CSB softball team embarks on southern trip

The St. Ben’s softball team opened up the 2024 campaign (2-6) defeating No. 12 nationally ranked Belhaven University and Emory University by scores of 11-9 and 5-4.

The Bennies will open the home schedule by hosting Coe College in a double-header that begins at 5 p.m. at the St. Cloud dome on Saturday.

St. Ben’s offense has been led by senior infielder Tori Benson and junior outfielder Maddy Kubik. The duo has combined for 14 hits in 38 at-bats and has totaled six runs this season.

In the circle, sophomore Olivia Wallace pitched to her first career victory in a close-knitted contest on the Spring Break trip in Atlanta, Ga.

As a team, the Bennies have posted a .240 batting average including 29 hits. Defensively, CSB boasts a .971 fielding percentage.

Benson was selected to the All-MIAC team a season ago where she hit .361 recording 35 hits and 26 RBI’s. The senior second baseman looks forward to her final season of collegiate softball.

“For my senior season, I just look forward to playing. I want to soak up my last season of competitive softball and do the best I can to help my team,” Benson said.

Benson believes the Bennies can compete with top teams in the country.

“We learned a lot from the Georgia trip. Our mentality going into the week was that we had nothing to lose. Our goal was to stick with all of the teams we played and show them we deserved to be there,” Benson said.

She is excited to begin MIAC play this season after an Iowa road trip.

“The MIAC is a tough conference; you can’t take teams for granted. Teams change every year and people step up. I think Bethel will be our toughest competition. They are returning a lot of fifth-year seniors and have experience in high-pressure situations like the regional tournament and super-regionals,” Benson said.

Kubik has led all hitters with a .412 batting average and appeared in six games this season. On March 7, Kubik had a 2-3 performance, driving in one run in the CSB win.

Kubik looks forward to building on the spring break trip, where the team performed well against top-ranked opponents.

“Our goal was to have a team-first mindset at the plate. For future competition, we will continue to work hard and improve game by game as we go on throughout the season,” Kubik said.

Wallace made 12 appearances last season, recording seven strikeouts and only surrendering one walk. This season, Wallace helped the Bennies claim one of the two wins as part of the Spring Break Invitational in Georgia. Wallace has a 5.92 ERA and 13 strikeouts in four starts.

“Getting my first collegiate win was an incredible feeling. Pitching a complete game and a shutout was rewarding. It was a moment filled with nerves, excitement and determination. It was great to know my hard work in the offseason has paid off. The win will be something I will carry throughout my collegiate career and a moment I will always cherish,” Wallace said.

Head coach Rachael Click is in her 11th season at the CSB softball program’s helm. Click has an overall record of 271-137. Last season, she guided the Bennies to and 26-8 record and a MIAC semi-final win over St. Olaf.

The team faced several high-ranking opponents as part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic in Georgia. Click was pleased with how the team performed throughout the trip.

“We weren’t sure how we would fare against that type of competition. We competed against top teams and ended up putting up 23 runs. We were able to get some answers about our pitching, defense and hitting. Now that we have those answers, it’s time to just compete in big games but win them,” Click said.

Click looks forward to coaching this year’s group despite losing seven of last season’s players to graduation.

“This has been a really enjoyable team to coach. They get along well and have a ton of potential. I’m looking forward to seeing how it will come together during conference play, and I’m excited to see new players take on leadership roles on and off the field,” Click said.

After the season opener this weekend, St. Ben’s will travel to Iowa to take on Wartburg College and nationally ranked No. 21 Central College. Following the road trip, the Bennies will return to St. Joseph to open conference play when they host the St. Olaf Oles on April 3 to begin a double-header at 3:30 p.m.

The team is preparing to open the season in a game against Coe College on Saturday. CSB will have played 11 non-conference games before the home opener.

“Coming back from the trip, we took a couple days off. There was a lot of travel; the schedule and distance between game sites was a grind. This week we’ll likely need to be back inside, so practicing defense will be a bit more challenging. We will get the opportunity to focus on getting in a lot of swings and bullpens with our pitchers,” Click said.