ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With 11 wins in their last 16 games, the College of Saint Benedict softball team (17-13 overall, 9-5 MIAC) will face a road test on Tuesday, April 22, as the Bennies travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a MIAC doubleheader against Hamline (13-19, 3-11 MIAC). The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Following the matchup with Hamline, CSB returns home on Saturday, April 26 to host the College of St. Scholastica at 1/3 p.m. Between games of the doubleheader, the Bennies softball program will have a 50-year recognition of the program. Then on Sunday, April 27, the Bennies will host Gustavus Adolphus.

Bennies Heating Up in Historic 50th Season
Celebrating their 50th season, the Bennies have compiled an impressive program legacy with 835 all-time wins and 518 MIAC victories since their founding in 1975. Under the direction of 13th-year head coach Rachael Click, CSB is once again making noise in the MIAC and is currently tied for second place (9-5) in the conference standings.

CSB is coming off a 2-2 week, sweeping Carleton (15-4, 5-0) on April 16 and falling to No. 17 Saint Mary's (31-3, 16-0 MIAC) on April 19 twice by scores of 1-0, and 4-3. Junior infielder Cat Smetana led the charge with five hits and six RBIs against Carleton, while also recording her 100th career hit in the sweep over St. Kate's. With three hits in the two games against Saint Mary's, junior shortstop Olivia Tautges became the third CSB player in 2025 to reach 100-career hits joining Smetana and Megan Erickson. In her last eight appearances, including six starts, junior Ellie Peterson has five complete games, two shutouts, and a 0.87 earned run average with a 3-3 record. She has also recorded 29 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. 

The season began with a 2-2 split against UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire in February, including a thrilling walk-off home run by Megan Erickson. CSB also competed in the prestigious NFCA Leadoff Classic in Georgia and posted notable wins throughout March and April, including sweeps over Augsburg and Grinnell and key wins over Wartburg and Coe.

Scouting the Pipers
Hamline head coach Jim Rubbelke, who has 331 career wins, has the Pipers at 13-19 overall and 3-11 this year. At home, Hamline is 2-6 with a 2-7 road record. In their most recent games, they suffered 8-0 and 6-5 (eight innings) losses to St. Olaf on April 19. Jenna Rubbelke leads the team in hitting at .356 with a .797 OPS with 36 hits. Mikenna Johnson is batting with a .345 with .799 OPS while Savannah Johnson is hitting .333 with 14 RBI. In the circle, Dana Rosbacka has a 4-3 record and 2.61 ERA with Montana Miller at 2-3 and a 2.84 ERA.  

Series History
Saint Benedict holds a 48-25 all-time advantage in the series, including a 7-3 record in the last 10 games between the two teams. In the last matchup on April 23, St. Ben's earned 10-2 and 2-1 victories. The Bennies are 28-10 at home; 17-13 on the road and have a 48-24 conference lead in the series. In the first ever matchup, CSB earned a 2-0 win on April 22, 1989.

Bennie Standouts and Team Leaders
CSB ranks among the MIAC's best offensively, hitting .311 (3rd), with 16 home runs (3rd), 176 runs (2nd), and 83 extra-base hits (2nd). The Bennies have also stolen 53-of-61 bases (5^th, MIAC) and own a .970 fielding percentage (1^st, MIAC). The Bennies have two players ranked in the MIAC's top 10 in hitting: three in top 10 of slugging and four in top 10 of on-base percentage. 

• Olivia Tautges, who has a league high five triples, ranks seventh in the MIAC with a .408 batting average; ranks fourth in OPS at 1.129 OPS; fourth in slugging at .670, hits with 41 and sits eighth in the MIAC in on-base percentage at .459. Tautges, who has three home runs and 23 RBI in 2025, has 19 career home runs for third all-time at CSB. She ranks seventh all-time at CSB in batting average at .395 with a .715 slugging mark that ranks second all-time (Lexi Alm, .737, 2011-14). Her on-base mark of .447 is sixth all-time; 72 RBI is 11^th and 188 total bases, 13^th all-time.
• Cat Smetana sits ninth in the MIAC in hitting at .404 and her OBP of 1.018 in eighth in the league. She is second in the MIAC with 42 hits and fifth in RBI with 27 and 10^th in slugging at .579. In career numbers, Smetana's .374 career batting average and .546 slugging mark sits 12^th all-time at CSB. With 26 doubles, she ranks 13^th all-time at CSB and has 113 career hits for 17^th all-time at CSB.
• Bryn Ruhberg has a .353 average and ranks top-7 in the MIAC in slugging percentage (5^th, .647); on-base percentage (7^th, .464), and OPS (5^th, 1.111) She leads the team in home runs with four and with 24 RBI is second on CSB and 10^th in the MIAC.
• Lily Treml, who is ninth in the MIAC in on-base percentage at .451, is hitting .321 with a .932 OPS. She has a team-best 20 walks with 16 RBI.
• Olivia Van Hout is hitting .323 with an .808 OPS and has a team-best 16 stolen bases. Van Hout's 44 career stolen bases rank sixth all-time at CSB.
• In the circle, junior Olivia Wallace, who is 7-4, ranks sixth in the MIAC in ERA at 2.30. Wallace is 12-14 in her career with 30 starts, 49 appearances, 13 complete games and two shutouts. She is tied with Peterson with two shutouts and has five complete games in 2025.
• Ellie Peterson, who is 7-7 with a 3.59 ERA, ranks eighth in the MIAC In opposing batting average (.247), fourth in innings at 95.2 and sixth in strikeouts with 60. In her career Peterson has a 31-16 career record with a 3.06 ERA and 60 appearances. In her career, she has held opponent to a batting average of .243, which is fifth at CSB all-time. She also ranks eighth all-time at 5.23 strikeouts per game and with 31 wins is tied for 10th all-time. She has made 50 game starts (8^th all-time) with 31 complete games and seven shutouts. She has a team-high 11 complete games and two shutouts (tied - Olivia Wallace) in 20 appearances this year.