ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The 2021 season was full of streaks for the College of Saint Benedict softball team.
 
The Bennies started the year 5-1, then rattled off eight straight wins, and went on a 10-game winning streak heading into the final doubleheader of the regular season against St. Thomas. After winning 26 games in the regular season, CSB dropped a pitcher's duel in the MIAC Tournament play-in game to end the season.
 
This season, Saint Benedict looks to extend those streaks into the MIAC Tournament and beyond, and brings back plenty of talent to achieve that goal.
 
The Bennies kick off the 2022 season Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 26-27, at the Bethany Kwik Trip Invitational at the Mankato Dome. CSB takes on four WIAC schools at the tournament, starting with UW-River Falls at noon Saturday and UW-Oshkosh at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Sunday the Bennies play UW-La Crosse at 7 a.m. and UW-Eau Claire at 9:15 a.m. Both Oshkosh and Eau Claire won more than 20 games last season, and Oshkosh went 1-2 at the NCAA Championships final site.
 
Back to lead the Bennies this season is junior pitcher Elly Novak, who became the second All-American in program history in 2021 after setting school records in strikeouts and wins in a season and finishing the year with a 0.96 ERA. She struck out 172 batters and went 17-3. Novak is the only pitcher returning who has seen varsity time on the mound for the Bennies, so Novak will be the team's leader on the mound.
 
Sophomore Bryn Carlstrom returns as the reigning MIAC Rookie of the Year after finishing second on the team with a .347 batting average and recording just four errors all season at shortstop. Junior Lexi Hanson is back after hitting a team-best .367 last season and finishing tied for the team lead with 12 doubles. Sophomore Tori Harren led the team with seven home runs and 31 RBI, and senior Katie Carlson is also back after earning All-Region Third Team honors in her first season with the program. The starting catcher had 12 doubles and 24 RBI.
 
Carlstrom was joined on the All-MIAC First Team by Mo Burns, Jordyn Swoboda, Gabby Spencer, Hanson and Novak. All six are back this season and, along with a solid group of new athletes, look to get through the MIAC Tournament and back to the NCAA Tournament. CSB earned back-to-back trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2018 and 2019 before COVID shut down the 2020 season.
 
After playing four games in the Mankato Dome, CSB heads to Florida for its first spring break trip since 2020. The Bennies are scheduled for eight games in five days, and the team's first scheduled home game is Sunday, March 20, when Buena Vista comes to town for a nonconference doubleheader.