May 1 - Monmouth 2, Illinois C. 1
Apr. 30 - Ripon 2, Beloit 1
Apr. 30 - Beloit 3, Ripon 2 (9 inn)
Apr. 30 - Lawrence 2, Carroll 1
Apr. 30 - Lawrence 2, Carroll 0
Apr. 30 - Grinnell 4, Illinois C. 3
Apr. 30 - Illinois C. 6, Grinnell 5
Apr. 27 - Carroll 6, St. Norbert 3
Apr. 27 - St. Norbert 5, Carroll 2
Apr. 25 - Illinois C. 4, Monmouth 2 (11 inn)
Apr. 24 - Lake Forest 8, Knox 5
Apr. 24 - Lake Forest 9, Knox 3
Apr. 23 - Lake Forest 4, Grinnell 3
Apr. 23 - Lake Forest 13, Grinnell 1 (5 inn)
Apr. 23 - Beloit 4, Lawrence 3 (10 inn)
Apr. 23 - Lawrence 4, Beloit 0
Apr. 21 - Grinnell 7, Monmouth 0
Apr. 21 - Grinnell 8, Monmouth 0
Apr. 19 - Lawrence 5, St. Norbert 4
Apr. 19 - Lawrence 2, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 19 - Illinois C. 8, Knox 0 (5 inn)
Apr. 19 - Illinois C. 6, Knox 4
Apr. 16 - Beloit 3, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 16 - Beloit 3, St. Norbert 2
Apr. 16 - Lake Forest 11, Monmouth 3 (6 inn)
Apr. 16 - Lake Forest 4, Monmouth 1
Apr. 16 - Knox 2, Grinnell 0
Apr. 16 - Grinnell 5, Knox 2
Apr. 16 - Carroll 4, Ripon 3 (15 inn)
Apr. 16 - Ripon 3, Carroll 1
Apr. 14 - Beloit 2, Carroll 1 (9 inn)
Apr. 14 - Beloit 3, Carroll 1 (9 inn)
Apr. 13 - Monmouth 3, Knox 2
Apr. 13 - Monmouth 6, Knox 2
Apr. 13 - Lawrence 3, Ripon 2 (11 inn)
Apr. 13 - Lawrence 4, Ripon 3 (8 inn)
Apr. 5 - Ripon 3, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 5 - Ripon 3, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 2 - Illinois C. 3, Lake Forest 2
Apr. 2 - Illinois C. 10, Lake Forest 6

