BURNSVILLE, Minn.- The Northern Sun (NSIC) released the 2022 NSIC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll on Wednesday morning and Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish sixth for the second year in a row.
CSP earned 160 points in the poll, 10 more than the year prior, but was still two points behind St. Cloud State in fifth place and five points ahead of Minot State in seventh.
The Augustana Vikings have been tabbed to finish first in back-to-back polls, securing 225 points and 15 first place votes. The Vikings finished atop the conference in 2021 with a 28-2 record in NSIC play (49-8 overall) and finished as the NSIC runner-up, falling to Minnesota State.
Despite winning the NSIC in 2021, the Mavericks were picked to finish second with 209 points followed by Winona State with 198 points. Minnesota Duluth is assumed to finish fourth with 176 points.
The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team from 15 to 1 with the top team receiving 15 points, second 14, third 13, etc.
The Golden Bears will return to play after completing the 2021 season 23-21 overall (17-11 NSIC) and placing fifth in the conference.
With the departure of pitcher Kali Kaestner and outfielder Kris McIntyre, the Golden Bears look to fill the gaps created by the seniors with Bryanna Olson, a sophomore pitcher/ outfielder from Cottage Grove, Minn., and sophomore infielder/ catcher Grace Beseman, a product of Woodbury, Minn.
Olson was Head Coach Bob Bartel's pick for Pitcher to Watch. The right handed pitcher has appeared in 30 games for the Golden Bears, making 16 starts and has recorded 113 strikeouts in that time. Of Olson, Coach Bartel commented, "We look for Bryanna to lead our pitching staff this spring. Bryanna has the movement and velocity on her pitches that can lead to a lot of pitches missing opponents' bats. She now has one year of pitching experience against the NSIC which we believe will help her development as she enters her third year."
Coach Bartel mentioned of Beseman, "Grace has all the tools a coach looks for, she led our team in 2021 in most every offensive category and is rock solid at 3rd base. Grace was a 2021 All-NSIC 1st team player." Nominated for Player to Watch by Coach Bartel, the righty has experience with the CSP squad as she played in all 44 games for the Bears in 2021 where she recorded 52 hits, including 12 doubles and 11 home runs in 141 at bats.
Other key returners for the Golden Bears include sophomore outfielder Clara Heislen (.310 AVG, 5 HR, 18 RBI), senior catcher Amanda Parsons (.310 AVG, 5 HR, 24 RBI), and senior infielder Cam Veenbaas (.255 AVG, 2 HR, 6 RBI).
Some key newcomers include freshmen Sydney Pelzer, an infielder from Little Canada, Minn., Erica McCullough, a left handed pitcher from Greenville, Ind., and Avery Johnson, an outfielder from Hudson, Wis.
Coach Bartel believes, "our defense will be our strength, we'll need to be consistent in the field with a fairly inexperienced but talented pitching staff. We look to keep improving offensively from last season and maximize our base running skills to keep pressure on our opponents."
The Golden Bears look to open their season at the Minnesota State Dome Tournament from Friday to Sunday, Feb. 4-6 in Mankato. The regular season will conclude on Sunday, May 1 with an away double header against UMary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
