324 batting average with nine doubles, four home runs, and 28 RBIs last season.

Madison Lee, an infielder from Sioux City. Lee is a senior at Sioux City North High School, where she had 41 hits in 117 at-bats for a .350 batting average with eight doubles, two triples, one home run, and 22 RBIs last season. She was the Stars’ second leading hitter as a sophomore when she batted .320 with nine doubles and 15 RBIs.

Ashley Palandri, a pitcher from Carter Lake, Iowa. Palandri is a senior at Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson High School, where she earned second-team All-Missouri River Activities Conference (MRAC) honors last summer. She had an 11-9 record with a 2.40 earned run average and amassed 195 strikeouts in just 116.2 innings pitched. Palandri struck out a season’s high 17 batters in an outing against Sioux City West. She issued 29 walks and allowed only 95 hits while holding the opposition to a .179 batting average.

Ashtyn Schubert, an infielder from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Schubert is a senior at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School, where she had 28 hits in 101 at-bats for a .277 batting average with six doubles and 16 RBIs last season.

Shayla Simms, an outfielder from Gilmore City, Iowa. Simms will join the Mustangs with junior eligibility as a transfer from Iowa Central Community College, where she had three hits in six at-bats for a .500 batting average and was six-for-six on stolen base attempts in 16 contests last season.

Simms is a 2011 graduate of Twin River Valley High School, where she stole 50 bases in as many attempts for the fifth highest stolen base total in the state of Iowa as a prep senior. She collected 35 hits in 79 at-bats for a .443 batting average with nine doubles, two home runs, 19 RBIs, and 47 runs scored.

Jennifer Wagner, an outfielder from Hartford, S.D. Wagner is a senior at West Central High School. Wagner’s 2012 fall season at West Central was limited to one game due to a knee injury. She went one-for-two at the plate with a triple. Last summer she played for the Dirt Devils club team and hit .451 with 16 doubles, two triples, and one home run. She struck out only six times in 113 at-bats.

The recruits will join a Morningside softball program that captured three consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championships from 2009-11 and has qualified for the NAIA National Tournament each of the past four seasons.

Morningside has been tabbed the pre-season favorite in the GPAC softball race by the league’s head coaches.

The Mustangs received seven first place votes and 95 points to top the GPAC Softball Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll by a four-point margin over Northwestern.

Morningside posted a 28-21 record last spring and won the GPAC’s post-season tournament championship to secure a fourth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championship tournament. Morningside finished fourth in last year’s GPAC regular season standings with an 11-9 mark to end a streak of three consecutive regular season titles for the Mustangs.

Morningside will open the 2013 season at the Friends University Tournament on March 1 and 2 in Wichita, Kan.

Click here for the complete GPAC Softball Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll results.