Augsburg College - Athletics

Augsburg College Athletics 2004-05 Year in Review: Spring Sports

FALL SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW, CLICK HERE
WINTER SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW, CLICK HERE
2004-05 ATHLETIC AWARDS, CLICK HERE

Baseball (24-18 overall, 12-8 MIAC--t3rd/11, playoff runner-up)

In 2005, Augsburg completed one of its most successful baseball seasons in the last two decades. On a team with only two seniors on the roster, Augsburg finished the 2005 campaign with a 24-18 overall record (12-8 MIAC), finishing second in its first-ever trip to the MIAC postseason playoffs. The Auggies' 24 wins mark just the third 20-win campaign for the squad since 1992, and the most wins for the Auggies in a single season since their last MIAC regular-season title campaign of 1987 (31-10).

On a vote of conference coaches, Augsburg head coach Keith Bateman shared the Jim Dimick MIAC Coach of the Year award with Dennis Denning of conference regular-season champion St. Thomas. Bateman served as an assistant coach for Denning's Tommies in 2003, and is 40-40 with the Auggies in his two seasons as head coach. Bateman is Augsburg's first MIAC Baseball Coach of the Year honoree since Ron Petrich earned the honor in 1987, the last MIAC regular-season title campaign for the Auggies.

Auggies Troy Deden (Jr., Northfield, Minn.), Darren Ginther (Jr., Crystal, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS) and Jeremy Nelson (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Roseville HS) were named to the All-MIAC baseball team, while Matt Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Osseo HS), Tyler Kraft (So., Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) and Taylor Pagel (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) received All-MIAC honorable-mention recognition.

Ginther, Deden and Nelson were also named to the 2005 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Midwest Region baseball team, Ginther to the second team, and Deden and Nelson to the third team.

Ginther, a third baseman/pitcher, transferred to Augsburg last year after playing his freshman campaign at Division I Valparaiso (Ind.). He finished as one of the top hitters in the MIAC this year, with a .413 average, to go with team highs in hits (59), runs (35), extra-base hits (17), slugging percentage (.608) and on-base percentage (.494), with 19 multiple-hit games. He was Augsburg's fourth .400 hitter since 1988. He finished the regular season with eight doubles, seven triples and two homers. As Augsburg's No. 2 starting pitcher, Ginther finished with a 4.10 ERA and 6-3 record in 12 starts.

A secondary education/social studies major with a 3.81 grade-point average, Ginther was also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Baseball Team, in addition to earning Academic All-District honors.

Deden, a catcher, transferred to Augsburg last year after playing his freshman season at fellow MIAC school St. Mary's. Deden was second on the team in hitting this season, with a .364 batting average, team-high 36 RBI, eight doubles, five triples and two home runs. He had a .545 slugging percentage and .441 on-base percentage, with 13 multiple-hit games. As a catcher, he had a .985 fielding percentage, with just three errors in 196 chances, along with only six passed balls.

Nelson was a repeat selection to the All-MIAC squad this season. As Augsburg's No. 1 pitcher throughout his career, Nelson showed continual improvement throughout his four seasons. His earned-run average went down from 6.54 his freshman year to 2.99 this year, and his record also improved, leading to his career-best 8-3 mark this season. He finished his career with a 19-19 record in 44 appearances (43 starts), with 124 strikeouts against just 53 walks and a .299 opponent batting average. His career ERA was 4.12. This season, Nelson recorded 38 strikeouts against just 12 walks in his 13 starts (69.1 innings). In MIAC play, Nelson was 6-2 with a 3.86 ERA, including 23 strikeouts against just six walks in 42.0 innings of work. Opponents hit .264 against Nelson overall, .304 in MIAC play.

Johnson, a two-year starter at shortstop, hit .313 in the regular season, with 41 hits, 19 runs scored, 19 RBI, seven doubles and three triples. He has a .412 slugging percentage and .404 on-base percentage this season. In his career at Augsburg, Johnson is hitting .288 with 57 hits, 26 RBI, a .384 slugging percentage and .371 on-base percentage.

Kraft developed into one of the top relief pitchers in the MIAC this season. He appeared in 24 games in 2005 -- the most overall appearances by any MIAC pitcher this season -- with a 5-1 record, 2.51 ERA and five saves in 43.0 innings of work. He had 32 strikeouts against just six walks in his 24 appearances. He appeared in both games of Auggie doubleheaders five times this season.

Pagel, one of just two seniors on the Auggie roster, hit .279 on the season, with 34 hits, 23 runs and 24 RBI. He had six doubles, two triples, two home runs, a .410 slugging percentage and a .357 on-base percentage. Playing at first base, he compiled a .990 fielding percentage, with just three errors in 295 chances. A three-year starter, Pagel hit .305 on his career (103-of-338), with 58 runs, 21 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 78 RBI, a .464 slugging percentage, .361 on-base percentage and .981 fielding percentage (12 errors in 640 chances).

