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Minot State
Action Packed . .
and fun to watch!
Fall Practices Begin for The MSU softball team finished their first week of workouts and Coach Triplett likes what he sees. For one, he is optomistic about the 2009-10 MSU softball team's chances of having another winning season. For another, he really likes the sunny weather and the starting of a new year. "I love this time of year and getting everyone together for the first time", stated Triplett. "It's exciting"! The Beavers return four seniors in Janessa Penner, Lindsey Landles, Molly Lundeen and Shannon Murray. Six sophomores are also back including Deanna Mitchell, Kyla Thiesen, Brittany Sparwood, Brittni Kruk, Josie Gilles and Nicole Ziler. Newcomers are Melissa Elliott, Leah Matthewson, Corinne Gautron, Bailey Waldner, Mandy Greenberg, Jana Britz, Brittany Bartel, Janis Maxwell, Tiffany Friesen, Bethany Jundt, Darcy Hornstein and Emily Hoehn. Molly Lundeen isn't taking part in fall ball as she is on the MSU volleyball team. Another freshman that is trying out, Emily Hoehn, is also in that same situation. "We've got a lot of new faces and we're very young. Even so, there is lots of talent there. Our pitching staff got a huge shot in the arm with the arrival of Mandy Greenberg and Tiffany Friesen. Bartel, Maxwell, Gautron and Matthewson have shown lots of promise and the same goes for junior college transfer Melissa Elliott". The Beavers will travel to Regina on Sept. 11 and play three games on Sept. 12 and three more on the 13th. For the first time, changes in the DAC softball and baseball rules allow two dates that DAC teams can play other schools in the fall. "I think it's great", Coach Triplett said about the rule change. "We'll take full advantage of it. We'll learn a lot about ourselves that weekend and gain lots of experience. It will also help the process along of getting to know each other".
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Janessa Penner rips another base hit for Minot
State.
Senior Lindsey Landles had a great junior season
Molly Lundeen is a senior from Bishop Ryan High School
Deanna Mitchell had a good freshman year pitching
as well as
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MINOT STATE BEGINS MEMBERSHIP PROCESS INTO NCAA DIVISION II
Today (July 10), Minot State University began the three-year process of becoming a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The NCAA Membership Committee informed MSU we would be entering year-one candidacy for NCAA Division II for the 2009-2010 season. “We're very pleased that the NCAA has chosen Minot State as a university that it would like to have as part of Division II. The change for athletics, the university and the community is an important one and fits best for the present and future of Minot State,” said Rick Hedberg, athletic director at MSU. “Minot State University's Vision 2013 calls for the university to become one of the premier public, regional universities in the Great Plains. It is our belief that a transition to NCAA Division II is one large step toward realizing that goal.” “ Minot State University is interested in becoming a strong and viable member of NCAA Division II,” MSU President David Fuller said. “The Division II mission of integrating intercollegiate athletics into higher education for the benefit of students and student athletes is consistent with the mission and goals of our institution and athletic department.” After applying at the end of May, Minot State was one of more than a dozen colleges and universities attempting the jump to NCAA Division II. The decision to apply for Division II membership comes at the end of nearly four years of research by committees from Minot State, the athletics department, administrators, the community and Beaver Booster Club members. Applying for membership in NCAA Division II did not guarantee Minot State would be accepted. The competitive process to review applications started after June 1 and culminated in the middle of July. The past four years of work preceding an application for membership is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to becoming an NCAA Division II athletic program. “There is a candidacy period. We have two years with our current association, the NAIA. Certain benchmarks need to be reached during the process,” said Hedberg. “The third year you're considered ‘provisional status,' and you are with your new affiliation, in this case NCAA Division II. In the fourth year, you can become a full-fledged member."
