April 25, 2011-May 1, 2011

Position: Aleisha Harper, Second Base, 5-3, Junior, Mondovi, Wis./Eau Claire North
Harper batted .500 (9-for-18) this week as she started six games, all at home. Her hits included a double and a triple in game one against UW-Platteville on Sunday as the Blugolds won that game 14-2 in five innings. In that game, she went 3-for-3 and scored three runs while coming away with three RBIs. For the week she scored five runs, had four RBIs and stole one base while she had six putouts with 14 assists in the field. The Blugolds finished the week with a 3-3 record.

Pitcher: Jess Hegseth, Righthanded Pitcher, 5-7, Sophomore, Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa
Hegseth threw well for the Blugolds as she pitched 4.1 innings with two appearances this week. Facing UW-La Crosse on Monday, she pitched 1.1 innings and allowed just one hit. In 3.0 innings of work against UW-River Falls on Thursday, she allowed six hits but gave up only one run to help the Blugolds to a 2-1 victory. She had a 1.62 ERA in the two games while recording one putout and two assists.

April 18, 2011-April 24, 2011

Position: Sara Baumgartner, Center Field, 5-5, Senior, Arcadia, Wis.
Baumgartner played a key role helping the Blugolds to a 4-0 record this week, including picking up two wins at UW-Oshkosh. Saturday, as the Blugolds were down 2-0 after five innings against Oshkosh in game two, Baumgartner singled to center field to drive in two runs to tie the game. Eau Claire went on to win the game 4-3 while they also won game one 2-0. Thursday at Saint Mary's University (Minn.) in game two, the Blugolds were up 1-0 but Baumgartner ignited the offense with a three-run homer on the first pitched she faced in the fifth after Saint Mary's intentionally walked Emily Muller ahead of her. The Blugolds went on to win 8-0 in six innings after winning 9-0 in five innings in game one. For the week, she hit .400 (6-for-15), including a double and home run, and had six RBIs, two runs, 10 total bases and a slugging percentage of .667. In the field, she had four putouts and one assist.

Pitcher: Emma Wishau, Lefthanded Pitcher, 5-11, Freshman, Waterford, Wis./Union
Pitching 12 innings in two of the Blugolds' four games this week, Wishau won both games, which were shutouts, while the team finished with a 4-0 record, including two conference wins. For the week, she had a 0.00 ERA and batters hit just .119 facing her. Against Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on Thursday, Wishau struck out four batters and allowed just two hits as the Blugolds won 9-0 in five innings. Facing UW-Oshkosh on Saturday, she struck out five batters while giving up only three hits in a 2-0 victory. Pitching two complete games, she improved to 5-0 on the season.
Also Selected Conference Player of the Week

April 11, 2011-April 17, 2011

Position: Jess Freagon, First Base, 5-10, Junior, Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell
With Freagon starting four games at first base this week, she and the Blugolds finished with a 2-2 record. For the week, she batted .400 (4-for-10) and had two triples and one homerun with 11 total bases. She finished with a slugging percentage of 1.100 and had eight RBIs while scoring three runs of her own. Facing eighth-ranked UW-Whitewater twice Sunday, she was one of two Blugolds to get a hit in game one against the Warhawks. In the field for the week, she led the Blugolds with 22 putouts while she had two assists and no errors.

Pitcher: Emma Wishau, Lefthanded Pitcher, 5-11, Freshman, Waterford, Wis./Union
Wishau made two appearances this week, in a 6-1 win at St. Scholastica (Minn.) on Wednesday and an 8-0 loss at eighth-ranked UW-Whitewater on Sunday. Starting against the Warhawks, she pitched five shutout innings, striking out four batters while giving up just three hits. After being relieved, she came back in to pitch to close the game and allowed two additional hits and two runs. Wednesday at St. Scholastica, she pitched the final inning and struck out one batter while facing three.

April 4, 2011-April 10, 2011

Position: Emily Muller, Shortstop, 5-4, Junior, Lancaster, Wis.
Starting six games this weekend, Muller helped the Blugolds to a 5-1 overall record and 4-0 WIAC record as the team opened conference and home play. Muller led the Blugolds with 10 hits, five of which were extra-base hits, including two home runs against fifth-ranked Central College (Iowa). Saturday against Central, she had the Blugolds' lone run, a homer, in game one. In game two against the Dutch, who were on a 23-game winning streak, she sparked the team with a home run in the fourth which helped the Blugolds come from behind to win 8-5. She finished that game with three hits, three RBIs and two runs. Thursday against UW-Stout she scored two runs and had two RBIs while scoring one run against UW-Superior on Friday as the Blugolds swept both teams. For the week, Muller also led the team with six runs while finishing with six RBIs and 19 total bases. In the field at shortstop, she recorded 14 putouts with 13 assists.
Also Selected Conference Player of the Week

Pitcher: Lauren Carlson, Righthanded Pitcher, 5-11, Freshman, Eagan, Minn.
Carlson helped the Blugolds to a 5-1 overall record and a 4-0 WIAC record as the team opened conference and home play this week. Making three appearances, two of which were during WIAC games, Carlson recorded seven strikeouts in 11.1 innings of work while going 2-0 with a save. Against UW-Stout on Thursday, a game the Blugolds won 8-5, she pitched 5.1 innings, striking out two batters while allowing three hits and three runs. Friday against UW-Superior, which the Blugolds beat 7-2, she pitched 5.0 innings and gave up just two runs while striking out four batters. Saturday in an 8-5 win over fifth-ranked Central College (Iowa), she pitched the final inning to earn the save while striking out one batter. The win over Central snapped a 23-game Dutch winning streak.

