ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – As the College of Saint Benedict softball team enters its 50th year of competition, it does so with momentum after a season in 2024 that included 25 wins or more for the 13^th time in program history, a MIAC Championship for the first time since 1994, and a berth in the NCAA Regional for the sixth time in program history.

As the season opens on Saturday (Feb. 22) against Wisconsin-Stout (1&3 p.m., St. Cloud Husky Dome), the Bennies, which was established as a program in 1975 and has 818 wins (based on available records) along with 509 conference victories, will welcome back seven starters, including third-team All-American and MIAC Player of the Year Olivia Tautges, as well as MIAC Pitcher of the Year Ellie Peterson.

"It's always comforting as a coach to have a core of returning players back.  Our team only graduated two seniors from last year's squad," said 13^th-year head coach Rachael Click. "In addition, we have all of our pitchers returning.  With the experience of our returning playing and some new talent in our first-year class I am confident we will have another strong season."

CSB finished 2-2 at the regional after a season when CSB had a 26-19 overall record, including 17-5 in the MIAC and a tie with both Bethel and Saint Mary's at the top of the conference. At the regional, CSB, which played 11 ranked teams a year ago, defeated Wartburg (5-3) and Illinois Wesleyan (8-3) to reach the regional championships when they dropped an 8-3 decision to No. 12 Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Looking ahead to 2025, the Bennies comes off an season when they hit .314 (ninth all-time), .461 slugging mark (7^th all-time),  with a league-best and school record 32 home runs and a league high 236 RBI (2^nd all-time). In addition, this outstanding offensive team scored 261 runs (3^rd, all-time at CSB), had 396 hits (2^nd all-time), and 76 doubles (3^rd all-time). In the circle, CSB had a 3.69 ERA, 178 strikeouts and a staff that had five shutouts.

"Our strengths will definitely be our experience and the determination of the team to make an impact.  Our team is well balanced. We have strong pitching, solid defense, and a powerful offense," said Click.

 

Individually, Tautges, who was named to the third team on the NFCA NCAA DIII All-American team, is the Bennies' fifth All-American in softball history. In 2024, Tautges put together one of the best offensive seasons in school history in earning the MIAC Player of the Year honor. She led CSB with a .400 batting average and had 1.271 OPS. In 41 starts, she had 52 hits with 38 runs, 10 doubles and drew 12 walks. Tautges, who had a team-high 22-game hitting streak this season, registered a team-best 15 multi-hit games, including six games with three hits and another with four base knocks. She also had a team-best 14 multi-RBI games with six games with three or more and another with four RBI. Individually, she set school season records with 15 home runs, 47 RBI and 107 total bases with her .823 slugging mark second all-time at CSB. In her career, Tautges currently ranks first all-time in program history with a .742 slugging mark and her .387 batting average is 10^th with her 16 home runs, fourth.

Tautges, who was the third straight Bennies' player named MIAC Player of the Year, led the MIAC in slugging, OPS, home runs, RBI and ranked second in runs scored and was fifth in hits and ninth in doubles.
 
Aside from Tautges, junior Cat Smetana was named first-team all-conference while junior infielder/DP Megan Erickson was selected honorable mention All-MIAC. For the fourth time in school history, the Bennies had six players named first-team All-MIAC.

Smetana hit .355 with a .903 OPS and had two home runs, 11 doubles and 19 RBI along with a .504 hitting percentage. Senior Megan Erickson hit .308 with a .526 slugging as she had five home runs and 32 RBI. Junior Bryn Ruhberg is another player returning who hit .300 as she had a .302 mark with a .403 OPS. In addition, Sammy Muetzel battled .280 with a .384 slugging mark and had 20 RBI. Addy Bowne hit .371 with a .452 slugging mark. And Olivia Van Hout hit .263 with a .354 on-base percentage and stole a MIAC-high 22 bases.
 

In the circle, Peterson, Olivia Wallace, and Addy Bowne return with valuable experience. Peterson had a 15-6 record in 23 starts, totaling 23 complete games and registering a 3.11 ERA in earning the MIAC Pitcher of the Year honor. Wallace was 5-10 with a 3.53 ERA with 18 starts and 27 game appearances. Bowne was 6-3 with a 5.65 ERA as she added a third arm to the NCAA tourney team.

All of these standouts return to form a unit that has the chance to do outstanding things in 2025. And the experience of a year ago will prove invaluable.

"Being at that regional last year and making it to championship Saturday, showed we deserved to be there. This year we are very much out to prove that we can go even go further," said Peterson, who has 24 wins in 32 decisions in her career when she has 165 strikeouts, five shutouts, and 20 complete games.

Bowne, who has a 14-5 career pitching record, 3.89 ERA and a .341 career batting average with a .453 slugging mark, said the team's confidence is high as a result of the success of a year ago.   

"It was kind of like a last-minute, you're going (to the tournament). And then we ended up making it pretty far in the tournament. We kind of took it and ran with it and just really tried to make the best of the experience were given to us and playing every game like were at the tournament and we have nothing to lose," said Bowne.

Erickson, who has a .310 career average with six home runs, 64 RBI and a .474 slugging mark, said the team is focused on success.

"We have the drive; we have the enthusiasm; and we have the motivation that we want to win, and everybody is here for a reason," said Erickson. "We have a pretty experienced team, and we have brought in a lot of talented first-year players. So, I feel like just getting the team connection and having bonding time with the freshman and like getting them the connection that they need for us to be successful on and off the field."

After the Bennies face UW-Stout Saturday and then host UW-Eau Claire on Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m., in nonconference play to open the season this weekend, they face a solid schedule which includes six games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic Feb. 28 to March 2. Then they play talented nonconference teams from Wartburg, Central College, and Grinnell from March 22-30. MIAC play opens on the road at St. Olaf College on April 2. St. Ben's hosts its MIAC opener on April 5 with Augsburg University as part of a 22-game schedule leading to the MIAC Playoffs on May 8-10 in Bloomington, Minn.

Click here for full schedule.

As the team preps during the final couple of days before the season opens, it does so with a group that has built a strong chemistry, noted Click, who has led the Bennies to 12 20-win seasons and two others of 30 wins or more.

"This group is always having fun together. They live together, take some classes together and obviously spend a lot of time together at softball," said Click "The commitment they have made to strength and conditioning year-round has really been good for the first year players building connections before our season begins in the spring."