April 17, 2023

BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) announced their eighth installment of the softball Players-of-the-Week Monday.  Lauren Jurek of Bellevue (Neb.) was selected as the Pitcher-of-the-Week for the second straight week.  Morgan James of Viterbo (Wis.) was chosen as the Player-of-the-Week.

North Star Athletic Association Softball Pitcher-of-the-Week
Lauren Jurek – Bellevue (Neb.) – senior – pitcher/infielder – Bellevue, Neb. – Jurek went 2-0 record in the pitching circle as Bellevue (Neb.) went 4-0 record for the week.  She allowed just one run in 14 total innings pitched, tossing a pair of complete game victories.  She held the opponents to 10 total hits and issued just one walk.  Offensively, Jurek batted .583 for the week with an on-base percentage of .615 and a slugging percentage of 1.167.  She was 7-of-12 at the plate, with four doubles, a home run, and drove in six runs.

North Star Athletic Association Softball Player-of-the-Week
Morgan James – Viterbo (Wis.) – senior – center – Mineral Point, Wis. – James batted .786 for the week as Viterbo (Wis.) went 2-2 record.  She went perfect 10-for-10 (1.000 batting average) in a tripleheader versus Dakota State (S.D.), collecting four hits in the first two games of the tripleheader.  For the week, James was 10-of-13 at the plate with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and collected six RBIs.  She posted an on-base percentage of .786 and a slugging percentage of 1.308.  James also produced a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 with 22 chances, recording 18 putouts and four assists.    

Recap from last week’s games
Bellevue (Neb.) went 4-0 record for the week, sweeping the North Star Athletic Association doubleheader at home versus Dakota State (S.D.) and Waldorf (Iowa).  The Bruins won by the scores of 5-3 and 8-1 on April 8, followed by 10-1 and 4-0 wins over the Warriors on April 15.  Bellevue is 25-9 overall record and 14-2 record in the league.

Dakota State, who was swept by Morningside (Iowa) on April 10, went 2-1 record in a rare NSAA tripleheader on April 16.  The V-Hawks defeated the Trojans 10-4 in the first game, while DaSU won the final two games in high scoring affairs by the scores of 27-20 and 16-10.  Dakota State is 12-21 overall record and 11-6 in the NSAA contests.
The V-Hawks swept Waldorf in the North Star’s mid-week doubleheader on April 12.  VU won by the scores of 8-2 and 8-0 over WU.  Viterbo is 10-23 overall record and 6-13 NSAA conference record.  Waldorf holds an overall record of 11-22 and 6-9 record in the league.

Dickinson State (N.D.) and Presentation (S.D.) split their conference’s mid-week doubleheader on April 12.  The Blue Hawks won the first game by the score of 9-5, while the Saints won the second game 3-2.  DiSU went 3-1 record in the four-game series with Mayville State (N.D.), sweeping the doubleheader 6-4 and 12-9 on April 15.  The Comets defeated the Blue Hawks 9-2 in the first game on April 16, while DiSU closed the series with a 8-0 shutout victory.  Dickinson State is 13-23 overall record and 8-9 NSAA conference record.

Presentation took the first game of the doubleheader with Valley City State (N.D.) 9-8 in 10 innings on April 16 in Dickinson.  The Vikings took the second game by the score of 10-0 in five innings.  Presentation is 10-16 overall record and 6-6 record in the league.  Valley City State is 14-19 overall record and 8-5 NSAA conference record.

Looking Ahead
Waldorf (Iowa) and Bellevue (Neb.) completes their NSAA four-game series with another doubleheader Monday (today).  Presentation (S.D.) and Valley City State (N.D.) are also scheduled to complete their conference four-game series on the same day in Dickinson, N.D.  The Saints remain in Dickinson on Tuesday for a doubleheader with Dickinson State (N.D.).

VCSU continues their North Star conference action on Tuesday with Mayville State (N.D.) for a doubleheader in Casselton, N.D.

Dakota State (S.D.) is set for a non-conference doubleheader with Briar Cliff (Iowa) Tuesday.  The Trojans host Bellevue (Neb.) in a mid-week doubleheader on Thursday.
Waldorf returns home Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader with Iowa Wesleyan, followed by another doubleheader with Graceland (Iowa) on Wednesday.  Bellevue plays a single game at Peru State (Neb.) on Wednesday afternoon.  Viterbo (Wis.) heads to Winona, Minn., for a doubleheader with NCAA Division III St. Mary’s (Minn.) Thursday.

The North Star Athletic Association continues their weekend action with a four-game series.  On schedule for Saturday and Sunday are Waldorf at Valley City State, Bellevue at Presentation, Dakota State at Dickinson State, and Viterbo at Mayville State.

            Monday’s Games
            Waldorf (Iowa) @ Bellevue (Neb.) – 11 a.m. – Doubleheader
            Presentation (S.D.) vs. Valley City State (N.D.) – 12 p.m. (Central Time)/11 a.m. (Mountain Time) – Doubleheader
                   @ Dickinson, N.D.

            Tuesday’s Games
            Valley City State (N.D.) vs. Mayville State (N.D.) – 10 a.m. – Doubleheader @ Casselton, N.D.
            Presentation (S.D.) @ Dickinson State (N.D.) – 2 p.m. (Central Time)/1 p.m. (Mountain Time) – Doubleheader
            Iowa Wesleyan @ Waldorf (Iowa) – 2 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Dakota State (S.D.) @ Briar Cliff (Iowa) – 3 p.m. – Doubleheader

            Wednesday’s Games
            Graceland (Iowa) @ Waldorf (Iowa) – 2 p.m. – Doubleheader  
            Bellevue (Neb.) @ Peru State (Neb.) – 2 p.m.

            Thursday’s Games
            Bellevue (Neb.) @ Dakota State (S.D.) – 3 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Viterbo (Wis.) @ St. Mary’s (Minn.) – 3 p.m. – Doubleheader

            Saturday’s Games
            Dakota State (S.D.) @ Dickinson State (N.D.) – 1 p.m. (Central Time)/12 p.m. (Mountain Time) – Doubleheader
            Bellevue (Neb.) @ Presentation (S.D.) – 2 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Waldorf (Iowa) @ Valley City State (N.D.) – 2 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Viterbo (Wis.) @ Mayville State (N.D.) – 2 p.m. – Doubleheader

            Sunday’s Games
            Bellevue (Neb.) @ Presentation (S.D.) – 12 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Waldorf (Iowa) @ Valley City State (N.D.) – 12 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Viterbo (Wis.) @ Mayville State (N.D.) – 12 p.m. – Doubleheader
            Dakota State (S.D.) @ Dickinson State (N.D.) – 12 p.m. (Central Time)/11 a.m. (Mountain Time) – Doubleheader
 
2023 NSAA Softball Conference Standings
 

School	Overall Record	NSAA Record	Games Behind	Streak
Bellevue (Neb.)	25-9	14-2	----	Won 9
Dakota State (S.D.)	12-21	11-6	2.5	Won 2
Valley City State (N.D.)	14-19	8-5	4.0	Won 1
Presentation (S.D.)	10-16	6-6	4.5	Lost 1
Dickinson State (N.D.)	13-23	8-9	5.5	Won 1
Waldorf (Iowa)	11-22	6-9	7.5	Lost 4
Viterbo (Wis.)	10-23	6-13	8.0	Lost 2
Mayville State (N.D.)	4-20	3-13	11.0	Lost 1