It’s almost as if they planned it.

Three Austin graduates all joined the Riverland softball team this year for different reasons and they’ve come together to give the Blue Devils a huge boost.

Pitcher Autumn Jurgensen switched her major to business and decided to play softball after a year off, second baseman and leadoff hitter Holly Waltz played for RCC two years ago but had to take last year off because her radiography major didn’t allow her the free time, and outfielder and No. 3 hitter Jessica Wilde wanted to come back home after attending school in St. Cloud for two years.

RCC won the MCAC Southern Division and is ranked No. 5 in Division III.

“It’s really nice and things kind of fell into place as far as having the right people at the right time,” RCC head coach Dan Swift said. “We had a great group of sophomores and we just needed some others to fill in. All three of them have done a phenomenal job for us and you can’t say one’s more important than the other because they’re all at key spots.”

Waltz helped convince Wilde to join the team, but neither of them was aware that Jurgensen was on the team until later.

“Once I found out that Autumn was coming, I knew we were going to kick butt,” Waltz said.

Jurgensen, who graduated from AHS in 2008, hasn’t shown much rust after a year off from softball. She has a 19-2 record with an ERA of 1.84, while allowing 108 hits, 16 walks and striking out 74 in 133 innings.

“(College softball) is harder (than high school), but the defense behind me has picked up a notch,” Jurgensen said. “Everything is kind of balanced out.”

While Jurgensen has controlled the mound, Waltz and Wilde are getting it done with their bats. Waltz is hitting .467 with 35 runs, eight RBIs and is 24-for-24 on stolen bases and Wilde is hitting .430 with 36 RBIs, 23 runs, four doubles and three triples.

“Every time I get on base, Jessica knocks me in,” Waltz, who graduated from Austin in 2007, said.

In all, the Blue Devils (24-6 overall) have six hitters batting at least .400 and Laura Meyer, who is from Minneapolis, is hitting .566.

That balance has taken some pressure off of Waltz and Wilde at the front of the lineup.

“I don’t really feel pressure like in high school, especially with the team that we have here,” Wilde, who graduated from Austin in 2007, said.

Swift is hoping the success of the three Austin players will bring more Packers to RCC in the future.

“It’s nice to have local players on the team and have parents, friends and families come watch them,” he said. “They give us a good connection to Austin High and hopefully it will create a pathway for more Austin girls to come and play here.”

RCC, which has won 19 of its last 20 games, will now focus on the state tournament, which begins Thursday in St. Cloud. The Blue Devils think they have what it takes to get to nationals and make some noise there as well.

“We’d like to go to nationals and win it,” Wilde said.