Riverland softball vies for nationals

Published 12:00 am Thursday, May 8, 2003

The Riverland softball team has been here before, but the Blue Devils are hoping for a different outcome.

Riverland hosts the Region XIII softball tournament Friday and Saturday at Todd Park's North Complex as the top seed out of four teams hopeful for advancing to the National Junior College Division III Tournament.

Friday's first round is at 2 p.m. Riverland, ranked 10th in the nation, plays MCCC South Division rival Ridgewater, who forged a split with the Devils Tuesday. Riverland (22-9) owns the season series 3-1, but Ridgewater (16-14) is the defending region representative.

Email newsletter signup

"I'm kind of glad we saw them (Tuesday), because now we know what to expect," said Riverland coach Lisa Quednow-Bickler. "Having beaten them handily the first time, I think we would have taken them for granted.

"We have the tools if we go out and use them to the best of our ability."

Central Lakes (Brainerd) and Dawson Community College (Glendive, Mont.) play in the other 2 p.m. game.

The winners and losers play against each other at 4 p.m. Tournament play resumes Saturday at noon.

Riverland last qualified for the national tournament in the early 80s. This year's event will be held May 15-17 at Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Ill. The MCCC State Tournament, if Riverland does not advance to nationals, will be May 17-18 in Thief River Falls. Both bus rides, according to Coach Quednow-Bickler, would take six hours.

"Why not spend six hours going to nationals?" she said. "It's a pretty even region. We have as good a chance as anybody. It'll come down to who's playing the best on any given day."

The Blue Devils have the experience of qualifying for -- but not advancing through -- the regional tournament as South Division champions each of the past three seasons. Last year rival Rochester eliminated the Devils, leaving a bitter taste in the back of the throats of this season's sophomores.

"Everyone really wants to go to nationals," said Austin High graduate Melanie Gabrielson, a sophomore co-captain and starting center fielder. "We've kind of drilled that importance into the freshmen's heads. Everyone's out to get us but I think we can do it."

Riverland is driven by a solid pitching corps, led by sophomore Marissa Kelsey (10-2). Blooming Prairie freshman Abbey Bergstrom is 6-3 this season, while Lyle/Pacelli graduate Susie Rayman adds a 2-1 record to the staff.

A collective earned run average of 2.66 is a true measure considering the Blue Devil defense behind them has committed less than one error per game this season.

"We just have to play it one game at a time," Kelsey said. "I have a good feeling about it. Getting ahead right away may be the biggest thing."

The Devils have averaged 8.6 runs per game this season, powered by speed on the basepathes. Sophomore leadoff hitter Beth Harsma, an Owatonna native, is one of the top offensive players in the region with a .549 batting average and 25 stolen bases. Freshman Hannah Tvedt, from Byron, is hitting .567 with the team's only two home runs and 24 RBIs.

Riverland has 71 stolen bases this year and has been caught just once.

"We usually go out and take control of a game," Quednow-Bickler said. "We're scored four runs in Tuesday's first game with only four hits, so that shows we were at least a little productive on the bases."

Ridgewater gets its momentum from its starting pitcher Sara Kavanagh, who has one more strikeout (73) than Riverland's trio. Lori Feltmann is ranked third in the nation with a .592 batting average, including five triples and 20 RBIs.

Dawson (25-17), ranked fifth in the nation, has an ace pitcher to be reckoned with as well. Sami McDonald has a 1.97 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 135 innings pitched, but 50 walks loom just as large.

During the regular season, Dawson defeated Central Lakes 2-0 and Ridgewater 3-2 in extra innings, making this year's regional tournament a highly competitive one.

"My sophomores are just determined," Quednow-Bickler said. "They have that taste in their mouth because they do not want to be denied again."

Call Ross Thede at 434-2234 or e-mail him at :mailto:sports@austindailyherald.com.