SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls Softball Team, which has won 24 or more games every season since 2014, will open the season on Feb. 1 against Metro State in Denver, Colo., before traveling to Golden, Colo., to face the Colorado School of Mines for a pair of nonconference games on Feb. 2. USF faces Metro State at 1 & 3 pm and Colorado School of Mines at noon and 2 pm.
 
Live video (click here for Metro State and click here for Colorado Mines) and live stats (click here for Metro State and here for Colorado Mines). will be available on both days in Colorado.
 
USF, which has been picked to finish eighth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll, closed the 2019 season with a strong performance at the NSIC Championships. The Cougars received 126 points in the poll, which was just three behind Minot State at 129.
 
Metro State (0-0) will open their season at home against Humboldt (Calif.) State with a Friday doubleheader. A year ago USF defeated Metro State, which had a season mark of 31-27, three times, 9-5, 7-5, and 2-1 on Feb. 1-3. Colorado Mines is 0-0 and open their season on Feb. 1 against Humboldt (Calif.) State. The Miners, which finished 28-21 a year ago, meet up with the Cougars on Sunday.
 
Quick Review – 2019 –
Directed by second-year head coach Shannon Pivovar, USF comes off a 24-30 record and took 10^th in the NSIC at 13-17. In the NSIC Tourney, USF defeated seventh seed Minot State, 9-7, in 10 innings in game one before battling top seed Winona State and falling 3-2 on a walk off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning before losing to St. Cloud State, 6-5, in the 10^th inning. USF was 5-6 at home, 11-14 on the road and 8-10 on neutral fields in 2019.
 
2020 Preview – Cougars return 13 letter winners, including four seniors 
As the Cougars begin the second season under the direction of Coach Shannon Pivovar, they do so with a lot of energy and excitement off a 24-win campaign. USF has been picked to finish eighth in the league but it is a program has recorded 24 wins or more every season since 2013. The Cougars will face a 25-game slate in the nonconference before opening league play against Southwest Minnesota State on March 24 at home at the Sherman Park complex.
 
"This team has the capability to do special things in the NSIC this year. They have been working extremely hard on all sides of the ball, specifically working to improve their mental approach to the game," said Pivovar, who will be assisted by Chris Aggen. 
 
According to Pivovar, the dynamics of the 2020 squad will be one of "team."
 
"We do not have one kid who makes or breaks us; we are going to rely collectively on the strengths of our entire team," said Pivovar, who team returns four seniors. "The 2020 Cougars bring a little bit of everything: speed, power, and a scrappy approach defensively starting with our four-member pitching staff," she said.
 
"We want to utilize our strengths and play the game at the speed and with the intensity that it is meant to have. Defensively, we want to challenge opponents to put the ball through us, to find green space. I think we have been working hard to develop a gritty mindset on the defensive side of the ball," added Pivovar.  "I want our kids to respect the competitive nature and great history of the NSIC. We know we have to bring our 'A' game every day - each team in the league does - and that is what makes this exciting. We also need to buy into the system and the family that we have. If we can do those little things that we preach daily the right way, we will be set up where we want to be at the end of the season," she said.

USF will return 13 letter winners and be led by four seniors, which will include NSIC Players to Watch in senior pitcher/infielder Sydney Nieveen and senior centerfielder Frankie Mickelson.  
 
"We have big shoes to fill from the graduation of Emily Hove, Kerrigan Hoshaw and Emily Miller - so we are going to look to each and every returner to step up in a big way," said Pivovar. "Our four seniors (Emily Cheloha, Frankie Mickelson, Lindsey Mossman, and Sydney Nieveen) will be great leaders for our team, and each of our returners bring valuable game experience that will be necessary to be successful this year," she said.
 
"The returners know the competition; they know the league; they know the grind of long bus trips and 14-inning full mental focus. They will have to lead our team and push us to be the best version of ourselves whether they are on the bench or at the plate. In order for us to be successful - all 13 returners will have to make this a priority," she added.

Breaking down the squad
 
Nieveen, who ranks in USF's all-time top-10 in eight hitting categories, is a standout first base and pitching performer. A year ago she hit .309 with four HR, 26 RBIs, .441 slugging mark, .398 OBP, four stolen bases and .985 fielding percentage. On the mound Nieveen made nine starts with 16 appearances as she was 5-7 with a 3.59 ERA. As she begins her senior season, Nieveen, who has 39 multi-hit games (11 of three hits) and 14 games with multi-RBIs, returns with .343 batting average (5^th, all-time at USF) 122 runs scored (1^st, all-time at USF), 15 HRs, 81 RBI, and 162 hits (2^nd all-time at USF).  She also has 48 career strikeouts, 83.1 innings, 20 appearances, 11 starts and five wins. 

