MILWAUKEE – The Mount Mary University softball team is waiting to begin their 2019 season, and with one more year of experience from their returners and the addition of talented recruits, the Blue Angels are hoping to make more progress this year.
This season's roster has eight returning letter winners and six new student-athletes ready for tonight's doubleheader. Of the returning class comes five Blue Angels took home honors from the Association of Division III Independents: Amelia Flint (Sr./Whitefish Bay, Wis.), Hannah Harnsberger (Jr./Hillsboro, Ore.), Haley Jacquez (Oakley, Calif.), Haley Johnson (Jr./Germantown, Wis.) and Adrianna Nester (Jr./Anaheim, Calif.).
Nester and Harnsberger combined to pitch every inning in 2018, the two logged a total of 129.1 innings pitched. Both pitchers used their defense to get a majority of their outs, however, Nester led the strikeout race against her teammate 56-25. Harnsberger did finish with the upper hand in walked batters in 2018, letting 18 batters on free, with Nester finishing with 44.
Amelia Flint returns this season after posting an impressive .380 on-base percentage in 2018. With her batting average at .157 for the year, the over doubled OBP came from Flint's patience at the plate. Flint finished second on the team with 16 BB.
MMU's patience at the plate last season was led by returner Haley Jacquez who waited out a team high 22 BB. Not surprisingly, Jacquez led her team with a .476 OBP and 23 runs scored. Along with her .290 batting average, Jacquez puts consistent numbers in nearly all categories including fielding percentage where she finished with .911 on the year.
Another talented Blue Angel defender was an AD3I honoree and returns to complete the "battery unit" for MMU. Catcher Haley Johnson was a dependable backstop for the Blue Angels and played in 20 contests in 2018. Catching a majority of the 129 innings thrown by Harnsberger and Nester, Johnson finished with a team high .953 fielding percentage and six runners caught stealing.
In addition, the Blue Angels also return Virginia Peterson (So./Milwaukee, Wis.), Hannah Rose (Jr./Jeromesville, Ohio), and Nicole Krietemeyer (So./Fountain, Colo.) and six new additions to the roster. Ultimate utility player Lauren Nylund (Fr./Muskego, Wis.) will work in the circle along with anywhere the team might need. Her all-around athletic ability was already showcased to Blue Angels fans who watched any of the 2018 volleyball season where Nylund was a consistent player for MMU.
Taylor Hienbuecher (Fr./Sycamore, Ill.) adds depth to the catching unit for the Blue Angels. Along with her talents behind the dish, the young backstop has already demonstrated her swing for Blue Angels Golf earlier this academic year. On the soccer pitch this spring, fans also saw glimpses of athleticism and agility from newcomer Aislinn Strusz (Fr./Aurora, Ill.) who looks to be a key component in MMU's interior infield this season.
Newcomer Haley Smalley (Jr./Columbus, Ind.) looks to have the make-up of a hard-throwing collegiate pitcher. The junior transfer will help the Blue Angels in the pitching circle along with infield duties. Karley Marcelina-Vega (Fr./Milwaukee, Wis.) will share infield work this season with her new team. Kirsten George (So./Fairborn, Ohio) will also join the new infielders, however, George's designated hitter label and demonstrations in practices may have her more focused on crushing the baseball.
After Mount Mary Head Softball Coach Perry Clark and his team had mother nature postpone and cancel a large portion of games, the Blue Angels now have over 40 games scheduled for 2018, with teams from all over the country. MMU will get their first test early this season with a late-night double-header against Macalester College at the Dundas Dome in Minnesota Sat. Feb. 16. Then MMU will have two weeks before jumping into the bulk of this year's schedule.
MMU will head down to Rockford, Ill. to take on Beloit College at the Sportscore on Fri. Mar. 1, then after taking on St. Ambrose the next day, the Blue Angels will get ready for their spring tournament in Arizona.
The Blue Angels return to the Mid-West for late March and all of April to take on multiple regional opponents. MMU will host two doubleheaders this season at the Infinity Fields Baseball Park in Waukesha, Wis. First the Blue Angels will host Finlandia on Apr. 18, then rival Maranatha Baptist on Apr. 27.
Listen to tonight's late-night matchup courtesy of Macalester College. Links for the audio coverage of the contest can be found at MtMaryAthletics.com. For updates, news and information, be sure to check back to the homepage of the Blue Angels.