Softball (8-26 overall, 4-18 MIAC--11th/12)

Under head coach Carol Enke, Augsburg finished the 2005 season 8-26 overall and 4-18 in the MIAC. Augsburg split league doubleheaders with Macalester, Concordia-Moorhead, St. Olaf and St. Catherine this year. As a team, Augsburg hit .218 and had a 5.31 team ERA. The Auggies were a very young team this season, with just two seniors and 11 freshmen and sophomores on the 16-player roster.

Jolene Ross (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) earned All-MIAC recognition, the first Augsburg freshman to be named All-MIAC in softball since her predecessor at the shortstop position, Kristen Lideen, was named to the elite squad as a freshman in 2001. Lideen earned All-MIAC honors all four years of her career.

Ross stepped into the shortstop role and shined in her first season as an Auggie and as the team's leadoff hitter. She led the team's regulars in hitting with a .324 average (35-for-108) and 20 runs scored. She also had five RBI and stole six bases. In MIAC play, Ross hit .397 (29-of-73), the 12th-best total among MIAC players. Her 29 hits in league play ranked eighth-most among MIAC players.

Kati Tweeten (So., Spring Grove, Minn.) had a strong season both at first base and in the pitching circle. She hit .310 with a team-high 18 RBI and a .429 slugging percentage, while compiling three victories and 37 strikeouts in 13 appearances at pitcher. Pitcher Shelley Harris (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS), a three-year starter, pitched in 24 games with a 4.77 ERA and 65 strikeouts, pitching the bulk of Augsburg's innings this season.

Infielder starters Ashley Westerman (Fr., Bemidji, Minn.), Trista Gundersen (So., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) and Lisa Uehling (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) all hit above .200 this season, along with outfield starter Melynda Kleewein (Sr., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS).

M/W Track and Field (Men 11th/11 at MIAC indoor meet, 10th/11 at MIAC outdoor meet; Women 7th/12 at MIAC indoor meet, 8th/12 at MIAC outdoor meet)

Augsburg track and field athletes earned All-American honors in one event, won MIAC titles in five events, and set school records in 13 different events in the 2005 indoor and outdoor seasons.

In the indoor half of the campaign, sprinter Tonnisha Bell (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) won conference titles in the 55- and 200-meter dashes at the MIAC meet, setting facility records at Concordia-Moorhead in both events (7.29 seconds in 55, 25.26 seconds in 200). She repeated her conference crown in the indoor 200.

Bell and teammate Hannah Dietrich (Sr., Luverne, Minn.) qualified for the NCAA Division III indoor national championships, Bell in the 55 for the third straight year and Dietrich as an individual for the first time (after earning All-American honors as part of a relay in 2004) in the 800-meter run. Bell earned her second All-American honor of her career, finishing sixth in 7.22 seconds in the 55-meter final. Dietrich finished with the 12th-fastest time in the preliminaries in the women's 800, but did not qualify for the finals.

In the indoor season, Dietrich finished third at the conference meet in the women's 600-meter dash to earn All-MIAC honors. Earning All-MIAC honorable-mention honors indoors were Ellen Waldow (Jr., Lanesboro, Minn.) in the women's 600 (sixth), Angela Bergeson (Jr., Red Wing, Minn.) in the women's 1,000-meter run (sixth) and Jon Dahlin (Sr., St. Louis Park, Minn.) in the men's 35-pound weight throw (sixth).

In the outdoor half of the campaign, Bell again shined for the Auggie women, winning conference titles in both the 100- and 200-meter dashes and qualifying for the Division III outdoor national meet in both events for the second straight year. Bell, who has won seven MIAC titles in her career, claimed an automatic qualifying time in the 100 and a provisional time in the 200 during the outdoor season.

Dahlin repeated as conference titlist in the men's hammer throw with a 53.19-meter (174-feet, 6.0-inch) effort. He also achieved an NCAA meet automatic qualifying distance in the event with a school-record 58.22-meter (191-feet, 0.0-inch) effort. The record marked a nearly 100-foot improvement for Dahlin in his college career in the event.

Bell and Dahlin were joined at the outdoor national meet by Dietrich, who earned a trip in the women's 1,500-meter run. Bell fell shy of making the finals in both her events, missing the finals in the 100 by just one place with a 12.09-second heat time. She finished with the 10th-fastest time in the 200 trials in 25.22 seconds. Dietrich had the 16th-fastest time in the trials of the 1,500 (4:39.21), while Dahlin was also unable to advance to the finals in the hammer throw.

In the outdoor MIAC meet, Dietrich finished second in the women's 1,500, while taking fourth in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase to earn All-MIAC honorable-mention honors. Also earning all-conference honors was Riley Conway (Sr., Lake City, Minn.), with a third-place finish in the men's 10,000-meter run.

