Inaugural year rounds out as solid success
Maria Leidner | Offensive Player of the Year
The DCTC Blue Knights fastpitch softball team ended its season on losing note, falling to the St. Olaf College varsity 1–6, but Head Coach Aaron Vail is pleased with the way his players performed and improved over the course of their first year together. The team finished with a respectable 17–23 record against some tough and seasoned opposition.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what our first-year program was able to accomplish this spring,” Vail said. “More than any of the numbers and personal achievements, our young women came together as a unit. They battled opponents with more experience and, in many cases, higher skill levels. They competed as a team and succeeded. By any definition of success, this season was just that, a success.”
Blue Knights Team Highlights
- Won first game of the season vs. Carleton College, March 1, 2010, by a score of 8–7
- Went 4–1 in the Yellowjacket Classic in Rochester, Minn., including:
- 7–6 come from behind win over JUCO DII Ellsworth Community College after being down 6–0 in 7th inning
- 8–3 victory over #6 ranked Central Lakes Community College
- Two other wins over MCAC schools—Vermillion Community College and Anoka-Ramsey Community College
- Went 3–5 at Tucson Invitational during spring break trip to Arizona, including:
- 6–4 win over #5 ranked Rochester Community and Technical College
- 3–1 win over Minnesota West, an MCAC school
- 6–1 victory over NAIA JV Minot State University
- Three wins over NCAA Division III varsity Carleton College
- 3–4 overall against NCAA DIII programs (Carleton, St. Olaf, UW-LaCrosse)
- Beat three of the four NCAA Division III Junior Varsity Programs (Bethel, Hamline, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota) with a combined record of 6–3 versus these schools
- Defeated JUCO Division III ranked teams this year (#6 Central Lakes, #5 RCTC & #9 Riverland)
- 6–3 record against all opponents from the MCAC this season (Central Lakes, RCTC, Riverland, Anoka-Ramsey, Minnesota West and Vermillion)
Individual Player Highlights
Pitching
Tara Kimberly | Sophomore | Co-captain
Tara Kimberly
“I chose coaching as my profession to work with kids like Tara Kimberly,” said Vail. “She is a gamer; she is tenacious. Through all her on-field accomplishments, she stood out as a 4.0 student in Biology and Secondary Education while also serving on DCTC Student Senate. She will do wonderful things at UW-Stout next year and we will thoroughly miss her leadership and her ‘fox-trot.'”
- Led nation in innings pitched as of May 10, 2010, with 251
- Threw every pitch for DCTC this year
- 40 games
- 40 complete games
- 3 shutouts
- 206 strikeouts vs. 66 walks
- 17–23 record
Hitting
Maria Leidner | Freshman SS | Co-Captain
Maria Leidner
“Maria Leidner is the best athlete I have coached in six years at the collegiate level,” said Coach Vail, “and I’ve previously coached six NCAA All-Americans. She makes the players around her better. She demands nothing less than her own personal best and the best of her teammates and coaches. She is our Offensive Player of the Year and a team captain. I look forward to having her back to anchor our infield in 2011.”
Nominated as an NFCA All-American, Maria Leidner led the team in the following categories:
- Batting Average — .444
- At-bats — 126
- Runs — 26
- Hits — 56
- Doubles — 13
- Total Bases — 74
- Slugging % — .587
- On Base % — .478
- Games Started —40
Rachel Sydow | Freshman CF/LF
Rachel Sydow
- Started 36 games in left and center field
- Led team in hit by pitches — 3
Second on team in the following categories:
- Batting Average — .355
- Doubles — 9
- RBIs — 20
- Slugging % — .505
- On Base % — .419
- Sacrifice Bunts — 2
Michelle Hinz | Freshman 1B/3B
Michelle Hinz
- Started 38 of 39 games
- Played 1B, 3B, DP & C
- Led team in RBIs — 22
- Tied for 1st in home runs — 3
- 2nd on team in hits with 36 and total bases with 53
- Batting Average — .330
Ashlee Hunt | Freshman C/1B | Co-Captain
Ashlee Hunt | Defensive Player of the Year
“Our Defensive Player of the Year is Ashlee Hunt,” said Vail. “Ashlee started all but one game behind the plate for us and thoroughly shut down the running games of our opponents. As the only catcher we saw all season throwing from her knees, she threw out nearly 40 percent of attempted runners. As one umpire said to me, ‘She is the third-best catcher I’ve worked behind this year, including Division I, II, and III NCAA.’ Ashlee will help a staff of all newcomers come in and be very successful from the start next season.”
- Started 39 of 40 games at C and 1B
- Led team in fielding % with .974, making only six errors in 222 chances
- Tied for the lead in home runs with three while hitting .299 on the season
Ranae Fasig | Freshman 2B
Ranae Fasig
- Started 39 of 40 games at 2B
- Led the team in Stolen Bases — 7
- Fewest strikeouts among starters — 11
- 2nd on team in at-bats —125
- 2nd on team in walks — 11
- Tied for 2nd in hits — 36
- Batting Average — .288
Tara Kimberly | Sophomore P
Tara Kimberly
- Led team in the following categories:
- Walks — 15
- Sacrifice Bunts — 7
- Triples— 3
- 2nd on team in home runs — 2
- Batting Average — .283
