ST. JOSEPH, Minn—This weekend, the College of Saint Benedict softball team kicks off the MIAC season with a pair of doubleheaders. On Saturday, CSB hosts Macalester College and on Sunday it hosts St. Catherine University. Both doubleheaders start at 1 pm at the CSB Softball Field across College Avenue.

About the Scots

Macalester – which won 11 games in 2018 – is currently 8-10 on the season with all games played in neutral locations. The Scots are coming in after splitting a doubleheader against Crown College on Wednesday. Julia Carpenter is second in the MIAC with a .530 batting average and leads with 15 stolen bases. Leading the team in RBIs is Kaela Kechely with 22 and a .571 slugging percentage. Pitcher Sophie Migacz leads the team with a 4.10 ERA and a record of 5-8.

About the Wildcats

St. Kate's is currently 10-6 on the season. The Wildcats are coming in after beating UW-River Falls and New Rochelle in Florida on Thursday. Anna Hinderaker leads the with a .393 batting average and four stolen bases. Leading the team in RBIs is Jenna George with 11 and a .556 slugging percentage. Pitcher Kathryn Proper leads the team with a 1.56 ERA and a record of 5-4.

Last Meeting

Last season, CSB swept the Scots 14-3 and 9-3 in St. Paul. CSB also swept the Wildcats 7-1 and 3-2 in St. Paul during the regular season. CSB and St. Kate's faced off again in the first two games of the MIAC tournament. The Wildcats won the first game 4-2, but CSB won the second 8-2.

The Storyline

With the start of the MIAC season, CSB (12-4 overall) will look to build on last season's conference record of 19-3. Following this weekend's game, the Bennies hope for favorable weather when they travel to St. Thomas on Wednesday for another MIAC doubleheader starting at 3:30 pm.

Who to Watch

Senior Kate Deming leads the team with a .483 batting average, a .776 slugging percentage, and 16 runs scored. Fellow senior Claire Boatman is second on the team with a .400 batting average this season, and Madison Mikolich leads the team with 11 RBIs. From the rubber, first-year pitcher Grace Gilmore has the fourth-best ERA in the MIAC with a 1.31 followed by fellow first year Lauren York in fifth with a 1.33.