Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics

2017 NCAA Division II Softball Champions

2017 Minnesota State Softball Roster

First Row (L-R): Coley Ries, Carly Esselman, McKenie Paap, Alyssa Rickels, Amber Kral, Caitlin Stone.

Second Row (L-R): Libby Bemis, Ashley Ewoldt, Dana Mogren, Cori Kennedy, Ashley Thell, Jessica Meidl.

Third Row (L-R): Kennedy Rieck, Bria Majeski, Samantha Buhmann, Lori Meyer, Kristle Wolcott, Sammie Hildreth.

NCAA Championship Highlights

2017 Minnesota State Season Records & Accomplishments

• 71 games played 
• 64 wins
• 28 consecutive wins
• 1,925 at bats
• 438 runs scored
• .342 batting average
• 658 hits
• 108 doubles
• 376 runs batted in
• 949 total bases 
• Won the 2017 NSIC Regular Season Championship with a 28-2 conference record (MSU's 5th regular season championship & most conference wins in a season).
• Won the 2017 NSIC Tournament Championship (MSU's third tournament championship, 4-0 with wins vs. Minot State (8-0, 5 innings), Minnesota Duluth (2-0) and Winona State (4-2 & 1-0).
• Went 3-0 at the NCAA Central Sub Region 2 Tournament as it defeated Augustana (8-4 & 4-3) and Central Oklahoma (3-0) at the MSU Softball Diamond.
• Defeated Harding in the NCAA Central Super Region Tournament to advance to the NCAA Championships for the third time in program history. MSU won game one (1-0, 10 innings) and game three (7-6) to advance to the NCAA Championships.
• Went 5-0 at the NCAA Championships to secure the program's first NCAA Championship. The Mavericks defeated Southern Indiana (5-0), Armstrong State (8-4), West Virginia Wesleyan (5-2) and Angelo State (5-1 & 5-1).

2017 Minnesota State Individual Season Records

• Freshman Amber Kral set single season records with 14 home runs and 66 runs batted in.
• Senior Ashley Thell drove in 64 runs, which were the second most in a season.
• Junior Jessica Meidl and sophomore McKenzie Paap each recorded a season record 100 hits.
• Junior Jessica Meidl posted a season record 71 runs scored, while sophomore McKenzie Paap recorded 70 runs.
• Junior Jessica Meidl recorded a season record with 154 total bases.
• Sophomore McKenzie Paap posted a season record 240 at bats.
• Samantha Buhmann, Carly Esselman, Cori Kennedy, Amber Kral, Jessica Meidl, Dana Mogren, McKenzie Paap, Alyssa Rickels and Ashley Thell all set a season record with 71 games played.  
• Senior pitcher Coley Ries set season records in appearances (52), wins (41) and strikeouts (476).

2017 Minnesota State NCAA Team Season Rankings (Top-20)

• 1st in win percentage (.909).
• 2nd most wins by a team that won an NCAA National Championship (64).
• 2nd in ERA (1.37).
• 3rd in fielding percentage (.976).
• 9th in team batting average (.342).
• 16th in slugging percentage (.493).
• 19th in runs scored per game (6.17).

2017 Minnesota State NCAA Individual Season Rankings (Top-30)

• Coley Ries finished 1st in shutouts (17).
• Coley Ries finished 1st in strikeouts (476).
• Coley Ries finished 1st in victories (41).
• Coley Ries finished 2nd in strikeouts per seven innings (11.3).
• Coley Ries finished 2nd in hits per seven innings (3.59)
• Jessica Meidl and McKenzie Paap finished 3rd in hits (100).
• Jessica Meidl finished 4th in total bases (154).
• Coley Ries finished 5th in ERA (1.05).
• Amber Kral finished 7th in RBI (66).
• Ashley Thell finished 7th in sacrifice flies (6).
• Ashley Thell finished 10th in RBI (64).
• Coley Ries finished 11th in saves (5).
• Jessica Meidl finished 14th in on base percentage (.534).
• Amber Kral finished 17th in total bases (139).
• Jessica Meidl finished 19th in doubles (18).
• Jessica Meidl finished 23rd in batting average (.450).
• Amber Kral finished 24th in home runs (14).
• Libby Bemis finished 24th in victories (23).
• McKenzie Paap finished 30th in triples (5).

