UMC Softball Adds Four to Signing Class

CROOKSTON, Minn.-  The University of Minnesota Crookston softball program announced the signing of four student-athletes to either National Letters of Intent or Institutional Letters of Intent. The Golden Eagles have signed Tavia Lawson (C, 5-8, Hawley, Minn./Hawley H.S.), Michaela Meine (C/UT, 5-2, Mentor, Minn./Fertile-Beltrami H.S.), Mikaela Rodriguez (2B/SS, Laveen, Ariz./Briar Cliff University) and Luisa Silvain (RHP/IF, 5-4, Tucson, Ariz./Pima Community College).

The four signees give the Golden Eagles eight incoming recruits for the 2018 season. Minnesota Crookston signed Taylor Allen (C/OF, 5-5, Neepawa, Manitoba/Neepawa Area Collegiate Insitute), Haley Strachan (OF, 5-2, Phoenix, Ariz./Paradise Valley C.C.), Jordan Peterson (C/UT, 5-7, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.) and Amanda Trandem (C/3B, 5-7, Crookston, Minn./Crookston H.S.) during the early recruiting cycle.

Minnesota Crookston will enter the fall of 2017 with 22 players on the roster. The Golden Eagles posted a 12-35-1 mark on the 2017 seasons, tying the school record for wins in a season. The U of M Crookston also picked up 12 wins during the 2004 season. The Golden Eagles are entering their fourth season under Don Stopa in 2018. Minnesota Crookston returns a strong core including eight starters in the field and two starters in the circle. The Golden Eagles return 14 players overall from the 2017 roster.

Tavia Lawson (C, 5-8, Hawley, Minn./Hawley H.S.)

Lawson was an All-Conference and All-Section selection as a junior and senior at Hawley High School. As a sophomore, she was named All-Conference Honorable Mention. Lawson hit .538 as a junior and .534 as a junior. She was an Academic All-State selection in volleyball, basketball and softball. In addition, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 3.93 GPA.

“Tavia is another Minnesota player that has a chance to play close to home and be pretty good,” said Head Coach Don Stopa. “She will bolster our depth behind the plate as she is a great receiver. Her biggest attribute is her bat: she can swing it. She has a great swing and I think she will be a good college hitter, with a little pop.”

Michaela Meine (C/UT, 5-2, Mentor, Minn./Fertile-Beltraimi H.S.)

Meine was a four-year letter winner at Fertile-Beltrami High School. She earned 2017 All-Conference Honorable Mention for the Falcons. Meine coaches youth softball and baseball in the summer. In addition, she also played volleyball and was a cheerleader at Fertile-Beltrami High School. In the classroom, Meine earned the High Honor Roll each year. She was also a member of 4H and won awards in choir.

“Michaela comes to us from just down the road at Fertile-Beltrami and she is looking for an opportunity to compete,” Stopa said. “She is a great athlete with a desire to play at the next level. As a catcher, she will add even more depth to a position that could be a strength for our program for years to come.”

Mikaela Rodriguez (2B/SS, 5-4, Laveen, Ariz/Briar Cliff University)

Rodriguez played her freshman season at Briar Cliff University, an NAIA in Sioux City, Iowa. She started all 38 games for the Chargers, hitting .286 on the season. Rodriguez notched 11 runs scored, seven doubles and 12 RBI’s. She posted a .357 slugging percentage. In the field, Rodriguez had a .940 fielding percentage with 75 putouts and 83 assists. She played as a prep at Fairfax High School. As a junior, Rodriguez hit .418 with 27 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples and four home runs. During her senior season, she batted .386 with 10 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple and two home runs.

“Mikaela is a transfer who is ready to jump onto the field right away,” Stopa said. “As a freshman in college she was an every day starter at short stop and that experience will be huge as she makes the transition to the NSIC and the maroon and gold. She played her high school and club ball in Phoenix so she has played against a lot of great competition her whole life."

Luisa Silvain (RHP/IF, 5-4, Tucson, Ariz./Pima Community College)

Silvain played two seasons at the junior college level for Pima Community College. She appeared in 62.1 innings pitched with a 3-4 mark with three complete games and a 5.17 ERA. In addition, Silvain struck out 28 on the season. At the plate, she tallied three at-bats. As a freshman, Silvain posted a 5-2 mark with a 4.68 ERA in 76.1 innings pitched in the circle. She notched 17 strikeouts on the season and picked up two saves. At the plate, she hit .250 in four at-bats. Silvain played at the prep level for Cholla High School. As a senior, she posted a 3.11 ERA in nine innings pitched with five strikeouts.

Silvain is the daughter of Hector and Marisela Silvain. She was born March 8, 1997. Silvain plans to major in animal science.

“Luisa is a transfer from Pima Community College in Tucson,” Stopa said. “I know that program very well and their conference. In the circle, she held her own in what could be the best JUCO conference in the country. I think she is a hidden gem that could be an impact pitcher for our program. She is also a pretty good infielder, who can swing it a little.”

