SIOUX FALLS – Opening the 2017 season, University of Sioux Falls Softball will play five games in the Desert Stinger Invite in Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 3-5. The Cougars were picked fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason coaches' poll released on Thursday. USF opens the tournament on Friday, Feb. 3 playing host team Montana State Billings at 4 p.m. (CST) before squaring off with Sonoma State at 9 p.m. The Cougars continue their trip to with games on Saturday, Feb. 4 against Texas Women's university at 4 p.m. and Concordia-Irvine at 9 p.m. To close the trip, Sioux Falls faces West Texas A&M on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 1:30 p.m.
Follow the Cougars in Vegas
All five of USF's games will have live stats through the MSU Billings Stretch Internet portal at portal.stretchinternet.com/musb. USF's game on Friday, Feb. 3 against MSU Billings will have video streamed through their portal. As always, stay up to date with all things USF Softball by following them on Twitter at @USFCougars_SB and on Facebook at University of Sioux Falls Softball.
USF picked fifth in NSIC preseason poll; Hove and Hoshaw highlighted
For the second straight season, USF Softball was picked to finish in the top five of the NSIC by the league coaches. The Cougars gathered 163 points, firmly placing them in the top five, behind unanimous favorite Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth in second, Winona State in third and crosstown rival Augustana fourth.
Sophomores
Emily Hove and
Kerrigan Hoshaw were cited as players to watch after helping USF to a program-record 34 wins last season. A native of Omaha, Neb., Hove batted .243 with 13 RBI and 13 extra-base hits while stellar in the field with a 105 putouts and 78 assists, both third on the team, and a .968 fielding percentage. Hoshaw was an instant threat for USF in the circle and at the plate. The Apple Valley, Minn. native made 28 starts a pitcher and recorded 16 wins with a 3.19 earned run average, while posting a team-high 123 strikeouts. Hoshaw returns the highest batting average for the Cougars, posting a .367 mark as a freshman with nine extra-base hits and 16 RBI.
Thompson closing in on 100 wins
Entering her fourth season as the head coach of the USF Softball program,
Kelsey Thompson is nearing a major milestone on the cusp of her 100th career victory as a head coach. Through three seasons, the Blue Earth, Minn. native is 96-60, a winning percentage of .615 in three years as a head coach. She has posted 30 wins in each of her previous three seasons and qualified for the NSIC postseason each year.
