ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team is scheduled to play its first outdoor game in the state of Minnesota this season on Wednesday when it travels to St. Peter to take on Gustavus.
 
The MIAC doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. at the Gusties' football field. The game was originally scheduled to be played Sunday, April 8, but was pushed back due to weather and field conditions. This will be just the second MIAC game of the season for CSB.
 
About the Gusties
Gustavus – which hasn't played since it was in Tucson on March 19 – is currently 4-10 overall and hasn't yet played a MIAC contest. The Gusties beat Buena Vista 7-3 to end their Arizona trip, and that win snapped a seven-game losing streak. Ashley Neuenfeldt leads the team and is second in the MIAC with a .459 batting average, and shey and Sidney Welp both have 17 hits. Welp has four doubles, three triples and a home run. On the mound, Neuenfeldt leads the team with a 4.7 ERA, a pair of wins and 24 strikeouts.
 
Last Season
Saint Benedict swept the doubleheader between the two teams last season in St. Peter, winning 7-4 and 5-3. Kiela DeVlaeminck gave up four runs and struck out five to pick up the win in the first game, and Claire Boatman had a triple. In Game 2, Sara Wennerstrand went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles, and Cassie Meyer gave up three runs on seven hits to earn the win.
 
Who to Watch
Claire Boatman finished with three hits and two RBIs in a loss to St. Thomas last weekend and she, Wennerstrand and Emilie Antony all homered. Ally Hjort struck out seven and didn't give up a single earned run in a 6-3, eight-inning loss in Game 1. Megan Toninato leads the team and is third in the MIAC with a .453 batting average, and she leads the team with 29 hits. Antony is third in the MIAC with 21 RBIs, and Hjort is sixth with 43 strikeouts in nine appearances on the mound.
 
The Storyline
After dropping a pair of MIAC games to St. Thomas last weekend, CSB looks to get its conference season on track with some wins Wednesday. Gustavus also heads into the doubleheader looking for some wins as it gets its MIAC season started. Both teams are looking for any momentum they can find as the winter weather continues to force postponements and schedule changes around the Midwest, with no end in sight quite yet.
 
After Wednesday's doubleheader, CSB is scheduled to host Hamline Thursday, but that game is now pending finding indoor dome space to utilize as the team's turf field is not yet playable. CSB's game at home Saturday against Concordia is now at 5:30 p.m. at the SJU Dome in Collegeville, and its doubleheader at Saint Mary's Sunday is tentatively slated to be played at the Rochester Dome, but that will be confirmed later in the week.