Apr. 30 - St. Norbert 8, Marian 3
Apr. 30 - St. Norbert 4, Marian 3
Apr. 28 - Aurora 4, Monmouth 2
Apr. 28 - Aurora 11, Monmouth 6
Apr. 28 - UW-Stout 4, Ripon 3
Apr. 28 - UW-Stout 6, Ripon 1
Apr. 27 - Coe 4, Grinnell 0
Apr. 27 - Coe 6, Grinnell 0
Apr. 26 - UW-Whitewater 5, Lawrence 4 (8 inn)
Apr. 26 - UW-Whitewater 1, Lawrence 0
Apr. 24 - Univ. Chicago 3, Lawrence 0
Apr. 24 - Univ. Chicago 4, Lawrence 1
Apr. 24 - Luther 7, Grinnell 2
Apr. 24 - Luther 3, Grinnell 0
Apr. 24 - Webster 9, Monmouth 1
Apr. 24 - Webster 4, Monmouth 3
Apr. 21 - Lawrence 8, Lakeland 0 (6 inn)
Apr. 21 - Lawrence 7, Lakeland 1
Apr. 21 - Lake Forest 2, Univ. Chicago 1 (9 inn)
Apr. 21 - Univ. Chicago 6, Lake Forest 5
Apr. 21 - UW-Stevens Point 3, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 21 - UW-Stevens Point 6, St. Norbert 1
Apr. 20 - North Central 9, Beloit 1
Apr. 20 - North Central 10, Beloit 5
Apr. 19 - Grinnell 2, Mount Mercy 0
Apr. 19 - Grinnell 2, Mount Mercy 1 (8 inn)
Apr. 18 - Lake Forest 10, Trinity International 9
Apr. 17 - Edgewood 5, Carroll 0
Apr. 17 - Edgewood 3, Carroll 1
Apr. 17 - Blackburn 2, Illinois C. 0
Apr. 17 - Blackburn 3, Illinois C. 2
Apr. 17 - Monmouth 4, Augustana 3
Apr. 17 - Augustana 13, Monmouth 4
Apr. 16 - Lawrence 3, Finlandia 0
Apr. 16 - Lawrence 5, Finlandia 4
Apr. 15 - Illinois C. 1, Eureka 0
Apr. 15 - Illinois C. 3, Eureka 2
Apr. 14 - Ripon 7, Marian 1
Apr. 14 - Marian 10, Ripon 0
Apr. 14 - Simpson 5, Grinnell 0
Apr. 14 - Simpson 7, Grinnell 0
Apr. 13 - North Central 3, Lake Forest 1
Apr. 13 - North Central 9, Lake Forest 3
Apr. 13 - Lakeland 6, St. Norbert 5
Apr. 13 - St. Norbert 13, Lakeland 2
Apr. 12 - Carthage 4, Carroll 1
Apr. 12 - Carthage 15, Carroll 9 (9 inn)
Apr. 7 - Illinois C. 4, Millikin 3 (10 inn)
Apr. 7 - Millikin 3, Illinois C. 0
Apr. 7 - Lakeland 4, Ripon 3
Apr. 7 - Ripon 10, Lakeland 7
Apr. 7 - Knox 8, St. Ambrose 4
Apr. 7 - St. Ambrose 3, Knox 2
Apr. 7 - Lake Forest 5, Carthage 2
Apr. 7 - Lake Forest 8, Carthage 7
Apr. 6 - Grinnell 6, Cornell 5 (13 inn)
Apr. 6 - Cornell 5, Grinnell 2
Apr. 6 - Fontbonne 2, Illinois C. 0
Aprl 6 - Fontbonne 5, Illinois C. 1
Apr. 6 - Beloit 7, Edgewood 5
Apr. 6 - Edgewood 9, Beloit 1
Apr. 4 - Lawrence 3, MSOE 1 (10 inn)
Apr. 4 - Lawrence 6, MSOE 2
Apr. 3 - UW-LaCrosse 2, Ripon 0
Apr. 3 - Augustana 2, Ripon 0
Apr. 3 - Grinnell 3, Simpson 2
Apr. 3 - Grinnell 6, Crown 1
Apr. 2 - UW-LaCrosse 6, Ripon 2
Apr. 2 - Augustana 2, Ripon 0
Apr. 2 - Grinnell 8, Crown 0 (5 inn)
Apr. 2 - Simpson 5, Grinnell 0
Apr. 2 - UW-Eau Claire 13, St. Norbert 3 (5 inn)
Apr. 2 - UW-Eau Claire 15, St. Norbert 3
Apr. 2 - Fontbonne 7, Knox 3
Apr. 2 - Fontbonne 7, Knox 1

2005 NCAA Regional Softball Tournament
Hosted by Muskingham College
New Concord, Ohio

May 13 - Lake Forest 5, Thomas More College 0
May 14 - Muskingham 8, Lake Forest 0 (5 inns)
May 14 - Lake Forest 5, U. of Pitt-Bradford 3
May 15 - Muskingham 7, Lake Forest 3

Click here for a complete listing of the tournament participants

The Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Region Teams were recently selected and the Midwest Conference placed seven student-athletes on the Great Lakes Team.

Heading up the list on the First Team was Erin Watts, an outfielder from Lake Forest.

The lone Second Team honoree was Lake Forest utility (P/1B) player Ashley Clossan.

Five other players were also at-large picks on the Third Team: Lauren Kost (LU), Alissa Mildebrath (LFC), Becca Reason (LU), Lindsay Stauder (IC), and Melissa Wegner ( Lake Forest).

Click here for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Website.

APPLETON, Wis. -- Rarely in recent Midwest Conference softball history has there been so much balance headed into the league’s championship tournament. When Lawrence University, Beloit College, Illinois College, and Lake Forest College take to the diamond at Whiting Field this weekend, all four teams have a great chance to walk away with the championship and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament that goes along with it.

