ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The No. 25 College of Saint Benedict softball team (29-9, 19-1 MIAC) closes out the regular season Saturday with a road doubleheader at Macalester (21-15, 12-6 MIAC). First pitch is set for 1/3 p.m. at Macalester Softball Complex in St. Paul, Minn.

Riding an 18-game winning streak, the Bennies have already secured one of the top two seeds in the MIAC Playoffs and a first-round bye. Saint Benedict, 19-1 in conference play, can clinch the MIAC regular-season championship with two wins and holds a one-game lead over No. 8 Saint Mary's (33-5, 18-2 MIAC). One victory would also guarantee CSB hosts the MIAC championship round on May 9. The next win will mark the program's fourth 30-win season and third since 2018.

The Bennies enter the final weekend having swept eight consecutive MIAC doubleheaders and are ranked No. 25 in the NFCA Division III Top 25 poll for the first time since May 11, 2023. Under 14th-year head coach Rachael Click, Saint Benedict has earned a playoff berth and national ranking in all but two seasons since 2016. CSB currently sits 25th in the NPI and has faced the 13th-toughest schedule in Division III, with opponents combining for a .603 winning percentage.

Season Recap: 29-9 Record

Saint Benedict opened the year by splitting doubleheaders against UW-Stout (5-2 loss, 4-3 win) and UW-Eau Claire (12-0 win, 12-11 extra-inning loss). The Bennies followed with a 4-2 showing at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia, earning wins over Pomona-Pitzer, Spalding, Cortland and Mount Union.

On their Oregon trip, CSB went 2-4, sweeping George Fox before falling to Lewis & Clark and No. 8 Linfield. Back in Minnesota, the Bennies swept Bethany Lutheran (9-0, 2-1), highlighted by a three-hit, five-RBI performance from Lauren Freeberg (Rogers, Minn.).

After a split with St. Olaf (8-3 win, 15-9 loss), Saint Benedict responded with eight straight series sweeps, building its current 18-game win streak. That run includes sweeps of Bethel (6-3, 8-6), Concordia (7-1, 10-8), Carleton (9-2, 11-6), Augsburg (12-0, 11-1), Gustavus Adolphus (2-1, 6-2), St. Scholastica (12-3, 12-0), No. 3 Saint Mary's (11-3, 10-2), St. Catherine (4-1, 12-4) and Hamline (9-1, 9-5).

Tautges Powering the Offense

Senior shortstop Olivia Tautges (Brainerd, Minn.) continues to lead one of the MIAC's top offenses. The NFCA Division III Louisville Slugger Player of the Week (April 14) is hitting .464 with 13 home runs, ranking second nationally, and owns a .610 on-base percentage and .945 slugging percentage.

Tautges has set the program record with 32 career home runs and ranks among CSB's all-time leaders in multiple categories, including batting average (.406), total bases (356), slugging (.756), on-base percentage (.491), hits (160) and RBI (119). Her 41 walks this season are a program record and her 1.08 walks per game lead both the MIAC and Division III.

Nationally, she ranks:

• 2nd in home runs (13)
• 5th in on-base percentage (.610)
• 9th in runs (54)
• 10th in slugging (.945)
• 11th in total bases (104)

She also leads the MIAC in RBI (43), hits (51), walks (41) and OPS (1.555), while recording 18 multi-hit games.

Bennies Showcasing Depth

Lily Treml (Shakopee, Minn.) is batting .398 with a .993 OPS and ranks second in the MIAC with 25 walks. Olivia Van Hout (Mahtomedi, Minn.) is hitting .367 with a .438 OBP and is a perfect 20-for-20 in stolen bases, moving her career total to 72 (tied for second all-time). Cat Smetana (Lake Elmo, Minn.) is hitting .347 with 32 RBI and ranks sixth all-time at CSB with 166 hits. She also sits among program leaders in doubles (35), RBI (100) and games played (143). Lauren Freeberg (Rogers, Minn.) has added five home runs and 26 RBI with a .315 average and .609 slugging percentage, while Alyssa Downhour (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) has six home runs and 22 RBI with a .661 slugging mark. Sammy Muetzel (Woodbury, Minn.) (.305) and Tuscany Ballot (St. Anthony Village, Minn.) (.329, 2 HR, 26 RBI) provide additional depth.

Strength in the Circle

Senior Ellie Peterson (St. Anthony Village, Minn.) leads the pitching staff with a 14-5 record, 2.09 ERA and 11 straight wins. A three-time All-MIAC selection, she has 15 complete games and four shutouts.

Career rankings for Peterson include:

• 54-21 record (2nd in wins)
• 51 complete games (T-2nd)
• 473.2 innings (3rd)
• 319 strikeouts (6th)
• 13 shutouts (T-3rd)
• 78 starts (1st)

Olivia Wallace (Maple Grove, Minn.) is 10-2 with a 3.66 ERA, while Kaitlyn Pink (Delano, Minn.) is 5-2 with a 3.41 ERA. As a staff, CSB owns a 3.17 ERA (3rd in MIAC) with 146 strikeouts in 245.1 innings.

By the Numbers

Through 38 games, Saint Benedict is hitting .327 (5th MIAC) with a .498 slugging percentage (2nd MIAC, 20th DIII). The Bennies have scored 289 runs (2nd MIAC, 14th DIII) and average 7.61 runs per game (20th DIII).

CSB leads the MIAC with a .429 on-base percentage and 173 walks (3rd in DIII), while its 31 home runs rank 15th nationally. Defensively, the Bennies lead the conference with a .967 fielding percentage (37th DIII).
 

couting the Opponent

Macalester (21-15, 12-6 MIAC), led by 15th-year head coach Jody Gabriel, is hitting .353 as a team (2nd MIAC). Sariya Butler paces the offense with a .441 average and 52 hits, while Tess Bojorquez (.377, 2 HR, 18 RBI) and Dylan Tapia (.368, 3 HR, 28 RBI) provide additional production.

Callia Holland leads the Scots with five home runs among the team's 17 total. In the circle, Marsha Miller is 12-9 with a 3.29 ERA, while Bojorquez is 5-4 with a 4.23 ERA. Macalester owns a 3.61 team ERA (5th MIAC).

Series Snapshot

Saint Benedict holds a 65-14 advantage in the all-time series, including a 33-7 mark on the road, and has won nine of the last 10 meetings. The teams split a doubleheader on April 13, 2025, with CSB winning game one, 1-0, before Macalester took game two, 6-5.