March 28, 2011-April 3, 2011

Position: Nikki Bromelkamp, Catcher, 5-7, Junior, Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa
With the Blugolds down 5-2 heading into the sixth inning in game two of a doubleheader at Luther College (Iowa) on Sunday, Bromelkamp hit a grand slam to give the Blugolds a 6-5 advantage. The team was able to hold on for the win over the fourth-ranked Norse to earn the split on the day. Bromelkamp led the Blugolds in game two with four RBIs while she also came away with one run and one hit. In game one she also had one hit. Combined for the weekend, she batted .400 (2-for-5) while in the field she had 10 putouts with no errors as she started both games at catcher.

Pitcher: Emma Wishau, Lefthanded Pitcher, 5-11, Freshman, Waterford, Wis./Waterford Union
Wishau helped the Blugolds to a 6-5 win over fourth-ranked Luther College (Iowa) on Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader. She pitched the closing 3.2 innings and struck out three batters while allowing just two hits with no runs. The win improved her season record to 3-0 and she improved her ERA on the season to 1.02.

March 21, 2011-March 27, 2011

Position: Jess Freagon, First Base, 5-10, Junior, Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell
In eight games this week on the Blugolds' spring break trip at the Tucson Invitational Games, Freagon helped the Blugolds to a 6-2 record. She led the team with 12 RBIs and had 12 hits in 26 at-bats for a .462 batting average. She managed three doubles while hitting on home run, and scored a total of seven runs. She also went 2-for-2 in stolen bases. In the field, Freagon recorded 41 putouts and had two assists with just one error for a .977 fielding percentage.

Pitcher: Emma Wishau, Lefthanded Pitcher, 5-11, Freshman, Waterford, Wis./Waterford Union
Making three appearances in eight games on the Blugolds' spring break trip to the Tucson Invitational Games, Wishau came away with a 2-0 record while the Blugolds finished with a 6-2 record. Wishau allowed just three hits in 10 innings as she struck out 13 batters in 36 at-bats. She didn't allow any extra-base hits and no runners scored against her. She was part of two combined shutouts, one against Calvin College (Mich.) and one facing Carleton College (Minn.). The Blugolds won both of those games 11-0.

March 14, 2011-March 20, 2011

Position: Aleisha Harper, Second Base, 5-3, Junior, Mondovi, Wis./Eau Claire North
Starting six games at secondbase, Harper has helped lead the Blugolds to a 5-1 record so far this season. She leads the team with 10 hits in 22 at-bats. She is also tied for a team-high of eight runs and 15 total bases while she has one home run, the first of her collegiate career. In her latest start against St. Olaf College (Minn.), a team the Blugolds beat 18-3 in five innings, she scored three runs and had three hits, both of which were season-highs. In the field, Harper has 12 putouts and 12 assists with just two errors for a .923 fielding percentage.

Pitcher: Ashley Meinen, Righthanded Pitcher, 5-7, Junior, Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell
Meinen has helped the Blugolds start the 2011 season with a 5-1 record. In the Blugolds’ first six games, she has made four appearances, starting three times, and holds a 2-1 record. Meinen has a 2.62 ERA with just five earned runs while striking out 10 batters. In her latest start against St. Catherine (Minn.) on March 20, she combined with Lauren Carlson to shut out the Wildcats as the Blugolds won 10-0 in five innings. In that game, pitching four innings, she struck out three batters to tie a season-high while allowing three hits.

February 28, 2011-March 6, 2011

Position: Nikki Bromelkamp, Catcher, 5-7, Junior, Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa
Starting three games at catcher and one at designated player, Bromelkamp helped the Blugolds go 3-1 on opening weekend. She had 12 at-bats in the four games and led the team with a .500 batting average. Bromelkamp's six hits helped drive in three runs while she scored three times. She had one double and was walked twice. Bromelkamp also finished with 12 putouts and one assist with no errors.

Pitcher: Jess Hegseth, Pitcher, 5-7, Sophomore, Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa
Hegseth went 1-0 this weekend starting one game at the Irish Sports Dome in Rosemount, Minn. Against Buena Vista University (Iowa) on Sunday, a game the Blugolds won 6-5 in eight innings, she pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just five hits while facing 25 batters. Hegseth struck out five batters while allowing two runs.