========================================================================== Beavers Will Return to Arizona
Minot State Head Softball Coach, Bill Triplett, says the 2010 schedule is almost complete and that the Beavers will open the season in Hastings, Nebraska with a five game invitational and head to Arizona after that. "The Arizona trip is a great trip for us as well as our fans", stated Coach Triplett about the Arizona trip. "Everyone really looks forward to getting outside in the sun and playing against another team instead of each other". The University of Great Falls and the University of Regina are going to play the Beavers four games each in Minot and the Beavers are also going to schedule double headers with Divison II schools, Bemidji State and hopefully Crookston. When you add that to the 24 conference games in the DAC, Minot State will have a very tough schedule. "As far as the entire schedule goes, that's exactly how we want it', said Triplett. "We get to play some GPAC schools in Hastings and then we see some tough teams in Arizona. You throw in games with Bemidji, Crookston, UGF and Regina and you have a great non-conference schedule. Our conference is loaded with great teams so it is going to be awesome to be able to get out there and compete with those teams. We're going to be young but we've got some really nice freshman coming in that will help right away as well as a couple j.c. transfers. We just hope the weather cooperates a little more this year than last".
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Beavers Add Freisen to Pitching Staff
Minot State head softball coach, Bill Triplett, has announced that Tiffany Friesen will be joining the MSU fastpitch softball program this fall. Friesen is a pitcher from Morden, Manitoba that can also play third or first, attended Jamestown College last year but was injured and did not play. She will have four years of eligibility to compete for MSU. Friesen has received the top defensive and offensive player awards for the Winnipeg Lightning club team. She also won a bronze medal at the Senior Canadian National Championships in 2008 and has participated in several national championship tournaments. This year in Super League, she currently has a 0.00 ERA with a 1.84 strike outs per inning. "We're very happy that Tiffany has decided to get back into playing softball at the collegiate level and that Minot State is where she wanted to be", stated Triplett. "Tiffany is a very good pitcher that has done very well at the provincial and national level. We've been looking to add quality depth to our staff and now we've done that. Plus, this will take some pressure off Greenberg and Mitchell and also give us some insurance just in case any one of them has an injury or is unable to compete for any reason".
========================================================================== DAC Presidents Approve Fall Scrimmages With the vote of approval by the university presidents of the member schools of the DAC, each school will be allowed to play two days of fall scrimmages beginning this fall. "I think it's great", said Minot State head coach Bill Triplett. "I was really disappointed last year when the vote failed by just one vote. This time it passed. It will be good for us to get out there and play some in the fall against other teams and see all of our new players. We are pretty happy about this. We're actually going to use the two dates on Sept. 12th and 13th. We're going to run up to Regina and play 4 varsity and 3 j.v. games those two days". ==========================================================================
Minot State Softball Team Earns Academic Award
The Minot State Beaver softball team not only had a great year on the field with their 27 wins, they also had a stellar year in the classroom as well. The Beavers complied a team Grade Point Average of 3.5 In doing so, the MSU Beaver softball team is eligible for a National Scholar Team Award from the NAIA. "That really shows how dedicated they are", stated Coach Triplett about his team. "They get a little stressed out when they miss class due to games but they also study on the buses, planes, in the motel rooms and work very hard at getting good grades. This is great that they can play ball and do so well".
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Elliott Signs with MSU
Minot State Head Softball Coach, Bill Triplett, has announced that Melissa Elliott, a sophomore outfielder from Palomar College in San Marcos, California, will be joining the Beavers next fall. Elliott, who hit .360 for the Pacific Coast Conference champion Palomar Comets, was an all-conference performer for Palomar and was also voted her team's Most Improved Player this year. Melissa recently graduated from Palomar College with an A.A. Degree and over a 3.6 GPA. "Melissa will add a lot to our team”, stated Minot head coach Bill Triplett. “She's coming out of Mark Eldridge's program which is one of the best junior college programs in the nation. Melissa knows how to play the game. She can run, hit, and throw very well".
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Janessa Penner was named 2nd Team All-American
by the NAIA this week. The junior shortstop from Morden, Manitoba
knocked out 71 hits in 150 at bats this year for a torrid batting
average of .473
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