For nearly a decade, a dominant team has emerged during the course of the season. In the late 1990s, it was Lawrence, which won three consecutive league titles from 1997-99. After that, it was Carroll College, which won the next two championships (2000-01), and then followed Lake Forest, which has won the last three titles (2002-04). That hasn’t been the case this season, as parity and upsets have abounded across the conference.

Lawrence, serving as the host for the second consecutive time as North Division champion (the tournament alternates between North and South Division champions, and Lawrence hosted in 2003), has had a rollercoaster season.

After starting 2-8, the Vikings won 12 of their next 15 and propelled themselves into the North Division title race. Lawrence clinched the North Division and the right to host the tournament with a doubleheader sweep of Carroll last Saturday. The Vikings are led by senior pitcher Lauren Kost. She has compiled a 15-8 record with a 1.10 earned run average. Kost has thrown a league-high 184 innings, while posting a league-high seven shutouts. She has struck out 105 while walking 30.

While Lawrence leads the league with a 1.57 team earned run average, the Vikings are last in the conference with a .206 batting average. Lawrence’s offense is paced by junior shortstop Becca Reason, who is batting .351 and leads the league with 25 stolen bases. Junior catcher Loni Philbrick-Linzmeyer is batting .300 and provides the pop for the Vikings with a team-high 19 runs batted in.

Illinois College won the South Division and is making its first appearance in the tournament since 1999. The Lady Blues, in the tournament for the sixth time in school history, are still searching for their first title.

If there is a favorite on paper, it has to be Illinois College. The Lady Blues are 4-0 against teams in the tournament. Illinois College swept Lake Forest and defeated Beloit and Lawrence by the same 8-7 score at the MWC Classic.

The Lady Blues are paced by junior shortstop Courtney Allen, who boasts a .340 batting average. Third baseman Keena Canevit has a .327 average and a team-high 18 RBIs. Lindsay Stauder has been the pitching mainstay for the Lady Blues with an 11-10 record and a 2.56 ERA. Stauder has struck out a league-high 149 while walking 54 in 144 innings.

Lake Forest is going for its fourth consecutive title, which hasn’t happened since Coe College won four straight from 1992-95. The Foresters have the top offense in the league with a .303 team batting average.

Sophomore outfielder Erin Watts is second in the league in hitting at .412 and she is tied with junior shorstop Melissa Wegner (.324) for the team lead with 28 RBIs. Ashley Clossen and Kendra Grant have seen the bulk of the pitching action for the Foresters. Clossen is 9-5 with a 2.59 ERA, and Grant is 7-3 with a 3.81 ERA.

Beloit, the 1996 conference champion, is back in the tournament for the first time since 1997. The Bucs ensured themselves of a spot in the tournament with a doubleheader split at Ripon College last Saturday and knocked the Red Hawks out of the tourney at the same time.

The Buccaneers are second in the league in hitting with a .282 batting average, and sophomore outfielder Tiffany Nelson has a robust .390 batting average. Katelynn Rynders (.310, 13 RBIs), Katie Algrem (.306, 18 RBIs), and Amanda Splan (.300, 17 RBIs) have been the run-producers for Beloit this season. The top pitcher for the Bucs is junior Dani Meehan. She boasts a 12-9 record with a 3.17 ERA. Meehan has struck out 88 and walked 31.

The Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Region Teams were recently selected and the Midwest Conference placed nine student-athletes on the Great Lakes Team.

Heading up the list on the First Team was Jenny Burris, a shortstop from Lawrence and Rose Reichhart, a designated player from Ripon. Both players were first-team All-MWC picks and led their programs to the MWC Tournament.

Second Team honorees were Beloit catcher Missy Pieters, Lake Forest utility player Kristen Feeney and Forester teammate Alissa Mildebrath, an at-large pick.

Four other players were also at-large picks on the Third Team: Leigh Anne Furgerson (LFC) Julie Hickey (SNC) Emily Davis (BC) Becca Reason (LU).

Click here for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Website.

2004 NCAA Regional Softball Tournament
Alma, Michigan
May 7 - Lake Forest 4, Defiance 3
May 7 - Alma 6, Lake Forest 0
May 8 - Lake Forest 5, Edgewood 0
May 9 - Augustana 5, Lake Forest 1

Click here for a complete listing of the tournament participants