All signees are contingent upon admission to U of M Crookston and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Everyone released today has signed their National Letter of Intent or Institutional Letter of Intent prior to release of information.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.

Natalie Thomas Named NDSU Assistant Volleyball Coach

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University interim head volleyball coach Jennifer Lopez has announced Natalie Thomas will join the staff as an assistant coach.

“I am very excited to welcome Natalie into our volleyball program here at North Dakota State,” said Lopez. The Bison are scheduled to open practice Aug. 7 in preparation for the Aug. 25 opener against Boise State at the Arizona State Sun Devils Volleyball Classic.

“Her enthusiasm, drive, and passion for the game I know will have a tremendous impact on our program and the culture we want to continue to build. She has a great sense of what NDSU is about and her ties to the Midwest make her a great fit for our program.”

Thomas was a volunteer assistant at the University of North Dakota in 2016 and spent the past six months as an assistant coach at the University of North Texas. Thomas’ primary role at UND was assisting with the defensive system. The Fighting Hawks advanced to the NCAA tournament after winning the Big Sky regular season and postseason championships.

Prior to UND and North Texas, she spent three years at Minnesota State University Moorhead (two as graduate assistant, one as student assistant), where she worked primarily with setters and the offensive system. In 2015, while at MSUM, she was named a recipient of the 2015 Minority Award scholarship to attend the American Volleyball Coaches Association's annual convention.

“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to join Coach Lopez, the volleyball program and Bison Athletics,” said Thomas.

“I’m thrilled to be back coaching in the Fargo-Moorhead area and I am looking forward to a great competitive season. I can’t wait to feel the atmosphere come game day in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse.”

A native of Champlin, Minn., Thomas played at the University of Minnesota, Morris, where she amassed 2,696 assists, third most in program history, was a first-team all-conference selection as a senior and earned Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Setter of the Week honors on three different occasions.

Thomas graduated from MSUM in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education non-teaching, with a strength and conditioning minor and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, with a coaching minor. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in higher education from MSUM in 2016.

North Dakota State finished the 2016 season with a 14-18 record including 11-5 in the Summit League. The Bison won eight of their final 11 matches before falling to South Dakota in the league tournament semifinals. NDSU returns seven players and four starters including Summit League Defensive Player of the Year Mikaela Purnell, all-freshman team outside hitter Alex Erickson, along with setter Brianna Rasmusson and middle blocker Jessica Jorgensen.

Lynx' Fowles Named Western Conference Player of the Month

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The WNBA today named Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles its Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of July after she led the Lynx to a league-best 7-1 record in the month of July (19-2 overall). This is the third consecutive Western Conference Player of the Month award for Fowles this season (May and June) and the eighth of her career, passing teammate Maya Moore for second-most all-time. Fowles becomes the third player since the awards’ inception in 2010 to be named Western Conference Player of the Month for the first three months of a season (Lauren Jackson, 2010 and Candace Parker, 2012). The award marks the 14th time a Lynx player has been named Player of the Month, with Moore (August 2013, September 2013, May 2014, July 2014, August 2014, July 2015, May 2016 and September 2016), Lindsay Whalen (August 2011), Seimone Augustus (July 2011) and Rebekkah Brunson (June 2011) also having previously received the award. Fowles was awarded Western Conference Player of the Week on May 23, May 30, June 12 and July 23.

After the 21 games, Fowles leads the WNBA in FG accuracy (68.1%), ranks second in scoring (20.9 ppg), third in rebounding (9.9 rpg) and third in blocks (2.00 bpg). In the month of July, she recorded three 20+ point/10+ rebound games to push her season total to a league-leading nine.

Highlights from Fowles’ month include:

·         July 6 vs. Los Angeles: Tallied 20 points, 13 rebounds, including five offensive, two assists and four blocks in the 88-77 victory over the Sparks. Her totals led the Lynx in scoring, rebounding and blocks.

·         July 19 vs. Dallas: Led all players with 24 points on an efficient 10-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds in the 100-74 win against Dallas, sweeping the season series with the Wings. In the three games vs. Dallas this year, Fowles averaged 27.0 ppg and 11.3 rpg in 28.3 mpg while shooting 71.1% (32-for-45) from the floor.

·         July 30 vs. Seattle: Erupted for a game-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting including going 7-of-8 from the free throw line, 12 rebounds and three blocks for her ninth 20/10 effort of the season and 49th of her career.

New York’s Tina Charles was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of July. Charles ranks first among East players in scoring (20.6 ppg), second in rebounding (10.0 rpg) and eighth in blocked shots (0.82 bpg).

The Lynx play next on Thursday, August 3 vs Atlanta Dream at Xcel Energy Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on ESPN2 and heard on BOB 106.1 FM.