Mickelson is USF's leading power hitter coming back after hitting. 279, slugging five HRs with 25 RBIs and a .436 slugging mark in 2019. She also had six steals and .288 OBP while fielding at .988 with 26 putouts and five assists in 2019. Mickelson enters her senior season with 22 multi-hit games, including two with four hits (both in 2019), and a .281 career average. A standout in centerfield, she has just five errors in three seasons; recorded 25 stolen bases in her career with nine HRS and 52 RBI with a .416 slugging mark. She has 134 career games with 127 starts and has 157 career total bases which includes 75 a year ago. In addition, the senior has accumulated a .333 career OBP.

Senior Lindsey Mossman is back at shortstop where she will again provide a steady veteran presence. A year ago, she hit .305 with 46 hits, four home runs, 21 RBIs, .437 slugging mark and .346 OBP with six steals and fielded at .937. In 147 career games, Mossman has 32 multi-hit games, 19 multi-RBI games,10 home runs, 61 RBIs, 25 doubles and 123 total bases. She also has stolen 14 bases in her career at USF.

Also back for USF is senior outfielder Emily Cheloha, who hit .176 with a .206 slugging mark and .317 OBP while appearing in 24 games with nine starts a year ago. 

Sophomore outfielder Lexie Swift had a standout freshman campaign after hitting .358 in 53 games (all starts), 32 runs scored, 54 hits, two home runs, two triples and 21 RBIs. She had 15 multi-hit games, including a four-hit game, five multi-RBI games, slugged .523 with a .439 OBP. She fielded 1.000 and had four steals while recording an 11-game on-base game streak.
 
Sophomore outfielder Sarah Keen hit .349 in 36 games (18 starts) with 10 runs scored, 15 hits, .442 slugging mark. .417 OBP, four steals and had a streak of reaching base in seven straight games.
 
Sophomore infielder Kylie Madrid hit .294 in 15 games (two starts) with seven RBIs, .471 slugging mark, .350 OBP and a six-game hitting streak.
 
Sophomore utility standout Kylan Straight provided significant flexibility for the Cougars. In 33 games, including 20 starts, she hit .274 with 17 hits, seven steals, .274 slugging and .274 OBP, five multi-hit games and recorded a six-game on-base streak.
 
Junior catcher Emmie Uitts provided power and stability behind home plate. She hit .232 in 54 games with 29 hits. She slammed five home runs and six doubles along with knocking in 18 RBIs, and recording a .400 slugging mark, .309 OBP. Uitts, who had five multi-hit games a year ago, fielded at .976 with 26 assists and 254 putouts.
 
Kaitlyn Van Der Zwaag had a solid freshman season as both a pitcher and infielder. She was 2-6 with a 5.97 earned run average in 25 appearances, nine starts, two complete games with 50 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. As an infielder, she hit 240 in 27 games with a .360 slugging mark, .387 OBP and .985 fielding percentage.
 
Also back for USF is junior infielder Cassie Van Beek who played in 35 games with 14 starts and hit .193 with 11 hits, .246 slugging, .281 OBP, two steals and .833 fielding percentage.
 
Sophomore outfielder Rachel Klassen played in 24 games a year ago and made six starts. She hit .208 with a .208 slugging mark and .367 OBP.

Newcomers bring energy and talent

According to Pivovar, USF's veteran group will be joined by a talented class of newcomers.
 
"I am looking forward to each of our newcomers seeing playing time this season as they each bring a little different tool set to our family," said Pivovar. "Look for Hanna Cress (RHP from Millard, Neb.) and Karington Kadel (RHP from Smithville, Mo.) to provide fresh faces to our pitching staff. The two bring completely different pitches that will be used to hone in on match ups and used to our advantage in preparing for opponents. Hometown kid Shayla Running (INF from Sioux Falls - Roosevelt) has soft hands on the infield and a quick reaction when playing the 'hot corner.' Look for her to challenge for a starting spot at third and flash the leather at various times this season. Another infielder - Annie Kniesche (INF from Wayne, Neb.) - brings pop in her bat that will provide some depth to our offense and she will see time in the offensive lineup. Finally, transfer Peyton Senger (1B from Sioux Falls – Lincoln) adds depth to the right side of the infield and has gap power that will help her at the plate. It will be fun to see at what point each kid makes their impact on this team in 2020," she said.

USF records 233 wins in 2010-19 and is ready for the next decade
A year ago, USF, which had 233 wins in the past decade and its sixth straight season with at least 24 wins, ranked fourth in the NSIC with 53 HRS and was fourth in slugging at .441 while ranking seventh in runs (254), RBI (228) and sixth in doubles (76). The Cougars were ninth in the NSIC with a 4.06 ERA and tied for sixth with 242 strikeouts while finishing second in the NSIC in fielding at .972.
 
As the season nears and a new decade begins, Pivovar can't wait to get started. 
 
"We can coach the X's and O's and walk through scenarios, but being smarter softball players and having a better softball IQ will be the difference this season," said Pivovar. "How hard we work, how hard we push, and how scrappy and gritty we are will be the measure of what legacy this team leaves," she said.