Earning All-MIAC honorable-mention honors were Bergeson in the women's 1,500-meter run (fourth) and Waldow in the women's 800-meter run (sixth). The women's 3,200-meter relay squad of Andrea Carlson (Sr., Maplewood, Minn./Visitation HS), Bergeson, Dietrich and Waldow placed third at the conference meet to earn honorable-mention All-MIAC honors.

In the indoor MIAC meet, Augsburg's women's squad placed seventh, while the Auggie men placed 11th. In the outdoor MIAC meet, Augsburg's men placed 10th, while the Auggie women placed eighth.

Academically, Augsburg's Conway was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division Men's Track and Field/Cross Country Second Team and the Academic All-District V first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Men's Golf (5th/10 at MIAC meet)

Augsburg's men's golf program finished fifth for the third season in a row at the 2004 fall MIAC championships. Augsburg has finished in the top five in conference tournaments every year since 1993.

In the fall half of the season, the Auggies competed in five events and compiled a 313.45 team stroke average, and in the spring half of the season, Augsburg competed in five meets and compiled a 311.91 team stroke average. Augsburg finished with a cumulative team stroke average of 312.68, its best overall stroke average since the 2001-02 season.

Erik Helgerson (So., Chisago City, Minn./Chisago Lakes HS) led the Auggies this season with a 77.77 cumulative stroke average, including a 76.91 average in the spring. He was one of five Auggies to average lower than 80 strokes per round this season.

Thomas Erickson (Fr., Apple Valley, Minn.) tied for 14th for the Auggies at the MIAC championships in the fall, and averaged 79.14 strokes per round this season, including a spring average of 77.45. His overall average and conference finish was matched by newcomer Andrew Womeldorf (Fr., Northfield, Minn.).

Andrew Johnson (Jr., New Hope, Minn.) placed 24th at the MIAC championships and averaged 79.75 strokes per round this season. Colby Anderson (Fr., Luverne, Minn.) averaged 79.78 strokes per round, and Evan Holmes (Jr., Janesville, Minn./Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton HS), the lone junior on the roster, had an 80.71 stroke average.

Head coach Brian Ammann resigned from his position during the 2004-05 season, with assistant coach Josh Klimek finishing the spring half of the 2004-05 season guiding the team. Ted Vickerman (Augsburg '02) and Jim Rustad (Augsburg '95), both alumni of the Augsburg men’s golf program, were named co-head coaches in May 2005.

Women's Golf (8th/9 at MIAC fall meet, 10th/16 at MWCGA spring state meet)

Augsburg finished the 2004-05 season, the third under co-head coaches Laura Levi-Porras and Troy Nygaard, setting team school records for overall stroke average (364.90), spring stroke average (354.00) and fall stroke average (370.90), along with setting single-event marks and individual personal-bests for each of the six golfers on the squad.

Augsburg concluded its most successful women's golf season in school history in the spring half of the season with a 10th-place finish at the Minnesota Women's Collegiate Golf Association State Championships, which features teams from both Division II and III programs in Minnesota. Augsburg tied its best-ever finish (2004, 2001) at the MWCGA state meet. Augsburg finished eighth in the MIAC championship meet in the fall.

Marisa Navarro (So., Rochester, Minn./Century HS) continued her rewriting of the Augsburg record book in 2004-05, compiling an 85.68 season-long stroke average, including a fall-record 86.00 average. She led the Auggies with a 15th-place finish at the MIAC fall championships, and placed 41st at the MWCGA spring state meet.

At the Carleton Small College Desert Classic in Arizona during spring break, Navarro became the first Auggie women's golfer to ever shoot a sub-160 total for 36 holes, recording an 87-72--159 total. Her second-round 72 broke her old school record of 78 for 18 holes, and was just the second sub-80 single round ever shot by an Auggie women's golfer in the 10-year history of the program. Augsburg's team total of 656 at the Arizona meet set a school 36-hole team scoring record, along with a single-round mark of 320.

Micaela Pommerening (Jr., Hopkins, Minn./Blake HS) also showed strong improvement as the Auggies' No. 2 golfer, finishing with an 89.04 sseason-long stroke average, trimming her scoring average from 91.67 in the fall to 86.18 in the spring. She finished 31st to lead the Auggies at the season-ending MWCGA spring state meet.

Laura Henry (So., Hugo, Minn./Forest Lake HS), a transfer from Concordia-Moorhead, averaged 94.89 this season, including a 91.27 spring average. Brooke Hamann (Jr., Perham, Minn.) continued to improve, with a 99.10 season-long stroke average, including a 96.90 average in the spring. Maria Schmidt (Fr., Elk River, Minn.) and Jessica Prink (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), in their first seasons of collegiate golf, showed promise throughout the 2004-05 campaign. Prink averaged 91.80 this season, while Schmidt averaged 95.48.

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Augsburg College, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III.

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