ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team (5-7) is set to travel to Iowa for a pair of nonconference doubleheaders this weekend. On Saturday, March 29, the Bennies will face Coe College (6-14) at 11 a.m./1 p.m., and then on Sunday, March 30, they will take on Grinnell College (3-11) at 12/2 p.m.

Due to weather concerns, the CSB/Coe College doublheader was moved up for an 11 a.m./1 p.m., start. Last weekend, inclement weather forced CSB to relocate its games from St. Joseph, Minn., to Waverly, Iowa, where they split a doubleheader with Wartburg. CSB dropped the opener, 5-4, before rallying for a 6-4 win in eight innings in game two. 

St. Ben's opened the season on Feb. 22-23 with doubleheaders against UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire. The Bennies finished 2-2 by defeating UW-Stout, 8-3, in game one before falling 5-4 in the second game. The Bennies also earned a walk-off victory over UW-Eau Claire, 7-6, on a two-run home run by Megan Erickson in the first game on Feb. 23. Then, they lost the second game, 6-3. At the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., CSB finished 2-4 from Feb. 28 to March 2. Then, CSB split with Wartburg on March 22.

The Bennies, which owns a 5-7 overall record, are celebrating their 50th season as a program in 2025, having amassed 823 wins and 509 conference victories.

Coe Softball Overview
Led by 10th-year head coach Jake Koolbeck, Coe College has started the season with a 6-14 record. The Kohawks recently split a doubleheader against Cornell College on March 26, losing, 4-1, and winning, 5-4. Maddie Marris leads Coe with a .382 batting average, .976 OPS, and 13 RBIs, while Nicole Wagner is hitting .349 and Addie Menke is at .321. Marisa Vodicka has five home runs and 16 RBIs. As a team, Coe is hitting .257 with 85 runs and 126 hits over 20 games. On the mound, Natalie Hitt leads the team with a 3-6 record, while Devan Baggett is 2-6. The Kohawks have a team ERA of 4.90 with 99 strikeouts.

Series History
CSB trails Coe, 5-3, in the all-time series. The last meeting between the two teams took place on March 23, 2024, when the Bennies lost, 4-1. In their first-ever matchup, CSB defeated Coe, 7-2, on March 5, 1997, in San Antonio, Texas, as part of a doubleheader in whichthe Bennies also won, 5-4. CSB is 0-2 all-time against Coe at home and will play in Cedar Rapids for the first time.

Grinnell College Notes
Grinnell College, under four-year head coach Lexy Determan, is off to a 3-11 start. The Pioneers have dropped six straight games, including a doubleheader loss to Nebraska-Wesleyan on March 23. Sofia DiCarlo leads Grinnell with a .378 batting average, .973 OPS, and 11 RBIs. Kayla O'Malley is hitting .375 with a .996 OPS, and Hannah Dykstra is batting .368. The Pioneers have a team batting average of .305 and an OPS of .780. In the circle, Grinnell has a 5.03 ERA, with Lane Kohler leading the team with a 2-3 record and 3.12 ERA.

Series History
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

Inside Look: St. Benedict Softball
In her 13th season as head coach, Rachel Click has led the Bennies to a 5-7 record so far. During the NFCA Leadoff Classic, Click earned her 300th career win in a 5-1 victory over Spalding. Last season, she guided CSB to its first MIAC title (shared with two other teams) since 1994, and the team made an NCAA DIII Regional appearance, advancing to the regional title game.

Several Bennies have been recognized for their individual performances this season. After the 7-6 walkoff win over UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 23, senior Megan Erickson was named the MIAC Softball Offensive Player of the Week. She is one of four CSB student-athletes to be recognized by the conference. Following the NFCA Leadoff Classic, junior infielder Cat Smetana was named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week after hitting .500 with 11 hits in 22 at-bats, driving in eight runs. Junior pitcher Olivia Wallace was named MIAC Pitcher of the Week, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA. After the Wartburg series, junior outfielder/catcher Bryn Ruhberg earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, hitting .500 with six RBIs and her first career home run. Ruhberg is currently batting .345. CSB now has 45 student-athletes earn MIAC Player (25) or Pitcher of the Week (20) honors all-time at CSB.

Smetana leads the team with a .409 average, a .935 slugging percentage, 18 hits, and 10 RBIs. Tautges, a third-team All-American, is hitting .295 with a .568 slugging mark. A junior shortstop, she has 13 hits, including two home runs, and has moved into third place all-time at CSB with 18 career home runs. First-year infielder Lauren Freeburg has been impressive, hitting .368 with a .947 OPS and recording her first career home run against Wartburg. Senior Olivia Van Hout, who has a .292 batting average and .370 OBP, leads the team with five stolen bases.

As a team, CSB is hitting .292 with a .394 slugging percentage and a .336 on-base percentage. The Bennies have tallied 22 extra-base hits and 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts. In the circle, CSB has a team ERA of 4.55 with 41 strikeouts. Wallace leads the team with a 3-1 record and a 2.44 ERA, while junior Ellie Peterson has a 2-4 record with 21 strikeouts.