Softball 5/8/2024 4:15:00 PM

UWL Set for WIAC Tournament; Eagles Striving for Second Consecutive League Title

UWL enters the tournament with an eight-game winning streak.

WIAC Tournament Website

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse softball team (23-17) faces UW-Stout (21-18) in the 2024 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (presented by Culver's) on Thursday, May 9. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the UW-Oshkosh Softball Park.

UWL enters the tournament as the third-seed while UW-Stout is the sixth-seed. UW-Eau Claire is the fifth-seed and will play fourth-seeded UW-Whitewater at 9 a.m. in the other first-round game. The winners of the Eagles and Blue Devils will play second-seeded UW-Stevens Point at 4:30 p.m. while the winner of the Blugolds and Warhawks will play top-seeded UW-Oshkosh at 2 p.m. The championship follows a double-elimination format. The tournament continues Friday-Sunday, May 10-12.

Action Shot — Kyra Lard is hitting a team-high .454 this season.

The championship winner will be declared the conference champion and earn the league's automatic bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Tournament. The NCAA Division III Regionals will be held Thursday, May 16 through Saturday, May 18 with the NCAA Division III Super Regionals scheduled for Thursday, May 23 through Friday, May 24. The NCAA Division III Championships are Thursday, May 30 through Wednesday, June 5 in Marshall, Texas.

UWL is seeking its fifth league tournament title, including second straight. The Eagles won the conference championship a year ago, going 4-0 as the third-seed. UWL earned a 2-1 victory in nine innings over UW-Stevens Point in last season's championship game. The Eagles also secured the tournament crown in 2009, 2010 and 2019.

UWL, 50-56 all-time in the conference championship, have placed second on six occasions (1985, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2014, 2017).

The Eagles have won eight straight games and 11 of their last 14 games overall. UWL has not allowed more than three runs in a game during its eight-game winning streak, recording five shutouts.

UWL enters the league championships hitting .322 overall while averaging 5.7 runs per game. Kyra Lard is hitting a team-high .454 (54-of-119) while starting all 40 contests this season. She also leads the team in slugging (.807) and on-base (.500) percentage, RBI (59), doubles (16), home runs (8), total bases (96), walks (19) and sacrifice flies (8).

Brooke Howard is second in hitting at .417 (60-of-144) while also starting all 40 games. She leads UWL in runs (45), hits (60) and triples (7) while ranking second in stolen bases (27) and total bases (83). Howard is also third in slugging (.576) and on-base (.451) percentage and fourth in RBI (21).

Playing in 27 games with 26 starts, Jordyn McCormack is hitting .412 (35-of-85) this year while Cristin Casey has started all 40 contests and is hitting .407 (48-of-118). McCormack is second in slugging percentage (.682) and fourth in on-base percentage (.446) while ranking second in doubles (15) and home runs (2) and three in RBI (24). Casey is second in on-base (.478) and fourth in slugging (.449) in slugging percentage while leading UWL in stolen bases (29). She is also second in runs (38).

Abbey Bosch and Lindsay Steien have both started all 40 games. Bosch is hitting .336 (38-of-113) while Steien is hitting .253 (25-of-99). Bosch ranks fourth in runs (22) while Steien fifth (19). Steien is also second in triples (2).

The Eagles have compiled a 3.01 team earned run average this season, holding opponents to a .250 batting average and 3.6 runs per game. Remington Stark (11-3) leads the team in wins (11), starts (16), earned run average (2.19) and complete-games (5). She is second in innings (80.0) and strikeouts (77).

Elise Weinzierl is 9-5 on the year with a 3.23 ERA with a team-high 91.0 innings. She also leads UWL in appearances (20), shutouts (2) and strikeouts (90). Weinzierl threw the second perfect game in school history in UWL's 8-0 victory at UW-Stout on May 1. She went 6.0 innings, recording six strikeouts. It was UWL's 11th no-hitter in school history, including second this season. Madi Lee (2.0 IP), Stark (1.2) and Brynne Bieri (3.1) combined for the no-hitter in a 4-1 win over St. Olaf College (Minn.) on March 2.

UWL is 5-5 against the four other teams this season in this year's tournament. The Eagles swept UW-Whitewater (April 27) and UW-Stout (May 1) while splitting with UW-Eau Claire (April 18). UW-Oshkosh (April 13) and UW-Stevens Point (April 20) defeated UWL twice with the Titans winning a pair of one-run games and the Pointers earning wins by one and two runs.