ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict softball team (10-8, 2-0 MIAC), which has won six of eight games, has a busy schedule midweek as they will host Concordia-Moorhead (12-6, 0-2 MIAC) on Tuesday, April 8 at the CSB Softball Field, before traveling to St. Olaf (10-8, 1-1 MIAC) on Wednesday, April 9. Both doubleheaders will be held at 3:30/5:30 p.m.

Season Overview
In its 50th season, the Bennies have accumulated 828 wins and 511 conference victories since their establishment in 1975. CSB has posted a 10-8 record so far this season, including a strong 2-0 start in MIAC play. The season began with a 2-2 split against UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire on Feb. 22-23, highlighted by a walk-off 7-6 victory over UW-Eau Claire, courtesy of a two-run home run from Megan Erickson. CSB later competed in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., where they finished with a 2-4 record. On March 22, the Bennies split a doubleheader with Wartburg, with the second game ending in a 6-4, eight-inning win featuring Lauren Freeberg's first career homer and Olivia Wallace's career-high eight innings pitched.

CSB had an impressive performance this past weekend, winning 3 of 4 games. Notably, they defeated Coe College 3-1, with Olivia Tautges recording three hits and two RBIs, and Ellie Peterson earning the win in the circle. On March 30, the Bennies dominated Grinnell, sweeping the doubleheader by a combined score of 29-9, with two innings featuring eight or more runs. In their most recent games, CSB swept Augsburg on April 5, winning 10-7 in the first game and 11-1 in the second, highlighted by Bryn Ruhberg's first career grand slam.

Concordia Notes
Concordia is led by first-year head coach Annika Seedborg, who became the program's first full-time head coach after a successful tenure as pitching coach in 2024. The Cobbers have a team batting average of .276, ranking seventh in the MIAC, and have scored 98 runs in 18 games. The team is currently 12-6 overall and 0-2 in MIAC play. Standout player Brooklyn Hofer leads the team with a .442 batting average, 23 hits, and 10 runs. Junior outfielder Reese Hauck follows with two home runs and 12 RBIs.

Series History
CSB holds a dominant 54-18 lead in the all-time series against Concordia, with the Bennies winning four consecutive matchups. In their most recent meeting on April 9, 2024, CSB cruised to a 10-1 victory. Against Concordia, CSB is 24-6 when playing at home. The first-ever matchup between the teams took place on April 24, 2009, where CSB won, 5-2.

St. Olaf Softball Overview
After an 8-2 start, St. Olaf , directed by ninth-year head coach Kayla Hatting (189-113), has lost six of the past eight after splitting a MIAC doubleheader with St. Catherine. St. Olaf is hitting .294 with a .765 OPS, slugging .385 with a .380 OBP. They have five home runs and stolen 23-of-25 bases. Belle Schmidt and Rylee Medora leads the Oles with a .394 batting average. Roxanne Ring is leading the Oles in pitching with a 6-0 record, 1.78 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

Series History
St. Benedict owns a 52-27 all-time series against St. Olaf with five straight wins. In the most recent game on April 3, 2024, St. Ben's recorded a 7-2 win. At home, CSB has a 26-14 mark and is 24-12 on the road with a 50-26 mark in conference play. The Bennies lost to the Oles in the first game ever played, 7-1.

Several Bennies earn honors from MIAC & CSB
Under the leadership of head coach Rachel Click, in her 13th season, CSB has enjoyed a successful start to the season. Click celebrated her 300th career win during the NFCA Leadoff Classic with a 5-1 victory over Spalding. Last season, she guided CSB to its first MIAC title since 1994 and a spot in the NCAA DIII Regional, where the team advanced to the regional title game. Several Bennies have earned MIAC honors this season, including Megan Erickson (MIAC Offensive Player of the Week for her walk-off home run against UW-Eau Claire), Cat Smetana (MIAC Offensive Player of the Week for her performance at the NFCA Leadoff Classic), and Olivia Wallace (MIAC Pitcher of the Week for her strong showing at the same event). Bryn Ruhberg also earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after her impressive performance in the Wartburg series. Junior shortstop Olivia Tautges has been a key player, earning St. Cloud Orthopedics/CSB Athlete of the Week honors on March 30 after hitting .615 with a .923 slugging percentage in a 3-1 weekend. She leads the team with a .397 batting average and ranks among the top three in CSB history for home runs (19) and slugging percentage (.734). Bryn Ruhberg is also having an outstanding season, hitting .395 with 19 RBIs and a 1.147 OPS.

Bats sizzle over past four games
In their last four games, the Bennies have been on a roll, scoring 50 runs and hitting .447 as a team. They have accumulated 51 hits, including 23 extra-base hits, a .772 slugging percentage, and a .515 on-base percentage. They have also stolen 16 bases in 17 attempts. Individually, Bryn Ruhberg has been a standout with a .700 batting average, two home runs, 10 RBIs, and a 1.500 slugging percentage. Olivia Tautges has hit .583 with six RBIs and a 1.167 slugging percentage, while first-year Lauren Freeberg batted .500 with five RBIs. Senior Addy Bowne has also contributed with six hits, including a home run and five RBIs. In the circle, CSB's pitchers have posted a 4.26 ERA and 17 strikeouts in the past four games.