2006 WIAC Softball Championships

'06 Tournament Preview

UW-Eau Claire captured their third consecutive WIAC regular season crown, but are gunning for their first WIAC tournament title since 2000. The tourney title, and the elusive NCAA automatic bid that goes with it, went to UW-Stout last season and UW-Superior in 2004.

Stout came in as the No. 3 seed last year, lost to the Blugolds in an earlier round, then worked their way back through the losers' bracket to the championship game where they twice tipped the Blugolds. In the 2004 tournament, the Blugolds were the top seed, but were knocked off in their first game and were eventually eliminated. Superior, the No. 3 seed, worked through the winners bracket, lost in the first championship game, but came back to down UW-Whitewater for the tournament title.

Could this be the Blugolds' year to throw off the No. 1 seeded jinx? No top seeded team has won the WIAC tournament title since Whitewater did it in 1999.

The sixth ranked Blugolds look poised to take the tournament after an unblemished 14-0 WIAC record - Eau Claire had one conference series with Superior cancelled this past Monday - and are led by junior pitcher Mallory McKinney, a three-time WIAC player of the week.

McKinney ranks ninth nationally in earned run average (0.56), and is fourth nationally in wins (19-1). McKinney has collected 127 strikeouts, just over one per inning pitched.

At the plate, the Blugolds are led by Rachel Paulus (.412), Jill Janke (.404), Casey Leisgang (.391) and McKinney (.351). Leisgang leads the WIAC in runs scored with 36, and has hit eight home runs, while McKinney trails Leisgang in round trippers with seven. Paulus has a league-high 15 stolen bases, and the Blugolds have a league-high 46 stolen bases. As a team, the Blugolds lead the league in fielding percentage at a .963 clip.

UW-Oshkosh, which has never won a tournament title, is led by pitcher Ronessa Stampfli. The sophomore from Brodhead has collected a league-high 247 strikeouts, breaking her own conference record of 186 that she set last year. Stampfli ranks 12th nationally in strikeouts per seven innings (10.7) and 14th in ERA (0.83). Individually, Stampfli's strikeout total is more than any other team's total.

Superior is led at the plate by two-sport athletes Erin Kegley (.442) and Katie Moench (.365) and by Kathleen Duffy (.412). Kegley has driven in 32 runs this season, second in the league. Duffy has stolen 13 bases.

UW-Whitewater's Suzanne Gersich leads the league in RBI with 34 and is posting a .407 batting average. Renee Hamilton has a .423 batting average, and when she gets on, she can be dangerous. Hamilton has stolen 14 bases.

As a team, Whitewater has scored a league-high 229 runs, ripping a league-best 29 home runs, with Gersich leading the way with nine. Gersich has a league-high slugging percentage of .717 (46 hits, six doubles, a triple and nine home runs). The Warhawks appear to be a patient team, gathering in a conference-high 108 walks.

UW-La Crosse snapped a four-game skid with an 11-inning, 3-2 win over St. Mary's last week. The Eagles' Jenny Miller is sporting a .413 batting average and is not afraid to lay down the sacrifice bunt, recording 10. Pitcher Cassie Huettl is posting a respectable ERA of 1.12.

Freshman Tera Burr has made a splash for UW-Platteville, leading the team at the plate (.412). Burr has clubbed a league-leading 13 doubles among her 47 hits. In 114 at-bats, she has struck out only three times.

Stevens Point is leading the league in hitting (.333) and have the top individual hitter in leadoff hitter Mandy Jellish (.450). Jellish leads the league in at-bats (129), hits (58) and is third in runs scored (33). As a team, the Pointers have collected more hits (356) and lead the WIAC in doubles (63).

UW-River Falls' Brittany Rathbun leads all of Division III in saves with eight. Rathbun has started six games, but has appeared in 28, recording 78 strikeouts in 91 innings of work. Breamber Syverson is eighth nationally in sacrifice hits, laying down 16.

Stout is in the midst of rebuilding year, putting a very young team on the field and new players at just about every position. Jackie Juan is tied for fourth in the league in home runs with six.

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