2017 Minnesota State Career Rankings (Top-10)

• Ashley Thell finished her career 1st in games played with 240.
• Coley Ries finished her career 1st in appearances with 178.
• Coley Ries finished her career 1st in games started with 146.
• Coley Ries finished her career 1st in wins with 119.
• Coley Ries finished her career 1st in innings pitched with 999.1
• Coley Ries finished her career 1st in strikeouts with 1,481
• Coley Ries finished her career T-1st in saves with 9.
• Ashley Thell finished her career 2nd in doubles with 52.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 2nd in stolen bases with 89.
• Coley Ries finished 2nd in complete games with 104.
• Coley Ries finished 2nd in shutouts with 39.
• Ashley Thell finished her career 3rd in RBI with 152.
• McKenzie Paap finished her sophomore season 3rd in stolen bases with 64.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 4th in walks with 77.
• Ashley Thell finished her career T-4th in runs scored with 142.
• Ashley Thell finished her career 4th in total bases with 333.
• Coley Ries finished 4th in ERA with 1.60.
• Ashley Thell finished her career T-6th in at bats with 684.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 6th in runs scored with 141.
• Dana Mogren finished her career 7th in games played with 224.
• Ashley Thell finished her career 7th in stolen bases with 56.
• Libby Bemis finished her junior season 7th in strikeouts with 406.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 8th in RBI with 116.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 8th in hits with 220.
• Jessica Meidl finished her junior season 8th in total bases with 318.
• Libby Bemis finished her junior season 8th in wins with 54.
• Libby Bemis finished her junior season 8th in shutouts with 13.
• Ashley Thell finished her career 9th in hits with 218.
• Samantha Buhmann finished her career T-10th in doubles with 36.
• Dana Mogren finished her career T-10th in stolen bases with 45.
• Libby Bemis finished her junior season 10th in games started with 79.
• Libby Bemis finished her junior season 10th in innings pitched with 469.2.

2017 Minnesota State NSIC Awards

• Libby Bemis (NSIC Pitcher of the Week, All-NSIC Second Team, NSIC All-Academic Team).
• Samantha Buhmann (NSIC All-Academic Team).
• Carly Esselman (All-NSIC Second Team).
• Cori Kennedy (NSIC Gold Glove Team).
• Amber Kral (NSIC Player of the Week, All-NSIC First Team).
• Jessica Meidl (NSIC Player of the Week, All-NSIC First Team, NSIC All-Tournament Team).
• Dana Mogren (NSIC All-Academic Team).
• McKenzie Paap (All-NSIC First Team, NSIC Gold Glove Team, NSIC All-Tournament Team).
• Alyssa Rickels (NSIC All-Academic Team).
• Coley Ries (5x NSIC Pitcher of the Week, All-NSIC First Team, NSIC Pitcher of the Year, NSIC All-Tournament Team, NSIC All-Academic Team).
• Ashley Thell (NSIC All-Academic Team, All-NSIC Second Team, NSIC All-Tournament Team).
• Lori Meyer (NSIC Coach of the Year).

2017 Minnesota State Regional Honors

• Amber Kral (NFCA All-Central Region Second Team, D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team).
• Jessica Meidl (NFCA All-Central Region First Team, D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team).
• McKenzie Paap (D2CCA All-Central Region Second Team).
• Coley Ries (NFCA All-Central Region First Team, D2CCA All-Central Region First Team).

2017 Minnesota State All-Americans/Players of the Year

• Coley Ries - NFCA Player of the Year
• Coley Ries - D2CCA Pitcher of the Year
• Coley Ries - NFCA All-American First Team, D2CCA All-American First Team, CoSIDA Academic All-American
• Jessica Meidl - NFCA All-American Second Team 

2017 Minnesota State NCAA All-Tournament Team

• Coley Ries (Most Outstanding Player)
• Carley Esselman
• Jessica Meidl
• McKenzie Paap
• Alyssa Rickels